The Southern Combination Challenge Cup is a football competition contested by non-league clubs. An independent cup, it was directly affiliated to the Football Association until 2015, when a change in FA Rules required such competitions to affiliate with the county of the majority of its member clubs: this is currently the Surrey County FA for this competition. The competition was founded in March 1958, as the Southern Combination Amateur Challenge Cup Competition. The word "Amateur" was later dropped in 1974. It is often referred to as simply the Southern Combination Cup.
The competition's rules state that entrants must be based within 25 miles of Weybridge, Surrey (until 1998, within 25 miles of Kingston upon Thames). At least two other competitions with similar names existed, in different areas of south east England:
(1) the Southern Counties Combination Football League started in 1971 as a league competition in Sussex (and later southern parts of Surrey), with an associated League Cup and, a few years later, a Midweek Floodlight [Cup] Competition. This competition closed down in 2002, with the last winners being Fleet Town - a club from Hampshire who, incidentally, have also entered the Southern Combination Challenge Cup.
(2) the Southern Combination Cup, which started around 1980, and offered a set of the sponsors', Phillips', floodlights to the inaugural winners. In some years, a Reserve Section was also contested. Known entrants were from the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area, but the competition ceased following Stotfold's victory in 1996.
Hampton & Richmond Borough are the most successful club in the competition's history, having lifted the cup eight times. With seven of those coming under the name of Hampton, their most recent success came during the 2004–05 season. There have been 24 different winners, with Farnham Town FC the current holders after beating Balham 3-2 aet in May 2023 in front of 1,143 fans.
History Until the 1994–95 season, the competition would comprise a maximum 16 teams starting in the First Round. If extra clubs were competing that year, a Preliminary Round would be added. However, this figure rose to 20 teams ahead of the 1998-99 campaign and the AGM agreed to start the competition in the Second Round, should 16 teams be included. They believed the suffix of Preliminary Round added to the difficulty of selling fixtures to the paying public. The final Preliminary Round fixture came during the 1994–95 season, with Epsom & Ewell recording a 6–0 victory over Walton & Hersham in a replay.
Penalties were introduced into the competition in 1979, but only if both clubs agreed and liaised with the match officials beforehand. They were made compulsory in 1995, should any game be drawn following extra time. In recent years, the competition has typically been dominated by teams in the ninth and tenth tiers of the English football league system, although other non-league teams, such as Staines Town and Leatherhead, have also used the competition as a Reserve team event. The Combined Counties Football League has labelled the competition "a supplementary Combined Counties League Cup".
Finals Season-by-season list of winners and runners-up.
Key Match went to a replayMatch went to extra timeMatch decided by a penalty shootout after extra timeShared trophy Season Winners Result Runner-up Venue Notes Slough Town3-2Carshalton AthleticGodolphin StadiumAfter extra time. 1959–60Carshalton Athletic4-2Slough TownGodolphin Stadium 1960–61Windsor & Eton5-4Cray WanderersStag MeadowAfter extra time. 1961–62Wokingham Town2-1Windsor & EtonWokingham TownFinchampstead Road 1962–63Slough Town3-0Wokingham TownGodolphin Stadium 1963–64Slough Town1-0MoleseyGodolphin Stadium 1964–65Staines Town3-1WingateHall LaneReplay. First match abandoned at 1–1 after 37 minutes. 1965–66Metropolitan Police3-1British Aircraft Corporation (Weybridge)Liberty LaneAfter extra time. 1966–67Staines Town3-1MarlowThe A.D. Memorial Ground 1967–68Metropolitan Police6-3Staines TownWheatsheaf Lane 1968–69Hampton4-3Aldershot ServicesHampton 1969–70Metropolitan Police2-0Banstead AthleticBanstead Athletic 1970–71Metropolitan Police1-0MarlowMarlow 1971–72Hampton2-0Staines TownQueen Elizabeth II Field 1972–731-0HamptonFetcham Grove 1973–74Dulwich Hamlet3-1Egham TownChampion Hill 1974–75Addlestone2-0WokingLiberty Lane 1975–76Addlestone2-1Egham TownRunnymede Stadium 1976–77Hampton3-1Farnborough TownBeveree Stadium 1977–78Egham Town4-0HamptonRunnymede Stadium 1978–79Malden Vale2-1Camberley TownLarges Lane 1979–80Epsom & Ewell7-2HamptonBeveree Stadium 1980–81Camberley Town1-0Wokingham TownWatchetts ParkAfter extra time. 1981–82Hampton3-1Maidenhead UnitedYork Road 1982–83Walton & Hersham1-1Epsom & EwellStompond LaneAfter extra time. Walton & Hersham win 5–4 on penalties. 