Country England
Wales Folded 2012 | Founded 1915 | |
The Football Combination was a football competition for the reserve teams of English Football League clubs from Southern England, the Midlands and Wales; other clubs from the Midlands and those from the North playing in the Central League (it is not to be confused with the Combination, a league for teams from North West England which existed at the turn of the 20th century).
The Football Combination was founded in 1915 as the London Combination, originally as a regional league for London clubs after first-class competition had been suspended due to World War I. After hostilities ended, the Combination became a competition for reserve sides only, becoming the Football Combination for the 1939-40 season, which was abandoned due to the start of World War II, as teams from outside London started to join.
The Combination originally included reserve teams of top League clubs within the region, but in 1999 the FA Premier Reserve League was founded. The reserve teams of the FA Premier League clubs and some First Division clubs joined that competition, reducing the size of the Combination (however, in 2006, Premier League clubs voted that only the 20 top-tier teams would be able to play in this league, which meant several well-established reserve sides moving to the Combination).
The 2011–12 season was the last in the history of the Combination, with the introduction of the EPPP deeming the league surplus to requirements.
Combination Challenge Cup
The Combination also operated a cup competition - The Combination Challenge Cup.