Wearside Combination Football League

The Wearside Combination Football League is a non-league football competition based in County Durham, England.

History

The Combination in its current guise was established in 1945. Prior to the Second World War it had operated as the Sunderland and District Nonconformist and Brotherhood League. As well as the change of name it also came under the control of the Durham County Football Association for the first time.

Currently the league has twenty-one teams in two divisions, although in the past it has operated with as many as sixty-four teams in four divisions.

Many players join the Combination from pub, club and factory teams, and in turn move up to the Wearside League or Northern League. The Combination's place, if any, in the English football league system is unknown.

2008-09 season

The league is sponsored by TWR Commercial Trade Frames for the 2008–09 season.

Member clubs 2008–09

Premier Division

Aquatic Sports | Blue House | Colonel Prior | Easington Lane WMC | Fulwell Blue Bell | Hendon | Hendon Grange | HF Seaview Plastics | Jolly Potter | Mountain Daisy | Redhouse

Division One

Cambridge Hotel | Country Park Inn | Hylton Colliery Welfare | Park View | [http://www.sassco.co.uk Sassco.co.uk] | Seaham The Times Inn | Sporting Redhouse | Sportsmans Arms | The Fort | Times Inn | Travellers Rest | Usworth

Cups

In addition to the league, the teams also compete for a number of cups.

*Wearmouth and Hylton Aged Peoples Trophy (formerly Aged Miners Homes Cup):This cup was established in 1934 to raise funds for the Aged Miners homes in Sunderland. As the charity was wound up, the competition was renamed in 2001.
*Alan Hood Memorial Trophy (formerly Sunderland Blind Institute Cup):This charity competition was established in 1926 to support the Blind Institute charity. In 1989 it was renamed in honour of Combination vice-chairman Alan Hood, who had been killed in a road accident. The trophy is a full-size replica of the European Cup.
*Alan Croft Memorial Trophy for Sportsmanship:This trophy is awarded each season to the club which is judged the most sportsmanlike in both on- and off-field conduct. It is named after Alan Croft, who was Combination vice chairman until his death in 1980.
*League Challenge Cup:This cup was donated to the League in 1950 by noted local ice cream manufacturers the Notarianni Brothers.

Recent divisional champions

Divisional champions since 2000 are:cite web|url=http://www.wcfl.org.uk/rollOfHonour.aspx|title=Wearside Combination roll of honour|publisher=Wearside Combination Football League|accessdate=2008-08-04]

External links

* [http://www.wcfl.org.uk Official website]
* [http://www.sassco.co.uk Official website of Sassco, a team within the WCFL]

References