Cardiff Combination League

Cardiff Combination League
Founded	10 August 1939
Country	Wales
Number of teams	29
Level on pyramid	7–9
Promotion to	South Wales Alliance League
Current champions	Cardiff Hibernian ; (2023–24)
Most championships	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
1979–80: Cardiff Draconians

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

^ "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
^ "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
^ "2011-12 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
^ "2012-13 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
^ @cardiffcomb (22 May 2020). "Update from @cardiffcomb: #CCL..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ Jones, Jordan (21 May 2022). "Church Village 0-3 Fairwater: Ryan Hocking inspires Water to promotion". Y Clwb Pel-Droed. Retrieved 22 May 2022.

[1] "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".

[2] "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".

[3] "2011-12 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.

[4] "2012-13 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.

[5] @cardiffcomb (22 May 2020). "Update from @cardiffcomb: #CCL..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[6] Jones, Jordan (21 May 2022). "Church Village 0-3 Fairwater: Ryan Hocking inspires Water to promotion". Y Clwb Pel-Droed. Retrieved 22 May 2022.

[1]