The Combination

The Combination was a league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second was created for the 1890–91 season, but disbanded in 1911. The league comprised teams primarily from North West England and later Wales.

For the feature film of the same name, see The Combination (film). For the organized crime group, see Murder, Inc. For other uses, see Combination (disambiguation).
The Combination
Organising bodyFA
Founded1888(first incarnation)
1890(second incarnation)
First season1888-89
Folded1911
CountryEngland
Wales
Number of teams20
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
Last championsWhitchurch F.C. (3rd title)
Most championshipsEverton reserves (6 titles)

The league should not be confused with the other former Football Combination, a competition for reserve teams from the South of England, or with the Lancashire Combination, another minor league running around the same time.

First incarnation
Sharpe's Card c 1890 depicting Jack Powell as captain of Newton Heath[1]

The first Combination was set up in 1888, the same year the Football League was founded. It consisted of 20 teams, although this proved too many teams for each one to play the other once, let alone twice. Instead each club was to play eight others home and away, making 16 games in total. However unlike the League the Combination was not centrally organised, but left to individual clubs; as a result confusion ensued, as it was not clear whether many matches between clubs were friendlies or Combination matches. Many fixtures were left unfulfilled, and the Combination was wound up in April 1889.[2]

Participating teams included Newton Heath, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Burslem Port Vale, Crewe Alexandra, Bootle, Small Heath, South Shore and Blackburn Olympic. Newton Heath, Grimsby, Crewe, Bootle and Small Heath went on to co-found the Football Alliance the following year.

Second incarnation

The second incarnation was founded in 1890. The twelve founder members were:[3]

Five of the founding teams would eventually go on to play in the Football League, although in the case of Macclesfield, this would not happen until 1997–98. Glossop North End, who joined in 1894, were also elected to the League (in 1898), as were another later member team, Tranmere Rovers.

As the competition evolved, the nature of the teams changed, with many more Welsh teams being involved, as well as the reserve teams of the Football League clubs such as Everton and Crewe Alexandra. By the time the competition folded in 1911 none of the original members still participated, with the exception of Wrexham, who fielded their reserve team. It was succeeded by the Cheshire County League and later by the North West Counties Football League.

Champions

The champions of the league were as follows:[3]

Season Champions Runners-up Third
1890–91Gorton Villa Macclesfield Chester
1891–92Everton Reserves Northwich Victoria Macclesfield
1892–93Everton Reserves Stoke Swifts Chester
1893–94Everton Reserves Stoke Swifts Leek
1894–95Ashton North End Glossop North End Chester
1895–96Everton Reserves Macclesfield Glossop North End
1896–97Everton Reserves Rock Ferry Chester
1897–98Everton Reserves Crewe Alexandra Chirk
1898–99Everton Reserves Liverpool Reserves Tranmere Rovers
1899–1900Chirk AAA Wrexham Druids
1900–01Wrexham Rhyl Bangor
1901–02Wrexham Burslem Port Vale Reserves Oswestry United
1902–03Wrexham Nantwich Birkenhead
1903–04Birkenhead Chester Nantwich
1904–05Wrexham Chester Broughton United
1905–06Whitchurch Chester Glossop Reserves
1906–07Whitchurch Chester Wigan Town
1907–08Tranmere Rovers Chester Oswestry United
1908–09Chester Saltney Tranmere Rovers
1909–10Crewe Alexandra Reserves Saltney Chester
1910–11Whitchurch Bangor Oswestry United
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References
  1. "Sharpe's Card c 1890 depicting Jack Powell as captain of Newton Heath". Flickr.
  2. Shury, Alan; Brian Landamore (2005) [2002]. "History of Newton Heath F.C.". The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. 'Definitive' Club Histories. with Allen Kristensen and Tony Brown (2nd ed.). Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 11. ISBN 1-899468-16-1.
  3. "England - The Combination". RSSSF.
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