Cardiff Combination League Explained

Pixels:	250
Founded:	10 August 1939^[1]
Teams:	29
Promotion:	South Wales Alliance League
Levels:	7 - 9
Champions:	Cardiff Hibernian
Season:	2023–24
Most Successful Club:	Caerau (Ely) 10

The Cardiff Combination Football League is a football league covering the city of Cardiff and surrounding areas in South Wales. The leagues are at the seventh, eighth and ninth levels of the Welsh football league system.

The most successful club in the league's history is Caerau (Ely), with ten top division titles.

Divisions

The league is composed of three divisions.

Member clubs 2024–25

Premier Division

• Aberystwyth Exiles
• Caerau (Ely) (community)
• Cardiff Hibernian
• Cathays Conservatives
• K&H Forever Young
• Llanishen FC
• Llanishen Wanderers
• Radyr Rangers
• Thornhill AFC
• Tiger Bay AFC

Division One

• AFC Rumney (combination team)
• Aberystwyth Exiles (reserves)
• CF Roath Lions
• Caerau (Ely) (community seconds)
• Cardiff Central
• Cardiff Hibernian (seconds)
• Cathays Conservatives (reserves)
• Cathays United
• Pontprennau Pumas

Division Two

• AFC Llanedeyrn
• AFC Rumney (combination team seconds)
• Afon Taf
• Babylon
• CPD Treganna
• Llanishen (reserves)
• Llanrumney United (reserves)
• Pontprennau Pumas (seconds)
• Splott Albion (combination team)

Promotion and relegation

Promotion from the Premier Division is possible to the South Wales Alliance League, with the champion of the league playing the other tier 7 champions from the South Wales regional leagues via play-off games to determine promotion.

Champions - Top Division

The top division has been called the Senior Division or Premier Division throughout its history. A full set of the champions can be found below.^[2]

1940s

• 1940–41: Fairoak
• 1941–42: Grange Albion
• 1942–43: No competition
• 1943–44: No competition
• 1944–45: No competition
• 1945–46: Grange Albion
• 1946–47: A – Cardiff City Colts; B – Cogan British Legion
• 1947–48: Fairoak
• 1948–49: Fairoak
• 1949–50: Fairoak

1950s

• 1950–51: Fairoak
• 1951–52: Cogan
• 1952–53: Cogan
• 1953–54: Fairoak
• 1954–55: Roath Rangers
• 1955–56: Roath Rangers
• 1956–57: Roath Rangers
• 1957–58: The Nomads
• 1958–59: Roath Rangers
• 1959–60: Roath Rangers

1960s

• 1960–61: Roath Rangers
• 1961–62: The Nomads
• 1962–63: Caerau (Ely)
• 1963–64: Bell Rangers
• 1964–65: Roath Rangers
• 1965–66: Roath Rangers
• 1966–67: Roath Rangers
  • 1967–68: Cardiff Draconians 1968–69: Gabalfa Grasshoppers
• 1969–70: Ely Rangers

1970s

• 1970–71: Ely Rangers
  • 1971–72: Cardiff Draconians 1972–73: Caerau (Ely)
  • 1973–74: Cardiff Draconians 1974–75: Caerau (Ely)
• 1975–76: Ely Rangers
• 1976–77: Caerau (Ely)
  • 1977–78: Ely Rangers 1978–79: Ely Rangers

1980s

• 1980–81: Anthony's
• 1981–82: Home Guard (Ely)
• 1982–83: Caerau (Ely)
• 1983–84: Caerau (Ely)
• 1984–85: Anthony's
• 1985–86: Caerau (Ely)
• 1986–87: Caerau (Ely)
• 1987–88: Fairoak
• 1988–89: Caerau (Ely)
• 1989–90: Caerau (Ely)

1990s

• 1990–91: Whitchurch Hospital Grasshoppers
  • • 1991–92: Gabalfa Draconians 1992–93: Gabalfa Draconians 1993–94: Whitchurch
• 1994–95: Butetown YC
• 1995–96: Butetown YC
  • 1996–97: Gabalfa Draconians 1997–98: Ely West End
  • 1998–99: Gabalfa Draconians 1999–2000: Cavalier

2000s

• 2000–01: AFC St Mellons
• 2001–02: Heath Park United
• 2002–03: AFC Butetown
• 2003–04: Avenue Hotspur
• 2004–05: AFC Butetown
• 2005–06: Baybridge
• 2006–07: Avenue Hotspur
• 2007–08: Thornhill United
• 2008–09: Adamsdown Athletic
• 2009–10: STM Sports (promoted to the South Wales Amateur League)

2010s

• 2010–11: Cardiff Hibernian (promoted to the South Wales Amateur League)
• 2011–12: RAFA^[3]
• 2012–13: Avenue Hotspur^[4]
• 2013–14: FC Zenith
• 2014–15: STM Sports Old Boys
• 2015–16: Thornhill
• 2016–17: STM Sports Old Boys
• 2017–18: STM Sports Old Boys (promoted to SWAL through play-off finals)
• 2018–19: Fairwater
• 2019–20: Fairwater^[5]

2020s

• 2020–21: Not contested - Covid 19 pandemic
• 2021–22: Fairwater (promoted to SWAL through play-off finals)^[6]
• 2022–23: Cardiff Hibernian
• 2023–24: Cardiff Hibernian

Number of top flight championships by club

• Caerau (Ely) – 10 titles
• Roath Rangers – 9 titles
• Cardiff Draconians – 8 titles (4 as Gabalfa Draconians)
• Fairoak – 7 titles
• Ely Rangers – 5 titles
• Avenue Hotspur – 3 titles
• Cardiff Hibernian – 3 titles
• Fairwater – 3 titles
• STM Sports Old Boys – 3 titles
• AFC Butetown – 2 titles
• Anthony's – 2 titles
• Butetown YC – 2 titles
• Cogan – 2 titles
• Grange Albion – 2 titles
• The Nomads – 2 titles
• Adamsdown Athletic – 1 title
• AFC St Mellons – 1 title
• Baybridge – 1 title
• Bell Rangers – 1 title
• Cardiff City Colts – 1 title
• Cavalier – 1 title
• Cogan British Legion – 1 title
• Ely West End – 1 title
• Gabalfa Grasshoppers - 1 title
• Heath Park Avenue – 1 title
• Home Guard (Ely) – 1 title
• FC Zenith – 1 title
• Rafa – 1 title
• STM Sports – 1 title
• Thornhill – 1 title
• Thornhill United – 1 title
• Whitchurch – 1 title
• Whitchurch Hospital Grasshoppers – 1 title

References

1. Web site: Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed.
2. Web site: Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed.
3. Web site: 2011-12 tables, part 5 . Football Club History Database . 16 November 2021.
4. Web site: 2012-13 tables, part 5 . Football Club History Database . 16 November 2021.
5. 1263938945206964224. cardiffcomb. Update from @cardiffcomb: #CCL.... 22 May 2020.
6. Web site: Jones . Jordan . Church Village 0-3 Fairwater: Ryan Hocking inspires Water to promotion . Y Clwb Pel-Droed . 22 May 2022 . 21 May 2022.