Highland Amateur Cup

Last updated

Highland Amateur Cup
Founded1978;46 years ago (1978)
Region Scottish Highlands
Current championsPentland United
(9th title)
Most successful club(s)Pentland United
(9 titles)
Website

The Highland Amateur Cup is an annual football cup competition run by the Highland Executive branch of the Scottish Amateur Football Association. It also covers various offshore islands.

Contents

All teams affiliated to Highland Associations are eligible to enter; and so this competition covers one of the largest geographical areas for any district amateur cup competition in the UK.

Currently, the Associations affiliated to the Highland Amateur Cup are:

Shetland FA clubs are eligible to take part but due to travel distances, have rarely entered the competition.

History

Pentland United are the most successful club, having won the competition eight times.

Western Isles teams

The 1984 tournament was the first time a team from the Western Isles was allowed to enter, and Ness' cup-run culminated in a 4–1 victory over Bishopmill Villa at Victoria Park, Dingwall. Ness have won the competition on three other occasions; 1991, 1992 and 1995.

Back, who also compete in the Lewis and Harris Football League, won the cup in 2004.

Lochs (2003 and 2005) and Point (1994) are the other Lewis and Harris Football League teams to have won the cup, while Stornoway Athletic have been runners-up on two occasions (1990 and 2003). Carloway also finished runners-up in 2014.

Finals from 2007–2012

YearTeamsVenueNotes
2007Avoch and Point Grant Street Park, Inverness On 18 August. Avoch were competing in their 4th successive final, having beaten Lochs in the semi-final. [1] The match finished 5–0 to the team from the Black Isle.
2008Castletown and Pentland United Harmsworth Park, Wick Pentland took the lead in the first half before adding another two to win the game 3–0. [2]
2009Avoch and Kirkwall ThorfinnHarmsworth Park, WickThe game came down to a penalty shoot-out after Thorfinn 'threw away' a 2–0 lead - only for Avoch to draw level. The match went to penalties, and Kirkwall won, with their first Amateur Cup win since 1988. [3]
2010Golspie Stafford and Pentland United Dudgeon Park, Brora In front of a 500 strong crowd on 14 August, a Garry MacLeod free kick was all that came between the two sides in what was a fiercely contested game that ended 1–0 to Pentland United. [4]
2011Back F.C. (Lewis) and Avoch Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, InvernessOn 20 August 2011, Avoch won 5–1, for their first success in the cup since 2007. A brace by Paul Brindle, followed by goals from Charlie Christie, Shaun Kerr and Gary Urqhuart, secured the win, with Martin Maclean scoring for Back. [5]
2012Avoch and Wick GroatsTulloch Caledonian Stadium, InvernessOn 4 August, Avoch won 4–0, with Shaun Kerr scoring a hat-trick and Ronnie Jones grabbing the other. This was Avoch's fourth cup triumph in seven years. [6]

Past winners

SeasonWinnerScoreRunner-up
1978Blackmuir2–0 Thurso Pentland
1979South RonaldsaybeatHalkirk
1980 Thurso Pentland 5–2Dingwall Thistle Youth
1981 Thurso Pentland 1–0Wick Groats
1982Halkirk2–1 Thurso Pentland
1983 Thurso Pentland beatMuir of Ord
1984Ness4–1Bishopmill Villa
1985Halkirk7–2Conon
1986Maryburgh1–0Conon
1987Pentland United1–0Wick Groats
1988Kirkwall Thorfinn2–1Maryburgh
1989Dingwall Thistle2–1Halkirk
1990Maryburgh3–1Stornoway Athletic
1991Ness1–0Dingwall Thistle
1992Ness1–0Kirkwall Thorfinn
1993Pentland United6–2Southend
1994Point1–0Cromarty
1995Ness4–2Avoch
1996Dingwall Thistle2–0Kirkwall Thorfinn
1997Kirkwall Rovers4–2Contin
1998Pentland United3–1Inverness British Legion
1999Contin1–0Pentland United
2000Pentland United4–0Cromarty
2001Wick Thistle2–1Avoch
2002Pentland United2–1Portree
2003Lochs3–2Stornoway Athletic
2004Back2–1Avoch
2005Lochs3–1Avoch
2006Avoch2–0Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union
2007Avoch5–0Point
2008Pentland United3–0Castletown
2009Kirkwall Thorfinn*2–2Avoch
2010Pentland United1–0Golspie Stafford
2011Avoch5–1Back
2012Avoch4–0Wick Groats
2013Wick Groats1–0Kirkwall Thorfinn
2014Avoch2–1Carloway
2015Wick Groats3–1Avoch
2016Wick Groats*0–0Kirkwall Thorfinn
2017Avoch2–1Staxigoe United
2018Pentland United2–1 (a.e.t.)Lerwick Spurs
2019Wick Groats1–0Avoch
2020No Competition
2021No Competition
2022High Ormlie Hotspur*1–1 (a.e.t.)Pentland United
2023Avoch1–0Wick Groats
2024Pentland United2–1Avoch

* Won on penalties

Performance by club

As of after 2024
ClubWinsLast winRunners-upLast final lost
Pentland United9202422022
Avoch7202382024
Wick Groats4201942023
Ness419950—
Thurso Pentland 3198321982
Kirkwall Thorfinn2200942016
Halkirk2198521989
Dingwall Thistle2199611991
Maryburgh2199011988
Lochs220050—
Back1200412011
Contin1199911997
Point1199412007
High Ormlie Hotspur120220—
Wick Thistle120010—
Kirkwall Rovers119970—
South Ronaldsay119790—
Blackmuir119780—
Stornoway Athletic0—22003
Cromarty0—22000
Conon0—21986
Lerwick Spurs0—12018
Staxigoe United0—12017
Carloway0—12014
Golspie Stafford0—12010
Castletown0—12008
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union0—12006
Portree0—12002
Inverness British Legion0—11998
Southend0—11993
Bishopmill Villa0—11984
Muir of Ord0—11983
Dingwall Thistle Youth0—11980

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References

  1. ↑ "Sport | Football | Avoch march on to final of Amateur Cup". Ross-shire Journal. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Pentland United F.C - 2008". Pentland United F.C. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Thorfinn Football Club - 2009 Highland Amateur Cup". Orkneycommunities.co.uk. 21 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Home | Stafford's Highland Cup hopes thwarted by the woodwork". Northern Times. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Back lose Highland Amateur". Hebrides-news.com. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Sport | Football | There's no stopping Avoch!". Ross-shire Journal. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
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