1983–84Hampton1-0Egham TownBeveree Stadium 1984–85Bracknell Town3-2Wokingham TownLarges LaneAfter extra time. 1985–86Hampton3-0Camberley TownBeveree Stadium 1986–87Feltham3-0Bracknell TownLarges Lane 1987–88Feltham2-1Camberley TownPavilion Ground 1988–89Walton & Hersham3-0Chertsey TownStompond Lane 1989–90Leatherhead2-0Malden ValeGrove Park 1990–91Molesey3-2FelthamWalton Road 1991–92Walton & Hersham1-0Malden ValeStompond LaneAfter extra time. 1992–93Dorking1-0Epsom & EwellWesthumble Playing Fields 1993–94Molesey1-0Staines TownWalton Road 1994–95Staines TownChertsey TownWalkover. Awarded by decision of EGM at Chertsey Town. 1995–96Ashford Town (Middlesex)3-0FelthamFeltham Sports & Social Club 1996–97Hampton2-1Staines TownWheatsheaf LaneAfter extra time. 1997–98Godalming & Guildford3-0HamptonBeveree Stadium 1998–99Chertsey Town4-2Walton & HershamAlwyns Lane 1999–00Walton & HershamStaines TownWalkover. Match conceded by Staines Town. 2000–01Walton & Hersham3-1ChipsteadChipstead Lane 2001–02Chessington & Hook United5-3Ashford Town (Middlesex)Church Lane 2002–03Sandhurst Town2-1Walton & HershamYorktown Road 2003–04Bedfont2-1ChipsteadRecreation Ground (Hatton)2004–05Hampton & Richmond BoroughWalton & HershamCup was shared as the final was not played. 2005–06Staines Town3-2MoleseyWalton RoadAfter extra time.2006–07MersthamStaines LammasCup was shared as the final was not played. 2007–08Chipstead1-0Ashford Town (Middlesex)Chipstead Lane 2008–09Cove4-1Chessington & Hook UnitedOak Farm Playing Fields 2009–10Reading Town4-1Hanworth VillaScours Lane 2010–11Ashford Town (Middlesex)1-0Hanworth VillaRobert Parker Stadium 2011–12Hanworth Villa5-0Sandhurst TownRectory Meadow 2012–13Molesey1-1Spelthorne SportsThe MeadowAfter extra time. Molesey win 5–4 on penalties. 2013–14Hanworth Villa1-0Spelthorne SportsOld Ham Lane 2014–15Molesey3-0Bedfont & FelthamThe Meadow 2015–16Molesey6-1DorkingThe Meadow 2016–17Sutton Common Rovers4-1Camberley TownGander Green Lane2018-19Walton Casuals4-2Sutton Common RoversGander Green LaneAfter Extra Time2019-20Competition abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic.2020-21Competition not held due to COVID-19 pandemic.2021-22Ashford Town (Middlesex)3-2Fleet TownCalthorpe Park 2022–23Farnham Town3-2BalhamCalthorpe Park
Results by team A list of all clubs to have reached the Final of the competition since formation. Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Runners-up years Hampton & Richmond Borough previously known as Hampton in years marked *7½4½1968-69*, 1971–72*, 1976–77*, 1981–82*, 1983–84*, 1985–86*, 1996–97*, 2004-05†1972-73*, 1977–78*, 1979–80*, 1997–98* Walton & Hersham5½2½1982-83, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2004-05†1998-99, 2002–03 Molesey521990-91, 1993–94, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–161963-64, 2005–06 Staines Town451964-65, 1966–67, 1994–95, 2005–061967-68, 1971–72, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1999–00 Metropolitan Police401965-66, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1970–71 Ashford Town (Middlesex)321995-96, 2010–11, 2021–222001-02, 2007–08 Slough Town311958-59, 1962–63, 1963–641959-60 Feltham221986-87, 1987–881990-91, 1995–96 Hanworth Villa222011-12, 2013–142009-10, 2010–11 Addlestone201974-75, 1975–76 Camberley Town141980-811978-79, 1985–86, 1987–88, 2016–17 Egham Town131977-781973-74, 1975–76, 1983–84 Wokingham Town131961-621962-63, 1980–81, 1984–85 Chertsey Town121998-991988-89, 1994–95 Chipstead122007-082000-01, 2003–04 Epsom & Ewell121979-801982-83, 1992–93 Malden Vale121978-791989-90, 1991–92 Bracknell Town111984-851986-87 Carshalton Athletic111959-601958-59 Chessington & Hook United112001-022008-09 Dorking111992-932015-16 Sandhurst Town112002-032011-12 Windsor & Eton111960-611961-62 Farnham Town102022-23 Bedfont102003-04 Cove102008-09 Dulwich Hamlet101973-74 Godalming & Guildford101997-98 Leatherhead101989-90 Reading Town102009-10 Sutton Common Rovers102016-17 Tooting & Mitcham United101972-73 Merstham½½2006-07† Staines Lammas½½2006-07† Marlow021966-67, 1970–71 Spelthorne Sports022012-13, 2013–14 Aldershot Services012012-13, 2013–14 B.A.C. (Weybridge)011965-66 Banstead Athletic011969-70 Bedfont & Feltham012014-15 Cray Wanderers011960-61 Farnborough Town011976-77 Maidenhead United011981-82 Wingate011964-65 Woking011974-75
† denotes that in this year the final was unplayed and the cup was shared between the two clubs who qualified for it. These instances are counted as ½ in the "Winners" and "Runners-Up" columns, with the year recorded in the "Winning Years" column.
See also Combined Counties Football League
References