Southampton Senior Cup

Last updated

Southampton Senior Cup
Founded1908
Teamsvaries
Current champions AFC Stoneham
Most championshipsSouthampton and Sholing jointly with 9 titles
Website https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/soton-senior-cup

The Southampton Senior Cup is a long running competition open to football teams who are members of the Southampton Divisional Football Association.

Contents

The competition is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association, and with the final hosted by Southampton F.C. is always well contested between clubs that play from Level 12 upwards on the English football league system.

History

Football had been played in the area for many years, but with the growing need for proper organisation, the Southampton Football Association was founded in 1908 at a meeting attended by 40 persons, including William Pickford. It was here that league and cup competitions were created, in the Senior and Junior format, which mostly remains in place today. [1]

The Southampton Senior Cup competition was first held for the 1908/09 season. The cup itself was donated to the Association by Mr Bernard Mortimer - better known locally for promoting boxing tournaments. The inaugural final was won by Eastleigh Athletic after a 2–0 victory over Bitterne Guild at The Dell, Southampton. [2]

The competition soon grew in popularity with teams from the Hampshire League and Senior divisions of the Southampton League taking part, latterly joined by Wessex League and occasionally Southern League clubs.

There have also been many surprises and upsets, at various stages over the years, [3] and the cup has been won by an interesting range of different clubs - some of which have enjoyed spells of dominance. Sholing Athletic, Netley Sports, AFC Totton and Vosper Thornycroft have all won the competition three years running, and the latter also hold the record for winning the competition on the most occasions. Until the mid-eighties, Southampton were regular entrants themselves, and a number of 'Saints' players who would go on to become well known professionals have a winners medal in their collection.

Since 2001, the final has been played at St Mary's Stadium with the show-piece event frequently attracting crowds of over a thousand. [4]

The Finals [5]

Most Winners

Most Final Appearances

These stats include wins either under clubs previous identities and by Reserve/'A' sides. [33]

Past & Present Clubs

Print

References

  1. Association Football in Hampshire until 1914 by Norman Gannaway
  2. Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
  3. A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908-2008 by John Moody
  4. Southampton Senior Cup – The Finals 1909-2022 by Gary Day
  5. Southampton Divisional Football Association Handbook 2025/26
  6. Saints A Complete Record of Southampton Football Club 1885-1987 by Gary Chalk & Duncan Holley. (Breedon Books ISBN 0-907969-22-4)
  7. Bitterne Football - A glimpse at the past by Ken Prior
  8. Sholing Sports Football Club History by Neil Cotton
  9. https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/romsey/23690690.romsey-town-football-club---early-years/
  10. AFC Totton - A 100 Years of Totton Football Club 1885-1985 by Peter Chilcott
  11. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/15299695.photos-pirelli-general-fc-halcyon-days-of-the-cablemen/
  12. https://www.fawleyafc.com/teams/fawley-afc
  13. https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/history-blackfield-langley
  14. Bitterne Nomads FC History by Ken Prior
  15. https://eastleighfc.com/club/history/
  16. Awbridge FC - This History of a Village Football Club, by John Moody
  17. The Saints Yearbook 1970/71 - Southampton FC
  18. Romsey Town Football Club - The first hundred years 1886-1986 by John Moody
  19. https://totton-elingfc.co.uk/history/
  20. https://www.afctotton.com/club-info/club-history
  21. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/football/local/15413573.photos-the-friendliest-football-club/
  22. The Saints Yearbook 1983/84 - Southampton FC
  23. The Saints Yearbook 1984/85 - Southampton FC
  24. https://www.follandsportsfc.org.uk/clubinfo/1012
  25. Eastleigh FC History by Gary Day
  26. The Official History of Braishfield Football Club 1907-2024 - by Lee Whitelock
  27. https://www.romseytownfc.co.uk/about
  28. https://winchestercityfc.co.uk/club-info/our-history
  29. https://sholingfc.co.uk/club/history/
  30. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5551314.second-half-goals-tipp-the-balance-for-lyndhurst-fc/
  31. https://www.afcstoneham.co.uk/club-timeline
  32. "Sholing Reserves win the Southampton Senior Cup". Daily Echo. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  33. Southampton Senior Cup Final 2025 official programme