Southern Counties Cup

Last updated

Southern Counties Cup
Founded1891
Region Dumfries and Galloway
Current champions Caledonian Braves
Most successful club(s) Stranraer (20 wins)

The Southern Counties Cup is an association football cup competition for clubs in the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Wigtownshire, and Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. The competition was founded in 1891.

Contents

Format

The competition was a knock-out tournament contested by the member clubs of the Southern Counties Football Association, which was formed at the end of the 1890–91 season, [1] with J. J. Cook of the 5th K.R.V. as initial president. [2] The competition soon became the most prestigious competition in the region, supplanting the Churchill Cup.

Initial entrants

History

The first competition, in 1891–92, was won by the 5th K.R.V., who beat Mid-Annandale 9–1 in the final. The score remains the highest margin of victory in the final. The two clubs had met in the final of the Churchill Cup two months before with the Mids winning 3–0; [3] however, in the Southern Counties, one Mids player was sent off, three others walked off in sympathy, and the Volunteers scored three times from the penalty mark. [4]

From 1898 to 1899 there was also a Consolation Cup, [5] for clubs eliminated before the final of the main competition. The last edition was in 1926–27, replaced by the short-lived South of Scotland Cup.

The current (2023–24) holders are Caledonian Braves, who beat Dalbeattie Star 3–1 in the final at Galabank thanks to two late goals. [6]

Finals (incomplete)

YearWinnerScoreRunner-up
1891–925th K.R.V.9–1Mid-Annandale
1892–93Queen of the South Wanderers2–1Newton Stewart
1893–945th K.R.V.4–1Queen of the South Wanderers
1894–95 Maxwelltown Thistle 1–1, 3–25th K.R.V.
1895–96St Cuthbert's Wanderers4–1 Douglas Wanderers
1896–97 6th G.R.V. 8–0St Cuthbert's Wanderers
1897–98 Dumfries 2–1 Dumfries Hibernians
1898–996th G.R.V.4–1Douglas Wanderers
1899–1900Dumfries4–26th G.R.V.
1900–01Dumfries4–36th G.R.V.
1901–02Dumfries3–0 Maxwelltown Volunteers
1902–03Dumfries3–1Douglas Wanderers
1903–04 Nithsdale Wanderers 4–1 Vale of Dryfe
1904–05Maxwelltown Volunteers2–16th G.R.V.
1905–06Dumfries2–0Nithsdale Wanderers
1906–07Nithsdale Wanderers1–0Douglas Wanderers
1907–08Maxwelltown Volunteers5–1 Dalbeattie Star
1908–09Dalbeattie Star2–1Nithsdale Wanderers
1909–10Dumfries1–0Nithsdale Wanderers
1910–11Nithsdale Wanderers3–2Dumfries
1912–13 Solway Star 3–3, 2–2, 1–0Dumfries
1913–14Nithsdale Wanderers4–3 Whithorn
1924–25 5th K.O.S.B. 2–1St Cuthbert's Wanderers
1919–20Nithsdale Wanderers2–0St Cuthbert's Wanderers
1920–21 Queen of the South 1–0Nithsdale Wanderers
1921–22Nithsdale Wanderers2–2, 2–0Queen of the South
2022–23 Caledonian Braves 3–1Dalbeattie Star

Wins by club

TeamWinsFirst winLast win
5th K.O.S.B. 11914–15-
5th K.R.V. 31891–921896–97
Annan Athletic 51989–902010–11
Bonnyton Thistle 12018–19-
Caledonian Braves 12022–23-
Creetown 11984–85-
Dalbeattie Star 131908–092021–22
Dumfries 81897–981909–10
Gretna 12004–05-
Greystone Rovers 11957–58-
Lincluden Swifts 21977–781978–79
Maxwelltown Thistle 11894–95-
Maxwelltown Volunteers 21904–051907–08
Newton Stewart 61948–491983–84
Nithsdale Wanderers 101903–041945–46
Queen of the South Wanderers 11892–93-
Queen of the South 191920–212015–16
St Cuthbert's Wanderers 61895–962009–10
Solway Star 21912–131937–38
Stranraer 201925–261994–95
Tarff Rovers 61949–502001–02
threave Rovers 61964–652007–08
Whithorn 11954–55-
Wigtown & Bladnoch 12013–14-

The most successful club in the Consolation Cup was the second Mid-Annandale club, with four wins between 1909–10 and 1922–23. The only other club which won the Consolation Cup without ever winning the Southern Counties Cup was Vale of Dryfe, which won the Consolation Cup in 1901–02 and 1902–03.

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References

  1. ↑ "Southern Counties Association". Glasgow Evening Post: 5. 21 July 1891.
  2. ↑ "The referee's note-book". Scottish Referee: 1. 27 July 1891.
  3. ↑ "Churchill Cup Final". Dumfries & Galloway Standard: 3. 10 February 1892.
  4. ↑ "Southern Counties Challenge Cup Final". Dumfries & Galloway Standard: 3. 6 April 1892.
  5. ↑ "Here and there". Scottish Referee: 2. 5 December 1898.
  6. ↑ Gillespie, Stuart. "Dalbeattie Star end season with South of Scotland Challenge Cup final loss to Caledonian Braves". Daily Record. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
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