LFA President's Cup

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LFA President's Cup
Organising body Leinster Football Association
Founded 1930
Region Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster
Most successful club(s) Shamrock Rovers (21)

The LFA President's Cup was an association football cup competition featuring League of Ireland clubs affiliated to the Leinster Football Association. It was played for between 1930 and 2002. It was a de facto national super cup and on twenty four occasions featured the League of Ireland champions against the FAI Cup winners. The Football Association of Ireland also organised similar competitions, such as the Top Four Cup and the FAI Super Cup, both of which co-existed with the LFA President's Cup. Since 2014 the FAI has organised their own similarly named super cup, the President's Cup.

Contents

History

Early years

The LFA President's Cup was originally introduced as fundraiser to help cover the costs of the LFA's new headquarters at Parnell Square. The top four placed LFA affiliated clubs from the 1929–30 League of Ireland season took part in two semi-finals. Shelbourne defeated Brideville 1–0 at Harold's Cross Stadium in the first game on Sunday, 4 May 1930. Three days later the 1929–30 FAI Cup winners Shamrock Rovers defeated the league champions, Bohemians 2–0 at Dalymount Park. In the inaugural final on 23 May, Rovers and Shelbourne drew 1–1 at Shelbourne Park. For some reason the final was never replayed. In the 1930–31 final Dundalk beat Rovers 7–3. This became the competitions highest scoring final. Rovers won the cup for the first time outright in 1932–33. They would go on to become the competition's most successful club, winning it on twenty one occasions. They were also runners-up on a further ten occasions. The 1941–42 competition took nearly an entire year to compete despite a single tie format been used. Shamrock Rovers and Drumcondra drew in August 1941, drew in the replay in April 1942 before Rovers, in Bob Fullam's first competitive match in charge, won the second replay in August 1942. [1]

Format

The most common format used throughout LFA President's Cup history saw the top placed LFA affiliated club from the League of Ireland play-off against the LFA affiliated club that had progressed the furthest in the FAI Cup. This match was usually a one-off fixture played before the following season. However the earliest competitions in 1930s featured as many as ten clubs and were played at the end of the season. There was no competition held between 1933 and 1938 and when it returned in 1939–40 it adopted the two club single match format. This format continued throughout the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. Between 1964 and 1965 and 1972–73, with the exception a single tie final in 1968–69, it reverted to a knockout tournament featuring up to eight clubs. In 1973–74 the LFA broke with tradition when they arranged an all-Munster final for the first and only time. Waterford, who had been League of Ireland champions for six out of the eight previous seasons, played Cork Hibernians, the winners of the two previous FAI Cup finals. Alfie Hale scored both goals, including one penalty, as Waterford won 2–0 at Flower Lodge on 29 August 1973. From 1973 to 1974 onwards the LFA President's Cup continued with the two club single match format, except between 1980 and 1981 and 1983–84 when the finals were played over two legs. [1] [2]

Super Cup

When the LFA President's Cup was first established in 1929–30 every previous League of Ireland winner had come from Leinster and only two teams from outside Leinster – Alton United and Fordsons – had won the FAI Cup. This Leinster dominance would continue and the League of Ireland's traditional top four clubs – Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, Bohemians and Dundalk – all came from the province. As a result the LFA President's Cup developed into a de facto national super cup. On twenty four occasions the final featured the League of Ireland champions against the FAI Cup winners. Between 1954 and 1955 and 1959–60 they met in six consecutive finals. Of the 64 finals played only nine did not feature either the League of Ireland champion or the FAI Cup winner. [1]

List of finals

   League of Ireland champions v FAI Cup winners. League champions in bold
  More than two teams competed in the cup

