COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUECOMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE
BRIEF HISTORY
The Combined Counties League can trace its existence back to 1922 when the Surrey Senior League was formed. The present title was not adopted until 1979. The first champions in 1922-23 were Egham, with Carshalton Athletic as runners-up.
Farnham United Breweries were champions twice and runners-up twice to Epsom Town between 1923-27. Camberley & Yorktown were the first club to record a hat-trick of championship wins between 1930-33. The Second World War brought the Surrey Senior League to a close between 1939-46. After the war newcomers to league in 1946-47 included Chertsey Town, Devas Institute, Lagonda Sports, who after several name changes became Petters Sports, Leatherhead and Worcester Park. Leatherhead took the league by storm winning the championship four times between 1946-50.
After finishing second in 1949-50 Banstead Athletic took over the role as most consistent club. They were champions the next four seasons and never finished lower than second between 1949-59.
In the 1960's a number of sides switched to the Spartan League they included Molesey, Chertsey Town, Addlestone, Hampton, Banstead Athletic and Feltham. Most of these clubs had previously won the Surrey Senior League championship at least once. In 1968-69 a second division was formed which was known as Division One, with the original league becoming the Premier Division. As the majority of clubs forming Division One were junior sides there was no automatic promotion and relegation between the divisions. After three seasons Division One was disbanded and the league continued as before.
Early in the 1970's Farnham Town and Farnborough Town joined the Spartan League. In an attempt to attract clubs from outside the county, the Surrey Senior League was renamed the Home Counties League in 1978-79. However there were objections to the new title and the current title, Combined Counties League was adopted for the 1979-80 season.
In 1981-82 the league was split into East and West sections, with Ash United beating Malden Town in the play-off. Since 1982 the league has reverted back to one division. The Combined Counties league reached an agreement to become a feeder league for the Isthmian League, whilst at the bottom end of the league, arrangements had been made to accept clubs from the Surrey Premier at the expense of the bottom club.
The 1990's saw the Combined Counties league get stronger with the acceptance of a number of sides from Isthmian and Spartan leagues. Clubs have also been accepted from the old Chiltonian League which no longer exists. The new millennium has seen the league spreading it's net further and further with clubs from Oxon and Sussex joining the ranks. The Combined Counties is certainly living up to it's name.
For the 2002/03 season AFC Wimbledon joined the league. The new club, having only being formed a month or two earlier put fresh life into the league with an enthusiasm never seen before. Wherever they played they set new club attendance records bringing much needed finances to every club.
Season 2003/04 saw yet another development to the league with the amalgamation of the Surrey Premier league. This made the Combined Counties a much stronger force with a total of 42 member clubs and now with two senior divisions.
Season 2006/07 saw a major restructuring of the league with a number of new clubs from the now defunct Ryman's second division being accepted and a number of clubs being relegated from the league.
2011/12 saw the first non-mainland side join the league, when Guernsey were elected to the 1st Division.
Season 2018/19 witnessed Chertsey Town becoming the first ever CCL team to win the F.A. Vase at Wembley.
Seasons 2019/20 & 2020/21 saw the leagues being terminated due to the Covid-19 virus. Although, the 2020/21 cup competitions were completed.
Season 2021/22 sees a major change to the CCL with the Premier division being split in to two regional North and South divisions.
