King Cup (Scotland)

Last updated

King Cup
Founded1886
RegionEast of Scotland
Current champions Lochore Welfare

The King Cup is an association football cup competition for members of the East of Scotland Football Association in Scotland. The competition was founded in 1886.

Contents

Format

The competition is a knock-out tournament contested by the member clubs of the East of Scotland Football Association.

Initial entrants

History

In 1886, the sportswear manufacturer and seller Percival King donated a cup to the Edinburgh Football Association. With no apparent use for it, a suggestion was made to form a competition for "semi-junior Edinburgh clubs", i.e. excluding Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, St Bernards, the university, the clubs from Leith which had their own competition, and the "country" clubs which could play for county competitions. [1] A modified version of this suggestion - that the tournament be open to all members of the Edinburgh Association, other than holders of district and charity cups - was accepted. [2] In May 1888, the association changed its name to the East of Scotland Football Association. [3]

The first winner was Mossend Swifts, which came from behind to beat Burntisland Thistle 4–1 in the final at Easter Road. [4] The competition remained a leading senior trophy until the 1900s, with clubs from the Borders also being allowed to enter, but the rise of the Scottish Football League and other local leagues had the effect of some clubs withdrawing to focus on more lucrative league football and others going out of business. By 1904 the competition only had 8 entrants, none of which were in the Scottish League.

The 1912–13 competition ended in confusion. The final, between Peebles Rovers and the fourth iteration of Broxburn Shamrock, was postponed because of bad weather, and Shamrock refused to turn up to the replay, on the basis that it had already got a fixture on the scheduled date. [5] Shamrock was duly disqualified, but rather than award the cup to Rovers, the East of Scotland FA selected Shamrock's beaten semi-final opponents - Gala Fairydean, also the Cup holders - to take its place; this "has not been received with enthusiasm in Peebles", on the basis that Fairydean had been eliminated fairly and squarely, and Rovers refused to play. [6] The competition was therefore abandoned. [7]

In 1946–47, the competition was played via two groups, but the format only lasted one season. The Leith Athletic reserve side was the first senior reserve side to enter, apart from a one-off appearance by St Bernard's A half-a-century before, and in 1947–48, the Hibernian B side won the competition, beating Eyemouth United 6–1 in the final.

The first winner after the COVID-19-enforced hiatus was Heriot-Watt University, who beat Livinsgston United 1–0 after extra time, United having beem down to ten men from the 50th minute when captain Hassan Nyang was red-carded. [8] [9] Lochore Welfare lifted the trophy for the first time in 2022–23, with a 2–1 win over Dunipace at Whitburn's Central Park, having eliminated the holders in the second round. [10]

Winners

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References

  1. ↑ Ingram, Peter (4 October 1886). "The Percival King Cup". Edinburgh Evening News: 4.
  2. ↑ "The Edinburgh Football Association". Edinburgh Evening News: 4. 4 November 1886.
  3. ↑ "Edinburgh Association". Glasgow Evening Post: 5. 12 May 1888.
  4. ↑ "Mossend Swifts v Burntisland Thistle". Dunfermline Saturday Press: 3. 12 March 1887.
  5. ↑ "King Cup Final Dispute". Edinburgh Evening News: 7. 21 March 1913.
  6. ↑ "Sport of all sorts". Edinburgh Evening News: 2. 25 March 1913.
  7. ↑ "A Border retrospect". Edinburgh Evening News: 7. 2 May 1913.
  8. ↑ Thomson, Scott. "Heriot-Watt University side hailed as 'legends' after King Cup triumph". Edinburgh News. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "Livingston United". Twitter. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Williams, Ieuan. "Lochore Welfare beat Dunipace to win King Cup final". Central Fife Times. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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