Founded | 1932 |
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Region | ![]() |
Most successful club(s) | Yeovil Town (4) |
Website | Southern League Website |
The Southern League Cup is a knock-out cup competition organised by the Southern Football League. The winning team are presented with the Southern League Challenge Trophy (trophy photograph [1] ). It was inaugurated in 1932 after receiving sanction from the Football Association, [2] with the first competition taking place in the 1932–33 season.
Apart from two breaks, 1940–1945 owing to World War 2, and 2020–2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament took place each year until 2022, after which it was discontinued.
Season | Winners † | Result ‡ | Runners-up † | Ref. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1932–33 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves (WD) | 6–3 (0–0; 6–3) | Folkestone (ED) | [8] | ||||
1933–34 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves (WD) | 4–1 (3–0; 1–1) | Tunbridge Wells Rangers (ED) | [9] | ||||
1934–35 | Folkestone (ED) | 5–4 (4–1; 1–3) | Yeovil & Petters United (WD) | [10] | ||||
1935–36 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves (WD) | 12–2 (7–0; 5–2) | Tunbridge Wells Rangers (ED) | [11] | ||||
1936–37 | Newport County Reserves | 6–5 (4–1; 2–4) | Norwich City Reserves | [12] | ||||
1937–38 | Colchester United | 4–3 (1–2; 3–1) | Yeovil & Petters United | [13] | ||||
1938–39 | Competition not completed: Plymouth Argyle Reserves qualified for the final; the Colchester United versus Norwich City Reserves semi-final, carried over to the following season, was not completed as Colchester United ceased playing owing to World War 2. | [14] [15] | ||||||
1939–40 | Worcester City (WS) | 7–3 (3–1; 4–2) (war-time comp.) | Chelmsford City (ES) | [16] | ||||
1940 to 1945 | Competition cancelled owing to World War 2 | |||||||
1945–46 | Chelmsford City | 9–4 (3–3; 6–1) | Worcester City | [17] | ||||
1946–47 | Gillingham | 4–2 (4–1; 0–1) | Yeovil Town | [18] | ||||
1947–48 | Merthyr Tydfil | 5–0 (single match) | Colchester United | [19] | ||||
1948–49 | Yeovil Town | 3–0 (single match) | Colchester United | [20] | ||||
1949–50 | Colchester United | 6–4 (3–0; 3–4 (aet)) | Bath City | [21] | ||||
1950–51 | Merthyr Tydfil | 6–5 (3–1; 3–4) | Guildford City | [22] | ||||
1951–52 | Hereford United | 5–1 (2–1; 3–0) | Guildford City | [23] | ||||
1952–53 | Headington United | 4–3 (1–2; 3–1(aet)) | Weymouth | [24] | ||||
1953–54 | Headington United | 2–0 (2–0; 0–0) | Lovell's Athletic | [25] | ||||
1954–55 | Yeovil Town | 3–1 (0–0, 3–1) | Tonbridge | [26] | ||||
1955–56 | Gloucester City | 6–5 (1–4, 5–1(aet)) | Yeovil Town | [27] | ||||
