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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 in 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 Total Sport
 

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
 

THE ALAN CROFT MEMORIAL TROPHY FOR SPORTSMANSHIP.

This trophy is awarded to the club who over the full season is judged the most sportsmanlike with both on and off the field activities. This trophy carries the name of Alan Croft who was league Vice chairman until his death from Cancer in 1980.

 
 

League Challenge Cup

Donated to the League in 1950 by the Notarianni Brothers Ice cream makers in Sunderland.