DateWinnerScoreRunners-upVenue
1929–30 Shamrock Rovers 1–1 [note 1] Shelbourne Shelbourne Park
1930–31 Dundalk 1–1 [note 2] Shamrock Rovers Shelbourne Park
Replay Dundalk 7–3 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
1931–32 This competition was not completed [note 3]
1932–33 Shamrock Rovers 2–0 [note 4] Dundalk Dalymount Park
1939–40 Shelbourne 2–1 Shamrock Rovers Shelbourne Park
1940–41 Shamrock Rovers 2–1 St James's Gate Shelbourne Park
1941–42 Shamrock Rovers 3–3 Drumcondra Tolka Park
Replay Shamrock Rovers 4–4 Drumcondra Dalymount Park
2nd Replay Shamrock Rovers 5–3 Drumcondra Glenmalure Park
1942–43 No competition
1943–44 Shamrock Rovers 3–2 Dundalk Glenmalure Park
1944–45 Shamrock Rovers 2–0 [note 5] Drumcondra Glenmalure Park
1945–46 Shamrock Rovers 3–2 Shelbourne Glenmalure Park
1946–47 Drumcondra 2–2 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
Replay Drumcondra 1–0 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
1947–48 Drumcondra 2–2 [note 6] Shelbourne Tolka Park
1948–49 Shamrock Rovers 3–2 Drumcondra Glenmalure Park
1949–50 Drumcondra 2–1 Dundalk Tolka Park
1950–51 Drumcondra 2–0 Transport Tolka Park
1951–52 Dundalk 2–1 Drumcondra Tolka Park
1952–53 St Patrick's Athletic 1–1 Dundalk Tolka Park
Replay St Patrick's Athletic 5–0 Dundalk Dalymount Park
1953–54 St Patrick's Athletic 2–2 Shelbourne Tolka Park
Replay St Patrick's Athletic 3–1 Shelbourne Tolka Park
1954–55 Shamrock Rovers 2–1 Drumcondra Tolka Park
1955–56 St Patrick's Athletic 3–1 Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park
1956–57 Shamrock Rovers 1–0 St Patrick's Athletic Dalymount Park
1957–58 Shamrock Rovers 3–3 Drumcondra Dalymount Park
Replay Shamrock Rovers 1–0 Drumcondra Dalymount Park
1958–59 Drumcondra 4–3 Dundalk Dalymount Park
1959–60 Shamrock Rovers 1–1 St Patrick's Athletic Dalymount Park
Replay Shamrock Rovers 2–0 St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park
1960–61 Shelbourne 1–1 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
Replay Shelbourne 1–1 Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park
2nd Replay Shelbourne 3–1 Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park
1961–62 Drumcondra 3–0 St Patrick's Athletic Dalymount Park
1962–63 Shamrock Rovers 1–0 Shelbourne Dalymount Park
1963–64 Dundalk 4–3 Shelbourne Dalymount Park
1964–65 Dundalk 1–1 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
Replay Dundalk 4–2 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
1965–66 Bohemians 1–1 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
Replay Bohemians 3–2 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
1966–67 Drumcondra 1–0 Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park
1967–68 Bohemians 0–0 [note 7] Drumcondra Dalymount Park
Replay Bohemians 3–2 Drumcondra Tolka Park
1968–69 Shamrock Rovers 3–2 Dundalk Tolka Park
1969–70 Shamrock Rovers 4–3 St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park
1970–71 Shamrock Rovers 3–3 Drogheda Dalymount Park
Replay Shamrock Rovers 3–1 Drogheda Tolka Park
1971–72 St Patrick's Athletic 0–0 Bohemians Dalymount Park
Replay St Patrick's Athletic 2–1 Bohemians Tolka Park
1972–73 Shamrock Rovers 3–1 Dundalk Dalymount Park
1973–74 Waterford 2–0 Cork Hibernians Flower Lodge
1974–75 Bohemians 4–1 St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park
1975–76 Bohemians 4–0 Home Farm Dalymount Park
1976–77 Bohemians 1–1 Dundalk Dalymount Park
Replay Bohemians 1–0 Dundalk Oriel Park
1977–78 Bohemians 2–1 Dundalk Oriel Park
1978–79 Bohemians 3–1 Shamrock Rovers Glenmalure Park
1979–80 Dundalk 2–1 Bohemians Oriel Park
1980–81 Dundalk 1–1 St Patrick's Athletic Richmond Park
Dundalk 3–0 [note 8] St Patrick's Athletic Oriel Park
1981–82 Dundalk 2–1 Athlone Town Oriel Park
Dundalk 2–2 [note 9] Athlone Town St Mel's Park
1982–83 Bohemians 1–0 Dundalk Dalymount Park
Bohemians 2–3 [note 10] Dundalk Oriel Park
1983–84 Athlone Town 2–1 Bohemians St Mel's Park
Athlone Town 3–0 [note 11] Bohemians Dalymount Park
1984–85 Shamrock Rovers 3–2 UCD Tolka Park
1985–86 Shamrock Rovers 1–0 [note 12] Bohemians Glenmalure Park
1986–87 Shamrock Rovers 3–2 Dundalk Oriel Park
1987–88 Shamrock Rovers 0–0 [note 13] Dundalk Oriel Park
1988–89 Dundalk 3–2 St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park
1989–90 Dundalk 3–1 Bray Wanderers Carlisle Grounds
1990–91 St Patrick's Athletic 2–2 [note 14] Bray Wanderers Carlisle Grounds
1991–92 [note 15]
1992–93 Bohemians 0–0 [note 16] Shelbourne Tolka Park
1993–94 Shelbourne 3–2 [note 17] Bohemians Tolka Park
1994–95 Bohemians 2–1 Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park
1995–96 Shelbourne 2–1 Dundalk Tolka Park
1996–97 St Patrick's Athletic 0–0 [note 18] [3] Shelbourne Dalymount Park
1997–98 Bohemians 1–0 Shelbourne Dalymount Park
1998–99 Shelbourne 4–0 St Patrick's Athletic Richmond Park
1999–2000 No competition
2000–01 Bohemians 0–0 [note 19] Shelbourne Dalymount Park
2001–02 Bohemians 1–1 [note 20] Shelbourne Dalymount Park
2002–03 Shelbourne 2–0 Dundalk Tolka Park