1956–57 | Hereford United | 5–2 (2–1; 3–1) | Tonbridge | [28] | ||||
1957–58 | Cheltenham Town | 4–1 (2–0; 2–1) | Gravesend & Northfleet | [29] | ||||
1958–59 | Hereford United (NW-D) | 6–3 (1–2; 5–1(aet)) | Bath City (NW-D) | [30] | ||||
1959–60 | Chelmsford City (PD) | 4–2 (2–1; 2–1) | Worcester City (PD) | [31] | ||||
1960–61 | Yeovil Town (PD) | 5–3 (3–0; 0–3(aet); 2–0(r)) | Chelmsford City (PD) | [32] | ||||
1961–62 | Cambridge United (PD) | 4–3 (2–2; 2–1) | Margate (D1) | [33] | ||||
1962–63 | Guildford City (PD) | 2–1 (0–0; 2–1) | Nuneaton Borough (D1) | [34] | ||||
1963–64 | Burton Albion (D1) | 5–2 (1–2; 4–0) | Weymouth (PD) | [35] | ||||
1964–65 | Cambridge United (PD) | 3–1 (0–1; 3–0) | Weymouth (PD) | [36] | ||||
1965–66 | Yeovil Town (PD) | 2–1 (2–1; 0–0) | Guildford City (PD) | [37] | ||||
1966–67 | Guildford City (PD) | 2–1 (2–1; 0–0) | Barnet (PD) | [38] | ||||
1967–68 | Margate (PD) | 4–2 (1–1; 0–0(aet); 3–1) | Ramsgate Athletic (D1) | [39] | ||||
1968–69 | Cambridge United (PD) | 1–0 (1–0; 0–0) | Cheltenham Town (PD) | [40] | ||||
1969–70 | Wimbledon (PD) | 4–1 (3–0; 1–1) | Romford (PD) | [41] | ||||
1970–71 | Telford United (PD) | 3–2 (2–1; 1–1) | Weymouth (PD) | [42] | ||||
1971–72 | Barnet (PD) | 4–4 (pens: 7–6) (2–0; 0–2(aet); 2–2(r)(aet)(p:7–6)) | Hereford United (PD) | [43] | ||||
1972–73 | Weymouth (PD) | 3–0 (2–0; 1–0) | Hillingdon Borough (PD) | [44] | ||||
1973–74 | AP Leamington (D1N) | 3–1 (0–1; 3–0) | Bromsgrove Rovers (D1N) | [45] | ||||
1974–75 | Kettering Town (PD) | 3–1 (2–0; 1–1) | Margate (PD) | [46] | ||||
1975–76 | Wimbledon (PD) | 3–2 (1–1; 2–1) | Yeovil Town (PD) | [47] | ||||
1976–77 | Dartford (PD) | 3–1 (1–1; 2–0) | Yeovil Town (PD) | [48] | ||||
1977–78 | Gravesend & Northfleet (PD) | 2–0 (0–0; 2–0(aet)) | Weymouth (PD) | [49] | ||||
1978–79 | Bath City (PD) | 1–0 (1–0; 0–0) | Yeovil Town (PD) | [50] | ||||
1979–80 | Kidderminster Harriers (MD) | 4–1 (0–0; 4–1) | Dartford (SD) | [51] | ||||
1980–81 | Bedford Town (MD) | 3–1 (2–1; 1–0) | Bognor Regis Town (SD) | [52] | ||||
1981–82 | Wealdstone (SD) | 2–0 (1–0; 1–0) | Gloucester City (MD) | [53] | ||||
1982–83 | Alvechurch (PD) | 7–2 (6–1; 1–1) | Waterlooville (PD) | [54] | ||||
1983–84 | AP Leamington (PD) | 3–0 (0–0; 3–0(aet)) | Dartford (PD) | [55] | ||||
1984–85 | Fisher Athletic (PD) | 6–2 (2–1; 4–1) | Cheltenham Town (PD) | [56] | ||||
1985–86 | Bromsgrove Rovers (MD) | 4–3 (2–1; 2–2) | Trowbridge Town (SD) | [57] | ||||
1986–87 | Waterlooville (SD) | 3–1 (2–1; 1–0) | Hednesford Town (MD) | [58] | ||||
1987–88 | Dartford (PD) | 4–3 (1–3; 3–0) | Bromsgrove Rovers (PD) | [59] | ||||
1988–89 | Dartford (PD) | 3–1 (1–1; 2–0) | Burton Albion (PD) | [60] | ||||
1989–90 | VS Rugby (PD) | 2–1 (2–0; 0–1) | Dartford (PD) | [61] | ||||
