Southern Combination Football League


The Macron Southern Combination Football League is a football league broadly covering the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex and southeastern Surrey, England. The league consists of eight divisions – three for first teams, two for Under 23 teams and three for Under 18 teams.

History

Formed in 1920 as the Sussex County Football League, started with just one league with 12 teams. By the end of the 1929–30 season, six of the original twelve teams remained, having played in every campaign since the competition began. The league saw regular changes in members between 1921 and 1928 and saw 23 different clubs taking part. The league closed down during the Second World War and the league ran two competition sections in the 1945–46 season, an Eastern division with eight teams and a Western division with 9 teams. The winners of each competition played in a play-off for a champion. A normal single league practice resumed in 1946 with 14 clubs now playing.
A new division was created in 1952 when Division Two was instituted. Division One remained with 14 teams and Division Two with 12 teams. By 1958 the two leagues had 16 teams each. The 1962–63 season was abandoned due to the atrocious weather conditions, with some clubs playing over 20 games and others with only 13 or 14 games played, an emergency competition was played in a group stage style format with knock-out stages to the final. The 1970s saw the league membership decline.
In 1983 a third division was added for intermediate level teams looking for an easy entry into the football league pyramid system, also a 3 points for a win system was introduced. Divisions One and Two keeping with 16 teams each, Division Three started with 13 teams, increasing to 15 two seasons later. Some long term clubs experienced harder times and dropped into Division Two. A "Two Up Two Down" system of promotion and relegation was applied throughout the period but occasionally affected with departures from the league itself. Division One increased to 18 teams for the 1988–89 season and 20 teams for the 1993–94 season, along with Division One increasing to 18 teams in the same season. Division Three increased to 16 teams in 2000.
The league changed its name to the Southern Combination Football League for the start of the 2015–16 season, keeping the acronym SCFL also attracting teams just across the Sussex border in the event of the FA moving teams across leagues. Also at the same time renamed the divisions to Premier Division, Division One and Division Two. Division Two still keeping its intermediate status. Also, for the 2015–16 season the league added two U21s divisions, one in the East, and one in the West, these two leagues consisting of 7 teams each, which lasted until the end of the 2017–18 season and replaced by two Under–23 divisions, and three Under–18 divisions
A second abandonment was during the 2019–20 season when the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic halted all sporting events nationwide, an agreement between the leagues and the Football Association decided to end the season early and expunge all results, including no promotion or relegation between the leagues.
The first team divisions – Premier, One and Two, sit at Steps 5, 6 and 7 of the English football league system, below the lower divisions of the Isthmian League and the Southern League. The reserve divisions are not part of the league system.

Sponsorship

In the past, Unijet, Rich City and Matthew Clark sponsored the Sussex County Football League. But between 2004 and 2014 the league was without a sponsor. Macron Store signed a 4-year deal beginning 2014/15 season resulting in the official name being changed to "The Macron Sussex County League" and then to current "The Macron Southern Combination Football League". As of 2020 Macron Store still continue to sponsor the league.
PeriodSponsorBrand
1990–2000UnijetUnijet Sussex County League
2000–2001No SponsorSussex County League
2001–2002Rich CityRich City Sussex County League
2002–2004Matthew ClarkMatthew Clark Sussex County League
2004–2014No SponsorSussex County League
2014–2015MacronMacron Store Sussex County Football League
2015–MacronMacron Store Southern Combination Football League

Current clubs

Premier Division
Division One
Division Two

1920–1939

The league originally consisted of a single section of 12 clubs, and had reached a stable membership of 14 clubs when it was abandoned on the outbreak of World War II.
SeasonChampions
1920–21Worthing
1921–22Worthing
1922–23Vernon Athletic
1923–24Corps of Signals
1924–25Corps of Signals
1925–26Southwick
1926–27Worthing
1927–28Southwick
1928–29Worthing
1929–30Southwick
1930–31Worthing
1931–32Horsham
1932–33Horsham
1933–34Worthing
1934–35Horsham
1935–36Horsham
1936–37Horsham
1937–38Horsham
1938–39Worthing

1939–1940

During the Second World War an emergency competition was played. The league operated two region divisions, East and West, with the winners of each playing in a play-off
SeasonEasternWesternPlay-off Winners
1939–40Hastings & St LeonardsWorthingWorthing

1945–1946

For the first post-War season, the league also operated two regional divisions, East and West, with the winners of each facing each other in a play-off.
SeasonEasternWesternPlay-off Winners
1945–46Haywards HeathWorthingHaywards Heath

1946–1952

After a single split format, the league reverted to a single division for the next six seasons.
SeasonChampions
1946–47Horsham
1947–48Southwick
1948–49Bognor Regis
1949–50Haywards Heath
1950–51Haywards Heath
1951–52Shoreham

1952–1983

A second division was instituted in 1952. A two-division format continued for over 30 years, the only deviation being in the 1962–63 season when the unusually harsh winter weather made the league impossible to finish. The normal league competitions were abandoned and a set of emergency competitions were played for in the second half of the season.

