Midland Football Combination


The Midland Football Combination was an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprised five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions. The league was one of three official feeder leagues to the Midland Football Alliance.
Prior to 2006, the Premier Division was defined as step 7 in the National League System, even though it fed into the step 5 Midland Alliance. In 2006 it was re-graded as step 6, making teams in the top two divisions eligible to take part in the FA Vase and teams in the top division eligible to enter the FA Cup. The league merged with the Midland Football Alliance in 2014 to form the new Midland Football League.

History

The league was founded in 1927 as the Worcestershire Combination. The ten founder members were Oldbury Town, Stourbridge Reserves, Kidderminster Harriers Reserves, Bewdley, Blackheath Town, Halesowen Labour, Highley Colliers, Old Carolians, Stewart & Lloyds and Cookley St Peters. By the 1929–30 season four of the founding clubs had dropped out and the league had been reduced to just six teams, with the result that it held two separate competitions within the one season to bulk out the fixture list, but it then gained eight new teams and has continued to expand.
The league changed its name to the Midland Combination in 1968 to reflect the drawing of clubs from a wider area.
In the 2007–08 season, the league's representative team, drawn from clubs in Division One, reached the final of the FA National League System Cup.

League champions

Worcestershire Combination

Initially the league consisted of a single division
SeasonChampions
1927–28Blackheath Town
1928–29Blackheath Town

Due to the number of teams having dropped dramatically, the 1929–30 season consisted of two separate "half-season" leagues.
SeasonFirst seriesSecond series
1929–30Halesowen LabourDudley Town

For the 1930–31 the league reverted to its standard format.
SeasonChampions
1930–31Halesowen Labour
1931–32Dudley Town
1932–33Tarmac
1933–34Woodside Wanderers
1934–35Catshill Village Hall
1935–36Lye Town
1936–37Catshill Village Hall
1937–38Catshill Village Hall
1938–39Catshill Village Hall

The league closed down in 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War and did not begin again until 1948.
SeasonChampions
1948–49Jack Mould's Athletic
1949–50Bourneville Athletic
1950–51Jack Mould's Athletic
1951–52Walsall Wood
1952–53Evesham United
1953–54Brierley Hill Alliance Reserves
1954–55Evesham United
1955–56Malvern Town
1956–57Stratford Town
1957–58Wolverhampton Wanderers 'B'
1958–59Shelfield Athletic
1959–60Paget Rangers
1960–61Paget Rangers

For the 1960–61 season the league added a second division, with the existing division renamed Division One.
SeasonDivision OneDivision Two
1961–62Allens CrossAllens Cross Reserves
1962–63AlvechurchHall Green Amateurs
1963–64Hall Green AmateursCastle Rovers
1964–65AlvechurchHall Green Amateurs Reserves
1965–66Evesham UnitedAlvechurch Reserves
1966–67AlvechurchHighgate United Reserves
1967–68Evesham UnitedWhitmore Old Boys

Midland Combination

For the 1979–80 season a third division was added.
SeasonDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three
1979–80Bridgnorth TownHurley Daw Mill WelfareSheldon Promovere
1980–81Moor GreenSheldon PromovereSoutham United
1981–82Chipping Norton TownBedworth United ReservesPaget Rangers Reserves
1982–83Bridgnorth TownStudley SportingBridgnorth Town Reserves

For the 1983–84 season the divisions were renamed to Premier, One and Two.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two
1983–84Studley SportingNew WorldKingswinford Town
1984–85Mile Oak RoversCheltenham Town ReservesBolehall Swifts
1985–86Boldmere St MichaelsMoor Green ReservesStratford Town Reserves
1986–87Stratford TownWilmcoteBromsgrove Athletic
1987–88Racing Club WarwickChelmsley TownWest Midlands Fire Service
1988–89Boldmere St MichaelsBloxwichUpton Town
1989–90Boldmere St MichaelsStapenhill ReservesPershore Town
1990–91West Midlands PoliceAlcester TownBadsey Rangers
1991–92Evesham UnitedStudley BKLMarston Green
1992–93Armitage 90WellesbourneAnsells

For the 1993–94 season Division Three was added.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three
1993–94Pershore TownWest Midlands Fire ServiceMassey FergusonAlbright & Wilson
1994–95Northfield TownMassey FergusonRichmond SwiftsWest Midland Police Reserves
1995–96Bloxwich TownRichmond SwiftsContinental StarFeckenham
1996–97Kings Norton TownGPT CoventryFeckenhamSwan Sports
1997–98Worcester AthleticoAlvestonBlackheath ElectrodrivesOld Hill Town
1998–99AlvestonNorthfield TownFairfield VillaMCL Claines
1999–2000Nuneaton GriffBrookvale AthleticWyle ForestWilmcote S & S
2000–01Nuneaton GriffShirley TownLeamingtonWest Hagley
2001–02Grosvenor ParkRugby UnitedBurman Hi-TonLittleton
2002–03AlvechurchKnowleBarnt Green SpartakWellesbourne
2003–04RomulusBarnt Green SpartakWellesbourneUniversity of Birmingham
2004–05LeamingtonAtherstone TownArchdaleCoton Green
2005–06Atherstone TownKnowleBartley GreenHalesowen Town Reserves
2006–07Coventry SphinxBartley GreenWernley AthleticCastle Vale JKS
2007–08Coleshill TownKnowleCastle Vale JKSGSA & Smethwick Town
2008–09Loughborough UniversityCastle Vale JKSShirley TownHampton
2009–10Heath HayesStockingford Allotments AssociationHamptonBlackwood
2010–11Heather St. John'sEarlswood TownBlackwoodPolesworth

For the 2011–12 season Division Three was disbanded.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two
2011–12Continental StarBlackwoodAston
2012–13Walsall WoodAlvis Sporting ClubBarnt Green Spartak
2013–14BroctonCadbury AthleticKenilworth Town

Final members

The teams that competed in the Combination's first team divisions in the 2013–14 season were as follows:

Premier Division

Each division other than the Premier had its own knockout competition, Division One competing for the President's Cup, Division Two for the Challenge Vase, Division Three for the Challenge Urn, and the Reserve Division for the Challenge Trophy. There were also other cup competitions run by the Midland Football Combination for its members including the Jack Mould Trophy and the Challenge Bowl.