Northamptonshire Combination League Premier Division

Founded in 1953, following a merger of the Central Junior League and the Wellingborough & District League, this was created to provide a unified structure for the many “works teams” and village clubs that were dominant across the shoe-manufacturing sprawl of Northamptonshire.

Originally, this was called the Central Northants Football Combination, though in 1991, in a bid to be more creative, it was changed to reflect the status as the county’s principle Saturday football competition.

In the past, the league was dominated by village teams who would play on parish council grounds, though from the mid 2000s onwards it evolved into a sophisticated NLS (National League South) Feeder League that accommodates local town clubs that utilise good quality municipal facilities.

As with several Midlands leagues, this was once a magnet for industrial teams with players working in factories or steel yards.

 James King Blisworth Refuse To Be Promoted

Arguably the most notable point about the league that stands out, is in relation to the quadruple league winning streak of James King Blisworth (who have also won the cup) between 2015/19, though their refusal to accept promotion because of the costs associated hit the headlines about how large some financial gulfs are in non-league football.

Meanwhile, in the 2022/23 season, AFC Rushden & Diamonds, entered its Under 23 side in the competition to help to bridge the gap between youth and senior football, which highlighted the league’s considerable technical standard.

Moulton FC represent a success story of the league, having developed through the Combination tiers before the club successfully met the ground criteria needed in order to play and move up to the United Counties League.

Sponsors That Keep The League Running And Cup Competitions

Over the decades, the competition has had a number of sponsors and financial partners, which have been crucial to helping to fulfill the running and operational costs of the league.

Duston Garage is considered to be a legendary long term partner that has two decades’ association with this league and, as such is synonymous. There is also the Teamwork Sports & Trophy Centre; a very important name in the league, providing the hardware for the league’s extensive cup competitions.

Due to the league’s partnership with the Northamptonshire FA, it benefits from mutual relationships that includes MWC Partners, who sponsor the Les Underwood Junior Cup, while Koolpack provides medical supplies to clubs at a discount to help ensure the safety of the players at rural grounds. Furthermore, the insurance firm Sportsguard has an affiliation with the league for its protection of grassroots players.

The league is associated with a number of cup competitions, including Premier Division Knock-Out Cup, which is the primary one, while there is also a county cup called the NFA Cup where clubs face others from around the county at the same level.