1983–2015

After a two division format had proved sufficient for over 30 years, a third division was added in 1983. While the top two divisions were for clubs holding senior status with the Sussex FA, the new Division Three was for clubs of intermediate status.
SeasonDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three
1983–84WhitehawkPortfieldEast Preston
1984–85Steyning TownShorehamOakwood
1985–86Steyning TownWickSeaford Town
1986–87ArundelPaghamLangney Sports
1987–88PaghamLangney SportsMidway
1988–89PaghamSeaford TownSaltdean United
1989–90WickBexhill TownWorthing United
1990–91Littlehampton TownNewhavenIfield
1991–92Peacehaven & TelscombePortfieldHassocks
1992–93Peacehaven & TelscombeCrowborough AthleticWithdean
1993–94WickShorehamBosham
1994–95Peacehaven & TelscombeMile OakMidhurst & Easebourne
1995–96Peacehaven & TelscombeSaltdean UnitedIfield
1996–97Burgess Hill TownLittlehampton TownSidlesham
1997–98Burgess Hill TownEast PrestonLingfield
1998–99Burgess Hill TownSidley UnitedOving Social Club
1999–2000Langney SportsSidleshamBosham
2000–01Sidley UnitedSouthwickRye United
2001–02Burgess Hill TownRye & Iden UnitedPease Pottage Village
2002–03Burgess Hill TownRye & Iden UnitedMidhurst & Easebourne
2003–04Chichester City UnitedLittlehampton TownCrowborough Athletic
2004–05Horsham Y M C ACrowborough AthleticStorrington
2005–06Horsham Y M C AOakwoodPeacehaven & Telscombe
2006–07Eastbourne TownPaghamRustington
2007–08Crowborough AthleticEast Grinstead TownLoxwood
2008–09Eastbourne United AssociationPeacehaven & TelscombeClymping
2009–10WhitehawkRye UnitedBosham
2010–11Crawley DownA.F.C. UckfieldDorking Wanderers
2011–12Three BridgesEast PrestonNewhaven
2012–13Peacehaven & TelscombeLittlehampton TownSidlesham
2013–14East PrestonEastbourne United AssociationLangney Wanderers
2014–15Littlehampton TownWorthing UnitedSouthwick

2015–present

In 2015, the Sussex County Football League was re-branded to the Southern Combination Football League, keeping the acronym SCFL. The divisions were renamed to Premier Division, Division One and Division Two, Division Two clubs still holding intermediate status.
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two
2015–16HorshamHaywards Heath TownAFC Varndeanians
2016–17ShorehamSaltdean UnitedBosham
2017–18Haywards Heath TownLittle CommonRustington
2018–19Chichester CityAlfoldRustington
2019–20 1Lancing 1Littlehampton Town 1Montpellier Villa 1

Promoted

Since the league's formation, the following clubs have won promotion to higher levels of the English football league system.
SeasonClubPositionPromoted to
1955–56Eastbourne United1stMetropolitan League
1964–65Lewes1stAthenian League Division Two
1971–72Bognor Regis Town1stSouthern League Division One South
1984–85Hastings Town9thSouthern League Southern Division
1995–96Stamco2ndSouthern League Southern Division
1999–2000Langney Sports1stSouthern League Eastern Division
2002–03Burgess Hill Town1stSouthern League Eastern Division
2005–06Horsham YMCA1stIsthmian League Division One South
2006–07Eastbourne Town1stIsthmian League Division One South
2007–08Crowborough Athletic1stIsthmian League Division One South
2008–09Horsham YMCA3rdIsthmian League Division One South
2009–10Whitehawk1stIsthmian League Division One South
2010–11Crawley Down1stIsthmian League Division One South
2011–12Three Bridges1stIsthmian League Division One South
2012–13Peacehaven & Telscombe1stIsthmian League Division One South
2012–13Redhill2ndIsthmian League Division One South
2013–14East Grinstead Town2ndIsthmian League Division One South
2014–15Dorking Wanderers2ndIsthmian League Division One South
2015–16Horsham1stIsthmian League Division One South
2016–17Shoreham1stIsthmian League Division One South
2017–18Haywards Heath Town1stIsthmian League South Division
2017–18Three Bridges2ndIsthmian League South Division
2018–19Chichester City1stIsthmian League South East Division

Most championship title wins

Premier Division (Division One 1952–2015)

Division One (Division Two 1952–2015)

Division Two (Division Three 1983–2015)