McCullough Cup

Last updated

McCullough Cup
Sport Field hockey
Founded1961-62
No. of teams14 (season 2017-18)
Most recent
champion(s)
Banbridge Academy
Most titles Royal Belfast Academical Institution
15 outright and 1 shared
Official website http://www.ulsterhockey.com

The McCullough Cup is a hockey competition. It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the winter term of each school year, with the older Burney Cup running in the Spring term.

Contents

The most successful school is Royal Belfast Academical Institution with 17 wins (16 outright wins and 1 shared win). The current holder is Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Trophy

The trophy is called The Ian McCullough Memorial Cup. It was donated by a well-known family in Northern Ireland hockey circles, in memory of their son Ian. [1]

Ian (full name – John Truesdale McCullough) was a 15-year-old Newry Grammar School pupil. He was accidentally killed after being struck by a hockey ball during a match against Royal Belfast Academical Institution at Bladon Drive on 3 December 1960. [2]

Teams

The teams that compete for this trophy are the strongest boys' first teams from schools in Ulster. All players must be under 18 on 1 July at the start of the year of the competition. Fourteen teams from thirteen schools competed for the trophy in the 2013–14 season.

Format

The competition started out as a straight knockout event with the first winners being the defunct Bushmills Grammar School. However it was soon decided to move all matches to the winter term, with a league format introduced to provide all schools with a guaranteed number of fixtures.

Under the current format, all teams are divided into two pools, with each school playing all the other schools in their pool once. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals the teams in first place in the pools play the second place teams from the other pool.

The winners of the semi-final ties contest the final, which is usually played at a neutral venue on the second Wednesday in December.

Performance by school

Performance Table
SchoolWinsShared WinsBeaten FinalistsTotal FinalsLast Title
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1616222022-23
Cookstown High School 11110222011-12
Banbridge Academy 10010202023-24
Wallace High School, Lisburn 506112018-19
Friends' School Lisburn 50382019-20
Bangor Grammar School 31591997-98
Sullivan Upper School 20352017-18
Ballycastle High School20131964-65
Wellington College Belfast 20131995-96
Newry High School 10671966-67
Methodist College Belfast 10451965-66
Bushmills Grammar School10011961-62
Regent House, Newtownards 10011999-00
Kilkeel High School 01231970-71
Royal & Prior School, Raphoe0033NA

Footnote

Finals

1960s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1961-62Bushmills Grammar School41 Newry Grammar School [3]
1962-63Ballycastle High School30 Annadale Grammar School [4] [5]
1963-64 Cookstown High School 10Newry Grammar School [6]
1964-65Ballycastle High School32Newry Grammar School [7]
1965-66 Methodist College Belfast 10Ballycastle High School [8]
1966-67 Newry High School 10 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [1]
1967-68Annadale Grammar School21Methodist College Belfast [9]
1968-69Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Cookstown High School [10]

1970s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1969-70 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 21 Cookstown High School [11]
1970-71Royal Belfast Academical Institution
& Kilkeel High School
00TROPHY SHAREDafter extra time [12] [13]
1971-72Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Cookstown High School [14]
1972-73Cookstown High School20Kilkeel High School [15]
1973-74Cookstown High School20 Newry High School
1974-75Royal Belfast Academical Institution10 Friends School Lisburn [16]
1975-76Cookstown High School &
Bangor Grammar School
33TROPHY SHAREDafter extra time [17]
1976-77Friends School Lisburn21Cookstown High Schoolafter extra time
1977-78Friends School Lisburn21Cookstown High School [18]
1978-79Cookstown High School21Bangor Grammar School

1980s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1979-80 Friends School Lisburn 32 Cookstown High School
1980-81Friends School Lisburn20 Newry High School
1981-82 Wallace High School 00Newry High SchoolWallace HS won 5–4 on penalties
1982-83 Bangor Grammar School 31 Methodist College Belfast
1983-84Wallace High School32Bangor Grammar School
1984-85Cookstown High School21 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1985-86 Banbridge Academy 10Cookstown High School [19]
1986-87Royal Belfast Academical Institution11Methodist College BelfastR.B.A.I. won 3–2 on penalties [20]
1987-88Royal Belfast Academical Institution11Banbridge AcademyR.B.A.I. won 4–2 on penalties [21]
1988-89Wallace High School20Bangor Grammar School [22]

1990s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1989-90 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 40 Bangor Grammar School [23]
1990-91Bangor Grammar School22 Cookstown High School Bangor GS won 3–1 on penalties [24]
1991-92Royal Belfast Academical Institution32 Banbridge Academy [25]
1992-93Royal Belfast Academical Institution30Banbridge Academy [26]
1993-94Banbridge Academy11Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionBanbridge won 3–1 on penalties [27]
1994-95Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Cookstown High School [28]
1995-96 Wellington College Belfast 21Royal Belfast Academical Institution [29]
1996-97Royal Belfast Academical Institution52Bangor Grammar Schoolafter extra time [30]
1997-98Bangor Grammar School30 Methodist College Belfast [31]
1998-99Cookstown High School30Royal Belfast Academical Institution [32]

