COMBINATION CUP DRAW

Constitutions for open age and Under 23 & Under 18 divisions have been produced for the Hampshire Combination & Development League 2024/25 season: PREMIER DIVISION AFC Stoneham Brockenhurst Clanfield Fleetlands Folland Sports Harvest Laverstock & Ford Lymington Town Midhurst & Easebourne Millbrook Petersfield Town US Portsmouth DIVISION ONE AFC Portchester Blackfield & Langley Colden Common Downton Fawley AFC Hedge End Rangers Liphook United Liss Athletic Meon Milton New Milton Town Ringwood Town Whitehill & Bordon U23 - PREMIER DIVISION AFC Stoneham AFC Totton Bashley Christchurch Dorchester Town Fareham Town Gillingham Town Weymouth Winchester City U23 - DIVISION ONE EAST Andover New Street Clanfield Hamble Clu Infinity North Waltham Overton United Whiteley Wanderers U23 - DIVISION ONE WEST Bemerton Heath Harlequins Blackfield & Langley Hedge End Rangers Hythe & Dibden Laverstock & Ford Lymington Town Romsey Town Verwood Town UNDER 18 EAST DIVISION AFC Portchester Baffinbs Milton Rovers Clanfield Cowes Sports Fareham Town Havant & Waterlooville Horndean Infinity Moneyfields Petersfield Town U.S. Portsmouth Whiteley Wanderers UNDER 18 CENTRAL DIVISION AFC Stoneham Eastleigh Blue Eastleigh Yellow Gosport Borough Hamble Club Hedge End Rangers Romsey Town Sholing Black Sholing Red Vectis Wimborne Town White Winchester City Red UNDER 18 WEST DIVISION Bournemouth Brockenhurst Cobham Sports Fawley AFC Lymington Town Millbrook Lions New Milton Town Poole Town Salisbury U18 Salisbury U17 Wimborne Town Black Winchester City Black

Paulsgrove have announced their withdrawal from Division One. The Marsden Road side released the following statement : "Unfortunately Paulsgrove FC are sorry to announce that after a committee meeting at the weekend, our reserve side will be resigning from the Hampshire Combination & Development League with immediate effect. As a club moving forward off the pitch, this is a disappointing decision to make, but tough decisions have to be made to to achieve what we're pushing for as a club. We would like to wish all the teams in the League all the best for the rest of the season and apologise to those whose fixtures and results will be affected by this decision." The Division One table will be adjusted in due course. Photo: Paul Paxford

England Football has launched a new resources hub for clubs, to further support grassroots clubs and organisations around the country, in recognising the impact that the current cost of living crisis is having on our national game. Its aim is to inform and direct participants, clubs and leagues to useful resources, funding tips, facilities grants and other opportunities to support the game. You can visit the resource hub here: England Football - Cost of Living Resources Hub

English football is set to unite again on the weekend of September 30 to promote ' Play Safe ' – a countrywide campaign to focus attention of the vital importance of safeguarding in our national game. Led by The Football Association, the Play Safe campaign is endorsed by the NSPCC and will be supported this weekend across every level of English football, including the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, and across the grassroots game. This season we are asking EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE – clubs and leagues at every level of the game, (and individuals if they wish) – to tell us what they are planning to do to make a difference over the Play Safe weekend and to share this via an online Play Safe Pledge .

Since the organisation of the Under 18 clubs into 4 Divisions of 10, four teams have advised us that they are unable to fulfil any fixtures. Three Divisions would be starting short of teams/fixtures which would be exacerbated if we had any further withdrawals. The Management Committee has decided unanimously that we will disband the Premier Division and divide the remaining teams as follows producing three Divisions of 12: Central Division: AFC Portchester U18, Tadley Calleva, Winchester City Reds East Division: Fareham Town Reds, Gosport Borough, Winchester City Black West Division: Brockenhurst, Hamworthy United

The draw has been made for the first two rounds of the John Stimpson Memorial Shield - where both Saturday open teams and Under 23's mix. The full draw is: First Round Bemerton Heath Harlequins v Bournemouth Blackfield & Langley v Sholing Downton v Hythe & Dibden U23 Fareham Town U23 v Colden Common Fawley v Christchurch U23 Hamble Club U23 v Hayling United Harvest v Infinity North Waltham U23 v AFC Stoneham Ringwood Town v Gillingham Town U23 U.S. Portsmouth v Midhurst & Easebourne Second Round Bashley U23 v Winchester City U23 Blackfield & Langley/Sholing v Brockenhurst Clanfield v Fleetlands Dorchester Town U23 v Bemerton Heath Harlequins/Bournemouth Downton/Hythe & Dibden U23 v Ringwood Town/Gillingham Town U23 Folland Sports v North Waltham U23/AFC Stoneham Hamble Club U23/Hayling United v Petersfield Town Havant & Waterlooville U23 v Harvest/Infinity Hedge End Rangers U23 v Paulsgrove Laverstock & Ford v Weymouth U23 Locks Heath U23 v Hamworthy Recreation Lymington Town v Poole Town U23 Millbrook v Sway New Milton Town v Fawley/Christchurch U23 Romsey Town v Fareham Town U23/Colden Common U.S. Portsmouth/Midhurst & Easebourne v Liss Athletic

The draw (shown below) for the first and second round has thrown up two particularly intriguing games. In the first round AFC Stoneham have been drawn at home to last year's finalists, Winchester City in what is sure to be a close game. In the second round holders, Dorchester Town, should they win their first round tie, will face neighbours Weymouth which would be sure to attract a large crowd. The full draw is: First Round AFC Stoneham v Winchester City Blackfield & Langley v Dorchester Town Clanfield v Locks Heath Havant & Waterlooville v Bashley Hedge End Rangers v Infinity North Waltham v Millbrook Second Round AFC Stoneham/Winchester City v Havant & Waterlooville/Bashley Blackfield & Langley/Dorchester Town v Weymouth Christchurch v Lymington Town Gillingham Town v Clanfield/Locks Heath Hythe & Dibden v Fareham Town Laverstock & Ford v Hamble Club Poole Town v North Waltham/Millbrook Romsey Town v Hedge End Rangers/Infinity

Seventeen new clubs were admitted to the League at the Annual General Meeting. They were from all levels of football but included AFC Totton, Wimborne Town & Hamworthy United who were returning to the League and Havant & Waterlooville & Andover New Street who will play in the League for the first time. A record of 95 teams have entered the Competition this season. The Under 18 section has risen to 40 teams which will see a Premier Division for the first time. The other 30 clubs will be split into 10 regional divisions. This is the second season that this section has added a Division to cope with the demand. Again for the first time the Under 23s will be split on a merit (rather than a regional) basis in order to improve competition amongst the teams.  The full constutution for 2023/24 can be found HERE .

Our constitutions across open age, Under 23 and Under 18 age groups has been confirmed for the 2023/24 campaign as follows: