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.The FA In 2006, it was re-graded as step 6,The FA 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 (Bilston) 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 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.The FA
League champions Worcestershire Combination Initially the league consisted of a single division SeasonChampions1927–28 Blackheath Town1928–29 Blackheath Town Due to the number of teams having dropped dramatically, the 1929–30 season consisted of two separate "half-season" leagues. SeasonFirst seriesSecond series1929–30 Halesowen LabourDudley Town For the 1930–31 the league reverted to its standard format. SeasonChampions1930–31 Halesowen Labour1931–32 Dudley Town1932–33 Tarmac1933–34 Woodside Wanderers1934–35 Catshill Village Hall1935–36 Lye Town1936–37 Catshill Village Hall1937–38 Catshill Village Hall1938–39 Catshill Village Hall The league closed down in 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War and did not begin again until 1948. SeasonChampions1948–49 Jack Mould's Athletic1949–50 Bourneville Athletic1950–51 Jack Mould's Athletic1951–52 Walsall Wood1952–53 Evesham United1953–54 Brierley Hill Alliance Reserves1954–55 Evesham United1955–56 Malvern Town1956–57 Stratford Town1957–58 Wolverhampton Wanderers 'B'1958–59 Shelfield Athletic1959–60 Paget Rangers1960–61 Paget Rangers For the 1960–61 season the league added a second division, with the existing division renamed Division One. SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1961–62 Allens CrossAllens Cross Reserves1962–63 AlvechurchHall Green Amateurs1963–64 Hall Green AmateursCastle Rovers1964–65 AlvechurchHall Green Amateurs Reserves1965–66 Evesham UnitedAlvechurch Reserves1966–67 AlvechurchHighgate United Reserves1967–68 Evesham UnitedWhitmore Old Boys
Midland Combination SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1968–69 Evesham UnitedHighgate United Reserves1969–70 Paget RangersColeshill Town1970–71 Paget RangersSolihull Town1971–72 AlvechurchHighgate United Reserves1972–73 Highgate UnitedAlbion Haden United1973–74 Highgate UnitedAstwood Bank Rovers1974–75 Highgate UnitedWhitmore Old Boys1975–76 Northfield TownWhitmore Old Boys1976–77 BlakenallAstwood Bank Rovers1977–78 Sutton Coldfield TownHurley Daw Mill Welfare1978–79 Sutton Coldfield TownStafford For the 1979–80 season a third division was added. SeasonDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three1979–80 Bridgnorth TownHurley Daw Mill WelfareSheldon Promovere1980–81 Moor GreenSheldon PromovereSoutham United1981–82 Chipping Norton TownBedworth United ReservesPaget Rangers Reserves1982–83 Bridgnorth TownStudley SportingBridgnorth Town Reserves For the 1983–84 season the divisions were renamed to Premier, One and Two. SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneMidland Football Combination at the Football Club History DatabaseDivision Two1983–84 Studley Sporting New World Kingswinford Town1984–85 Mile Oak Rovers Cheltenham Town Reserves Bolehall Swifts1985–86 Boldmere St Michaels Moor Green Reserves Stratford Town Reserves1986–87 Stratford Town Wilmcote Bromsgrove Athletic1987–88 Racing Club Warwick Chelmsley Town West Midlands Fire Service1988–89 Boldmere St Michaels Bloxwich Upton Town1989–90 Boldmere St Michaels Stapenhill Reserves Pershore Town1990–91 West Midlands Police Alcester Town Badsey Rangers1991–92 Evesham United Studley BKL Marston Green1992–93 Armitage 90 Wellesbourne Ansells
For the 1993–94 season Division Three was added. SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three1993–94 Pershore TownWest Midlands Fire ServiceMassey Ferguson Albright & Wilson1994–95 Northfield TownMassey Ferguson Richmond SwiftsWest Midland Police Reserves1995–96 Bloxwich TownRichmond SwiftsContinental StarFeckenham1996–97 Kings Norton TownGPT CoventryFeckenhamSwan Sports1997–98 Worcester AthleticoAlvestonBlackheath ElectrodrivesOld Hill Town1998–99 AlvestonNorthfield TownFairfield VillaMCL Claines1999–2000 Nuneaton GriffBrookvale AthleticWyle Forest Wilmcote S & S2000–01 Nuneaton GriffShirley TownLeamingtonWest Hagley2001–02 Grosvenor ParkRugby UnitedBurman Hi-TonLittleton2002–03 AlvechurchKnowleBarnt Green SpartakWellesbourne2003–04 RomulusBarnt Green SpartakWellesbourneUniversity of Birmingham2004–05 LeamingtonAtherstone TownArchdaleCoton Green2005–06 Atherstone TownKnowleBartley GreenHalesowen Town Reserves2006–07 Coventry SphinxBartley GreenWernley AthleticCastle Vale JKS2007–08 Coleshill TownOfficial websiteKnowleCastle Vale JKSGSA & Smethwick Town2008–09 Loughborough UniversityCastle Vale JKSShirley TownHampton2009–10 Heath HayesStockingford Allotments Association Hampton Blackwood2010–11 Heather St. John'sEarlswood Town Blackwood Polesworth For the 2011–12 season Division Three was disbanded. SeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two2011–12 Continental StarBlackwood Aston2012–13 Walsall WoodAlvis Sporting Club Barnt Green Spartak2013–14 BroctonCadbury Athletic Kenilworth Town
Final members The teams that competed in the Combination's first team divisions in the 2013–14 season were as follows:
Premier Division
Alvis Sporting Club Atherstone Town Blackwood Bolehall Swifts Brocton Bromsgrove Sporting Castle Vale JKS – record expunged Coventry Copsewood Earlswood Town Lichfield City Littleton Nuneaton Griff Pelsall Villa Pershore Town Pilkington XXX Racing Club Warwick Southam United Stafford Town Studley
Division One Aston Barnt Green Spartak Cadbury Athletic Chelmsley Town Coton Green Droitwich Spa Fairfield Villa Feckenham FC Glades Sporting Hampton Knowle Phoenix United Shirley Town Sutton United West Midlands Police
Division Two Alcester Town Austrey Rangers Badsey Rangers Barton United Burntwood Town Coventry United Enville Athletic FC Stratford Inkberrow Kenilworth Town Leamington Hibernian Northfield Town Paget Rangers Perrywood Polesworth Rostance Edwards Rugeley Rangers – record expunged
Cup competitions 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.
References