2000s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1999-00 Regent House, Newtownards 20Royal & Prior School, Raphoeafter extra time [33]
2000-01 Cookstown High School 10Royal & Prior School, Raphoe
2001-02 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 33 Kilkeel High School R.B.A.I. won 4–1 on penalties
2002-03 Banbridge Academy 30Cookstown High School
2003-04Royal Belfast Academical Institution43Banbridge Academy [34]
2004-05Royal Belfast Academical Institution21Banbridge Academy
2005-06Banbridge Academy41Royal Belfast Academical Institution
2006-07Royal Belfast Academical Institution61Banbridge Academy
2007-08Cookstown High School44Banbridge AcademyCookstown won 4–3 on penalties [35]
2008-09Cookstown High School30 Sullivan Upper School [36]

2010s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
2009-10 Banbridge Academy 42 Wallace High School [37]
2010-11 Cookstown High School 42Banbridge Academy [38] [39]
2011-12Cookstown High School53Banbridge Academy [40]
2012-13Banbridge Academy31 Sullivan Upper School [41]
2013-14Wallace High School32 Friends School Lisburn after extra time [42] [43]
2014-15Banbridge Academy21Wallace High School [44] [45]
2015-16 Sullivan Upper School 43Wallace High School [46]
2016-17 Banbridge Academy 21Royal & Prior School [47]
2017-18Sullivan Upper School22Friends School Lisburn [48] Sullivan won 4–3 on penalties
2018-19Wallace High School22Sullivan Upper SchoolWallace won 4–3 on penalties[ citation needed ]

2020s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
2019-20Friends School Lisburn30Wallace High School [ citation needed ]
2020-21not played due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22Banbridge Academy31Wallace High School [49]
2022-23Royal Belfast Academical Institution22Banbridge AcademyRBAI win on penalty run-ins

Sources

  1. 1 2 Newry Reporter . 15 December 1966. p. 11.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Newry Reporter. 8 December 1960. p. 1.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. Northern Constitution. 19 May 1962. p. 2.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Belfast Newsletter . 4 April 1963. p. 12.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Northern Constitution. 6 April 1963. p. 2.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. Mid Ulster Mail . 9 May 1964. p. 14.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. Northern Constitution. 10 April 1965. p. 15.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Belfast Newsletter. 3 February 1966. p. 12.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. Belfast Newsletter. 20 March 1968. p. 12.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. Mid Ulster Mail. 22 March 1969. p. 18.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. Mid Ulster Mail. 3 January 1970. p. 12.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. Belfast Newsletter. 21 December 1970. p. 11.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. Mourne Observer. 8 January 1971. p. 7.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. Mid Ulster Mail. 18 December 1971. p. 16.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. Belfast Newsletter. 18 December 1972. p. 15.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. Belfast Newsletter. 16 December 1974. p. 14.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. Belfast Newsletter. 22 December 1975. p. 12.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. Belfast Newsletter. 12 December 1977. p. 12.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. Belfast Newsletter. 18 December 1985. p. 26.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. Belfast Newsletter. 11 December 1986. p. 35.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. Belfast Newsletter. 10 December 1987. p. 36.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. Belfast Newsletter. 8 December 1988. p. 35.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. Belfast Newsletter. 7 December 1989. p. 31.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. Belfast Newsletter. 6 December 1990. p. 34.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. Belfast Newsletter. 5 December 1991. p. 38.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. Belfast Newsletter. 10 December 1992. p. 38.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. Belfast Newsletter. 9 December 1993. p. 46.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. Belfast Newsletter. 15 December 1994. p. 34.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. Belfast Newsletter. 14 December 1995. p. 34.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. Belfast Newsletter. 12 December 1996. p. 54.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. Belfast Newsletter. 11 December 1997. p. 45.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. Belfast Newsletter. 10 December 1998. p. 49.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. Belfast Newsletter. 9 December 1999. p. 61.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. "Paul overcomes family tragedy to help Inst take Cup". Belfasttelegraph. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 11 December 2003. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  35. "Cookstown beat Banbridge in final". BBC Sport. 12 December 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  36. "Cookstown clinch McCullough Cup". BBC Sport. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
  37. "Banbridge beat Wallace in decider". BBC Sport. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  38. "Sloan shoots down Bann". Belfast Telegraph. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  39. "Cookstown clinch McCullough Cup 2010-11 (video content)". BBC Sport. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  40. "Sloan stars as Cookstown claim cup (video content)". BBC Sport. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  41. "Banbridge enjoy McCullough Cup success". Belfast Newsletter. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  42. "Wallace beat Lisburn rivals Friends in schools hockey final(video content)". BBC Sport. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  43. "O'Hare strikes in extra time to edge out Friends in final". Belfast Newsletter. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  44. "Banbridge secure McCullough Cup(video content)". BBC Sport. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  45. "Luke who's Banbridge Academy hero in McCullough Cup showdown". Belfast Telegraph. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  46. "Sullivan Upper beat Wallace High School in McCullough Cup Final". Belfast Newsletter. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  47. "Banbridge Academy win schoolboys hockey final". BBC. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  48. "Sullivan have upper hand in hockey final". BBC Sport. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  49. https://ulsterhockey.com/banbridge-academy-lift-the-mccullough-cup/ Ulster Hockey

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