1990–91 | Chelmsford City (PD) | 5–3 (2–1; 3–2) | Hythe Town (SD) | [62] | ||||
1991–92 | Dover Athletic (PD) | 4–0 (1–0; 3–0) | Dorchester Town (PD) | [63] | ||||
1992–93 | Stourbridge (MD) | 3–2 (2–0; 1–2) | Dover Athletic (PD) | [64] | ||||
1993–94 | Sudbury Town (SD) | 5–1 (2–0; 3–1) | Gresley Rovers (PD) | [65] | ||||
1994–95 | Hastings Town (PD) | 3–1 (1–0; 2–1) | Leek Town (PD) | [66] | ||||
1995–96 | Nuneaton Borough (MD) | 5–2 (3–1; 2–1) | Baldock Town (PD) | [67] | ||||
1996–97 | Burton Albion (PD) | 3–1 (2–1; 1–0) | Sudbury Town (PD) | [68] | ||||
1997–98 | Margate (SD) | 3–1 (2–0; 0–1) | Redditch United (MD) | [69] | ||||
1998–99 | Sutton Coldfield Town (PD) | 2–1 (0–0; 2–1) | Cambridge City (PD) | [70] | ||||
1999–00 | Burton Albion (PD) | 6–1 (2–0; 4–1) | Hastings Town (ED) | [71] | ||||
2000–01 | Worcester City (PD) | 4–1 (4–0; 0–1) | Crawley Town (PD) | [72] | ||||
2001–02 | Dorchester Town (ED) | 4–0 (1–0; 3–0) | King's Lynn (PD) | [73] | ||||
2002–03 | Crawley Town (PD) | 3–2 (1–2; 2–0) | Halesowen Town (PD) | [74] | ||||
2003–04 | Crawley Town (PD) | 4–1 (2–1; 2–0) | Moor Green (PD) | [75] | ||||
2004–05 | King's Lynn (PD) | 3–2 (2–2; 1–0) | Bedford Town (PD) | [76] | ||||
2005–06 | Hitchin Town (PD) | 3–1 (1–0; 2–1) | Bromsgrove Rovers (WD) | [77] | ||||
2006–07 | Tiverton Town (PD) | 3–2 (1–0; 2–2) | Hemel Hempstead Town (PD) | |||||
2007–08 | Hillingdon Borough (PD) | 4–1 (1–1; 3–0) | Clevedon Town (D1SW) | |||||
2008–09 | Atherstone Town (D1M) | 5–2 (2–1; 3–1) | Bridgwater Town (D1SW) | |||||
2009–10 | Cambridge City (PD) | 1–1 (pens: 4–2) (1–0; 0–1(p:4-2)) | VT (D1SW) | |||||
2010–11 | Hednesford Town (PD) | 5–1 (2–1; 3–0) | Hemel Hempstead Town (PD) | |||||
2011–12 | Clevedon Town (D1SW) | 2–1 (0–0; 2–1) | Banbury United (PD) | |||||
2012–13 | Arlesey Town (PD) | 2–1 (1–0; 1–1(aet)) | Frome Town (PD) | |||||
2013–14 | St Neots Town (PD) | 1–0 (0–0; 1–0) | Tiverton Town (D1SW) | |||||
2014–15 | Poole Town (PD) | 1–1 (away goals) (1–1; 0–0) | Corby Town (PD) | |||||
2015–16 | Merthyr Town (PD) | 7–1 (5–1; 2–0) | Cambridge City (PD) | |||||
2016–17 | Hayes & Yeading United (PD) | 1–1 (pens: 4–2) (single match) | St Ives Town (PD) | |||||
2017–18 | Hitchin Town (PD) | 1–0 (single match) | Didcot Town (D1W) | |||||
2018–19 | Stratford Town (PDC) | 1–0 (single match) | Cinderford Town (D1S) | [78] | ||||
2019–20 | Competition abandoned owing to COVID-19 pandemic [79] | |||||||
2020–21 | Competition abandoned owing to continuing COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||
2021–22 | Royston Town (PDC) | 7–0 (2–0; 5–0) | Taunton Town (PDS) | [80] | ||||
2022 onwards | Competition discontinued | |||||||
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