Cardiff Combination League

Cardiff Combination League

Founded	10 August 1939 [1]
Country	Wales
Number of clubs	29
Level on pyramid	7–9
Promotion to	South Wales Premier League
Current champions	Cardiff Hibernian (2024–25)
Most championships	Caerau (Ely) 10

The Cardiff Combination Football League is a football league covering the city of Cardiff and surrounding areas in South Wales. The leagues are at the seventh, eighth and ninth levels of the Welsh football league system.

The most successful club in the league's history is Caerau (Ely), with ten top division titles.

Divisions

The league is composed of three divisions.

Member clubs 2025–26

Premier Division

• AFC Rumney (combination team)
• Aberystwyth Exiles
• Caerau (Ely) (community)
• K & H Forever Young
• Llanishen FC
• North Cardiff Cosmos
• Pontprennau Pumas
• Radyr Rangers
• Thornhill AFC
• Tiger Bay

Division One

• AFC Llanedeyrn
• AFC Rumney (combination team seconds)
• Aberystwyth Exiles (reserves)
• CPD Treganna
• Caerau (Ely) (community seconds)
• Cathays United
• Llanishen (reserves)
• North Cardiff Cosmos (seconds)
• Pontprennau Pumas (seconds)
• Splott Albion (seconds/ combination team)

Division Two

• AFC Whitchurch (seconds)
• Bridgend Street (reserves)
• CPD Treganna (seconds)
• Earlswood
• K & H Forever Young (reserves)
• Pentwyn Dynamoes
• Roath Park Rangers
• Splott Albion OB
• Wanderers

Promotion and relegation

Promotion from the Premier Division is possible to the lowest tier of the South Wales Premier League, with the champion of the league playing the other tier 7 champions from the South Wales regional leagues via play-off games to determine promotion.

Champions - Top Division

The top division has been called the Senior Division or Premier Division throughout its history. A full set of the champions can be found below. ^[2]

1940s

• 1940–41: Fairoak
• 1941–42: Grange Albion
• 1942–43: No competition
• 1943–44: No competition
• 1944–45: No competition
• 1945–46: Grange Albion
• 1946–47: A – Cardiff City Colts; B – Cogan British Legion
• 1947–48: Fairoak
• 1948–49: Fairoak
• 1949–50: Fairoak

1950s

• 1950–51: Fairoak
• 1951–52: Cogan
• 1952–53: Cogan
• 1953–54: Fairoak
• 1954–55: Roath Rangers
• 1955–56: Roath Rangers
• 1956–57: Roath Rangers
• 1957–58: The Nomads
• 1958–59: Roath Rangers
• 1959–60: Roath Rangers

1960s

• 1960–61: Roath Rangers
• 1961–62: The Nomads
• 1962–63: Caerau (Ely)
• 1963–64: Bell Rangers
• 1964–65: Roath Rangers
• 1965–66: Roath Rangers
• 1966–67: Roath Rangers
• 1967–68: Cardiff Draconians
• 1968–69: Gabalfa Grasshoppers
• 1969–70: Ely Rangers

1970s

• 1970–71: Ely Rangers
• 1971–72: Cardiff Draconians
• 1972–73: Caerau (Ely)
• 1973–74: Cardiff Draconians
• 1974–75: Caerau (Ely)
• 1975–76: Ely Rangers
• 1976–77: Caerau (Ely)
• 1977–78: Ely Rangers
• 1978–79: Ely Rangers
• 1979–80: Cardiff Draconians

1980s

• 1980–81: Anthony's
• 1981–82: Home Guard (Ely)
• 1982–83: Caerau (Ely)
• 1983–84: Caerau (Ely)
• 1984–85: Anthony's
• 1985–86: Caerau (Ely)
• 1986–87: Caerau (Ely)
• 1987–88: Fairoak
• 1988–89: Caerau (Ely)
• 1989–90: Caerau (Ely)

1990s

• 1990–91: Whitchurch Hospital Grasshoppers
• 1991–92: Gabalfa Draconians
• 1992–93: Gabalfa Draconians
• 1993–94: Whitchurch
• 1994–95: Butetown YC
• 1995–96: Butetown YC
• 1996–97: Gabalfa Draconians
• 1997–98: Ely West End
• 1998–99: Gabalfa Draconians
• 1999–2000: Cavalier

2000s

• 2000–01: AFC St Mellons
• 2001–02: Heath Park United
• 2002–03: AFC Butetown
• 2003–04: Avenue Hotspur
• 2004–05: AFC Butetown
• 2005–06: Baybridge
• 2006–07: Avenue Hotspur
• 2007–08: Thornhill United
• 2008–09: Adamsdown Athletic
• 2009–10: STM Sports (promoted to the South Wales Amateur League)

2010s

• 2010–11: Cardiff Hibernian (promoted to the South Wales Amateur League)
• 2011–12: RAFA ^[3]
• 2012–13: Avenue Hotspur ^[4]
• 2013–14: FC Zenith
• 2014–15: STM Sports Old Boys
• 2015–16: Thornhill
• 2016–17: STM Sports Old Boys
• 2017–18: STM Sports Old Boys (promoted to SWAL through play-off finals)
• 2018–19: Fairwater
• 2019–20: Fairwater ^[5]

2020s

• 2020–21: Not contested - Covid 19 pandemic
• 2021–22: Fairwater (promoted to SWAL through play-off finals) ^[6]
• 2022–23: Cardiff Hibernian
• 2023–24: Cardiff Hibernian
• 2024–25: Cardiff Hibernian

Number of top flight championships by club

• Caerau (Ely) – 10 titles
• Roath Rangers – 9 titles
• Cardiff Draconians – 8 titles (4 as Gabalfa Draconians)
• Fairoak – 7 titles
• Ely Rangers – 5 titles
• Cardiff Hibernian – 4 titles
• Avenue Hotspur – 3 titles
• Fairwater – 3 titles
• STM Sports Old Boys – 3 titles
• AFC Butetown – 2 titles
• Anthony's – 2 titles
• Butetown YC – 2 titles
• Cogan – 2 titles
• Grange Albion – 2 titles
• The Nomads – 2 titles
• Adamsdown Athletic – 1 title
• AFC St Mellons – 1 title
• Baybridge – 1 title
• Bell Rangers – 1 title
• Cardiff City Colts – 1 title
• Cavalier – 1 title
• Cogan British Legion – 1 title
• Ely West End – 1 title
• Gabalfa Grasshoppers - 1 title
• Heath Park Avenue – 1 title
• Home Guard (Ely) – 1 title
• FC Zenith – 1 title
• Rafa – 1 title
• STM Sports – 1 title
• Thornhill – 1 title
• Thornhill United – 1 title
• Whitchurch – 1 title
• Whitchurch Hospital Grasshoppers – 1 title

References

1. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
2. "Leaguewebsite.co.uk has now closed".
3. "2011-12 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
4. "2012-13 tables, part 5" (PDF). Football Club History Database. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
5. @cardiffcomb (22 May 2020). "Update from @cardiffcomb: #CCL..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
6. Jones, Jordan (21 May 2022). "Church Village 0-3 Fairwater: Ryan Hocking inspires Water to promotion". Y Clwb Pel-Droed. Retrieved 22 May 2022.