Page 28 - RPVFC v Knaphill

Combined Counties Football League

he Combined Counties League can Banstead Athletic
Ttrace its existence back to 1922 when and Feltham.
the Surrey Senior League was formed. The Most of these
present title was not adopted until 1979. The clubs had pre-
first champions in 1922–23 were Egham, viously won
with Carshalton Athletic as runners-up. th e S u rr e y
Farnham United Breweries were cham- Senior League
pions twice and runners-up twice to Ep- championship
som Town between 1923–27. Camberley at least once.
& Yorktown were the first club to record In 1968–69 a second division was formed
a hat-trick of championship wins between which was known as Division One, with
1930–33. The Second World War brought the original league becoming the Premier
the Surrey Senior League to a close between Division. As the majority of clubs forming
1939–46. Farnham United Breweries were Division One were junior sides there was
champions twice and runners-up twice to no automatic promotion and relegation
Epsom Town between 1923–27. Camberley between the divisions. After three seasons
& Yorktown were the first club to record a Division One was disbanded and the league
hat-trick of championship wins between continued as before.
1930–33. The Second World War brought There were objections
the Surrey Senior League to a close be- Early in the 1970’s Farnham Town and
tween 1939–46. After the war newcomers Farnborough Town joined the Spartan
to league in 1946–47 included Chertsey League. In an attempt to attract clubs
Town, Devas Institute, Lagonda Sports, from outside the county, the Surrey Senior
who after several name changes became League was renamed the Home Counties
Petters Sports, Leatherhead and Worcester League in 1978–79. However there were
Park. Leatherhead took the league by storm objections to the new title and the cur-
winning the championship four times be- rent title, Combined Counties League was
tween 1946–50. After finishing second in adopted for the 1979–80 season.
1949–50 Banstead Athletic took over the In 1981–82 the league was split into East
role as most consistent club. They were and West sections, with Ash United beat-
champions for the next four seasons and ing Malden Town in the play-off. Since
never finished lower than second between 1982 the league has reverted back to one
1949–59. division. The Combined Counties league
In the 1960s a number of sides switched reached an agreement to become a feed-
to the Spartan League they included Mole- er league for the Isthmian League, whilst
sey, Chertsey Town, Addlestone, Hampton, at the bottom end of the league, arrange-

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