The History of the League
The Wearside Combination Football League was established in 1945
after The Second World War with a renaming of The Sunderland & District Nonconformist
& Brotherhood League.
The newly named league was to serve clubs who operate on a Saturday
afternoon in the Wearside area and bring the league for the first time under the
control of the Durham Football Association.
The league serves the middle ground of Football in the Wearside
Area drawing clubs and players from Pub, Clubs and Factory teams. Many of these
teams are made up of unemployed players. The age group of the players within the
league is wide ranging, with players straight from Youth Leagues learning their
trade alongside senior players before moving up to The Wearside & Northern Leagues.
The fortunes of The Wearside Combination League are linked to
Sunderland AFC. When Sunderland AFC was in the Football League second division,
the Combinations number of clubs increased up to a high of 64 clubs in four divisions.
As Sunderland AFC did better and moved up through the divisions, the combination
lost ground falling to its current level of two divisions of 10 teams in each yet
still attracting over 1000 registered players each season.
Premier Division Championship Trophy.
This trophy was donated to the league by Hector Grabham Ltd in 1979 when the premier
division was introduced.
First Division Championship
Trophy.
Donated to the league
by Vaux Breweries is 1945.
WEARMOUTH & HYLTON AGED PEOPLES TROPHY. (Formerly Aged Miners
Homes Cup).
Established in 1934 to raise money to assist with the upkeep of
the Aged Miners homes on North Hylton Rd Sunderland. The homes have now been handed
over to a housing association and with the charity no longer in operation the competition
was renamed in 2001.
The current trophy carries the name of Lloyd Stridiron a passed
Life Member of the League. A league stalwart and former miner, Lloyd worked tirelessly
for the league right up to his death in 1989.
The Wearmouth & Hylton
Aged Peoples Trophy is sponsored by
THE ALAN HOOD MEMORIAL TROPHY. ( Formerly Sunderland Blind
Institute Cup)
Founded in 1926 this charity competition was established to support the Blind Institute
charity. In 1988/89 the Leagues’ Vice Chairman and Football League Referee Alan
Hood was killed in a road accident. The Leagues clubs and Referees raised enough
money to purchase the new trophy to carry his name. The new trophy is a full size
replica of the European Cup.
The Alan Hood
Memorial Trophy is sponsored by
League Challenge
Cup