Southern Combination Football League Division One

Founded in 1920, originally as the Sussex County League, the competition originally operated as a single division, interestingly and, it wasn’t actually until 1952 that a second division (the current Division One), was established.

This was done in order to accommodate the growing number of ambitious football clubs that had started to operate across East and West Sussex.

Despite the league being rebranded in 2015 as the Southern Combination, Division One at Step 6 has remained the “dogfight” division below the Premier Division at Step 5, often producing gritty encounters and high-scoring games, as a result, this serving as an ideal testing ground for clubs aspiring to reach the Isthmian League.

Background To The Combination League Division One

During the World War II era, the league’s history is particularly storied. The 1945/46 split saw the league being operated briefly as an Eastern and Western division, to manage the surge of returning players from active duty and Prisoner Of War camps.

As a result, there was a considerable military influence on the league, which saw the inclusion of several high-standard military sides which included the likes’ of H.M.S Peregrine (Ford) and R.A.F Tangmere. Consequently, both of these teams featured professional players who were stationed in the south, which significantly elevated the standard of play, before the league returned back to a single division for the following season.

Interest Points About The League

The league has long been considered one of the most competitive on the non-league pyramid at this level and many young players especially attempt to use it as a platform to reach professional level.

Indeed, one such example was the teenager, Billie Clark who famously moved from the league to well-established Premier League side, Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 where he was integrated flawlessly into the reserve team, with big things expected. This was a stark reminder that the league can serve as a major hub for “late bloomers”.

This served as a notable benchmark for talented, young players at this level playing in the league, who have aspirations to reach the very top of the sport.

Division One also draws significant crowds on a matchday, especially for derby games such as between Worthing United and Arundel, which can see numbers exceed 250; a considerable feat.

The league also has numerous sponsors which have been instrumental in helping the league to operate over the decades. Macron, the Italian sportswear brand served for over a decade, with many clubs reaping the benefits.

As such, numerous cash-strapped local sides had access to heavily subsidised and, even free kits and equipment which helped massively in standardising the level of football.

Prior to this, it was Badger Ales and Matthew Clark who were synonymous with the league, helping to cement the league’s reputation as a “brewery-backed” community cornerstone.