PREVIOUS COMBINED COUNTIES CHAMPIONS & RUNNERS-UP
Season League Winners Runners-up
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1979/80 Guildford & Worplesdon Ash United
1980/81 Malden Town Hartley Wintney
1981/82 Ash United Malden Town
1982/83 Hartley Wintney Ash United
1983/84 Godalming Town Malden Town
1984/85 Malden Vale Southwick
1985/86 BAe(Weybridge) Chertsey Town
1986/87 Ash United Farnham Town
1987/88 BAe (Weybridge) Merstham
1988/89 BAe (Weybridge) Malden Vale
1989/90 Chipstead Merstham
1990/91 Farnham Town Chipstead
1991/92 Farnham Town Malden Town
1992/93 Peppard Chipstead
1993/94 Peppard Ashford Town(Middx)
1994/95 Ashford Town(Middx) Viking Sports
1995/96 Ashford Town(Middx) Chipstead
1996/97 Ashford Town(Middx) Corinthian Casuals
1997/98 Ashford Town(Middx) Reading Town
1998/99 Ash United Cobham
1999/00 Ashford Town(Middx) Ash United
2000/01 Cove AFC Wallingford
2001/02 AFC Wallingford Ash United
2002/03 Withdean 2000 AFC Wallingford
2003/04 AFC Wimbledon AFC Wallingford
2004/05 Walton Casuals North Greenford United
2005/06 Godalming Town Merstham
2006/07 Chipstead Merstham
2007/08 Merstham Guildford City
2008/09 Bedfont Green North Greenford United
2009/10 North Greenford United Chertsey Town
2010/11 Guildford City Chertsey Town
2011/12 Guildford City Windsor
2012/13 Egham Town Guernsey
2013/14 South Park Camberley Town
2015/16 Molesey Camberley Town
2015/16 Hartley Wintney Ashford Town(Middx)
2016/17 Hartley Wintney Westfield
2017/18 Westfield Bedfont Sports
2018/19 Chertsey Town Sutton Common Rovers
2019/20 Season not completed due to Covid-19
2020/21 Season not completed due to Covid-19
North Div 2021/22 Hanworth Villa Southall
South Div 2021/22 Beckenham Town Walton & Hersham
North Div 2022/23 Ascot United Egham Town
South Div 2022/23 Raynes Park Vale Badshot Lea
North Div 2023/24 Flackwell Heath Rayners Lane
South Div 2023/24 Farnham Town Jersey Bulls
MOST NUMBER OF SEASONS IN THE COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE
1979/80-2023/2024
Seasons Club
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46 Cobham
NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM 2019-2020
Football Association
Premier League
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Football League
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National League (Step 1)
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National League Division 1 South (Step 2)
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Southern League Isthmian League
Premier Division (Step 3) Premier Division (Step 3)
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Southern League Division Isthmian League Division Isthmian League Division
One South (Step 4) One South Central (Step 4) One South East (Step 4)
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Cherry Red Records Other Step 5 & 6
Combined Counties League Leagues
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Herts Senior Surrey Premier Middlesex Hampshire Thames
League League County League Premier League Valley League
CLUBS TO HAVE PROGRESSED TO STEP 4
Season Left the Combined Counties League
2023-2024 Flackwell Heath, Rayners Lane, Farnham Town and AFC Croydon Athletic
2022-2023 Ascot United (Second CCL winner of the FA Vase), Raynes Park Vale and Badshot Lea
2021-2022 Hanworth Villa, Southall, Beckenham Town and Walton & Hersham
2020-2021 Sutton Common Rovers
2018-2019 Chertsey Town (First CCL winner of the FA Vase)
2017-2018 Westfield
2017-2018 Bedfont Sports
2016-2017 Hartley Wintney
2015-2016 Ashford Town(Middx)
2014-2015 Molesey (Returned 2019-2020)
2013-2014 South Park
2012-2013 Egham Town (Returned 2019-2020)
2012-2013 Guernsey - (First Channel Island club in the NLS)
2011-2012 Guildford City (Returned in 2014-2015)
2010-2011 Chertsey Town (Returned in 2014-2015)
2009-2010 North Greenford United
2008-2009 Bedfont Green
2007-2008 Merstham
2006-2007 Chipstead
2005-2006 Godalming Town
2004-2005 Walton Casuals
2003-2004 AFC Wimbledon - (First CCL club in the Football League)
1999-2000 Ashford Town (Middx) (Returned in 2014-2015)
1996-1997 Corinthian Casuals
1991-1992 Farnham Town (Returned in 1993-1994)
1989-1990 Cove (Returned in 1995-1996)
1988-1989 Raynes Park Vale (Returned in 1994-1995)
1985-1986 Chertsey Town (Returned in 2006-2007)
1984-1985 Southwick