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Combined Counties Football League                                                   ments had been made to accept clubs from  the  Combined  Counties  a  much  stronger
                                                                                          the Surrey Premier at the expense of the  force with a total of 42 member clubs and
          he Combined Counties League can  Banstead Athletic                              bottom club.                          now with two senior divisions.
      Ttrace its existence back to 1922 when  and Feltham.                                  Certainly living up to its name      Season 2006–07 saw a major restructur-
      the Surrey Senior League was formed. The  Most of these                              The 1990s saw the Combined Counties-  ing of the league with a number of new
      present title was not adopted until 1979. The  clubs had pre-                       League get stronger with the acceptance of  clubs from the now-defunct Ryman’s sec-
      first champions in 1922–23 were Egham,  viously won                                 a number of sides from Isthmian and Spar-  ond division being accepted and a number
      with Carshalton Athletic as runners-up.  t h e S u r r e y                          tan leagues. Clubs have also been accepted  of clubs being relegated from the league.
       Farnham United Breweries were cham-  Senior  League                                from the old Chiltonian League which no   2011–12 saw the first non-mainland side
      pions twice and runners-up twice to Ep-  championship                               longer exists. The new millennium has seen  join the league when Guernsey were elect-
      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         The Camberley & Yorktown team of 1904–05, one of the founders of the Surrey Senior League. Wiki
      to league in 1946–47 included Chertsey  League. In an attempt to attract clubs      the league spreading it’s net further and  ed to the 1st Division.
      Town, Devas Institute, Lagonda Sports,  from outside the county, the Surrey Senior   further with clubs from Oxon and Sussex   Season 2018–19 witnessed Chertsey
      who after several name changes became  League was renamed the Home Counties         joining the ranks. The Combined Counties  Town becoming the first-ever CCL team to
      Petters Sports, Leatherhead and Worcester  League in 1978–79. However there were    is certainly living up to its name.   win the F.A. Vase at Wembley.
      Park. Leatherhead took the league by storm  objections to the new title and the cur-  For  the 2002–03 season, AFC Wimble-  Season 2019/20 saw the Jersey Bulls join-
      winning the championship four times be-  rent title, Combined Counties League was   don joined the league. The new club, hav-  ing the league.
      tween  1946–50.  After finishing  second  in  adopted for the 1979–80 season.       ing only been formed a month or two ear-  Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the
      1949–50 Banstead Athletic took over the   In 1981–82 the league was split into East   lier put fresh life into the league with an  2019/20 season was abandoned, with no
      role as most consistent club. They were  and West sections, with Ash United beat-   enthusiasm never seen before. Wherever  teams either being promoted or relegated.
      champions for the next four seasons and  ing Malden Town in the play-off. Since     they played they set new club attendance
      never finished lower than second between  1982 the league has reverted back to one   records bringing much needed finances to
      1949–59.                              division.  The  Combined  Counties  league    every club.
       In the 1960s a number of sides switched  reached an agreement to become a feed-     Season 2003–04 saw yet another develop-
      to the Spartan League they included Mole-  er league for the Isthmian League, whilst   ment to the league with the amalgamation
      sey, Chertsey Town, Addlestone, Hampton,  at the bottom end of the league, arrange-  of the Surrey Premier League. This made   Cherry  Red Records are the League's main sponsors



                      WWW.RPVC.COM                                              42                  WWW.RPVC.COM                                                   43
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