Source: [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Notes
  1. ↑ Final not replayed.
  2. ↑ Shelbourne were the League of Ireland champions but did not take part
  3. ↑ Ten teams were supposed to participate in 1931–32 but the competition was abandoned after only three games played.
  4. ↑ Eight teams competed in 1932–33 tournament. By coincidence the League of Ireland champions and the FAI Cup winners both reached final.
  5. ↑ Shelbourne were the League of Ireland champions but did not take part
  6. ↑ Final not replayed.
  7. ↑ Four teams played in the competition. However Dundalk, the 1966–67 League of Ireland champions and Shamrock Rovers, the 1966–67 FAI Cup winners did not participate.
  8. ↑ Final played over were two legs. Dundalk won 4–1 on aggregate.
  9. ↑ Final played over were two legs. Dundalk won 4–3 on aggregate.
  10. ↑ Final played over were two legs. Bohemians won on away goals.
  11. ↑ Final played over were two legs. Athlone Town won 5–1 on aggregate.
  12. ↑ After extra time.
  13. ↑ No extra time was played because of heavy rain. Shamrock Rovers won 3–1 on penalties.
  14. ↑ After extra-time, St Patrick's Athletic won 5–4 on penalties.
  15. ↑ Final not played. The two finalists, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers, could not agree on a date.
  16. ↑ After extra-time, Bohemians won 4–2 on penalties.
  17. ↑ After extra time.
  18. ↑ No extra-time played, St Patrick's Athletic won 6–5 on penalties.
  19. ↑ Bohemians won 4–1 on penalties.
  20. ↑ Bohemians won 4–3 on penalties.

List of winners by club

ClubTitlesSeasons
Shamrock Rovers
21
1929–30, 1932–33, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 (Note 1)
Bohemians
13
1965–66, 1967–68, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02
Dundalk
9
1930–31, 1951–52, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1988–89, 1989–90
Shelbourne
8
1929–30, 1939–40, 1947–48, 1960–61, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2002–03 (Note 1) (Note 2)
Drumcondra
7
1946–47, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1966–67 (Note 2)
St Patrick's Athletic
6
1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1971–72, 1990–91, 1996–97
Athlone Town
1
1983–84
Waterford
1
1973–74

Source: [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Notes

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 "President's Format". foot.ie. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "St Patrick's Ath: 0, Shelbourne: 0". The Irish Times. 9 September 1996. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
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