SuperCupNI

Last updated

SuperCupNI
SuperCupNI.png
SuperCupNI Logo
Founded1995 (Elite)
1983 (Premier)
1985 (Junior)
RegionNorthern Ireland
Number of teams6 (Elite)
24 (Premier)
24 (Junior)
Television broadcasters BBC Northern Ireland
Website supercupni.com

SuperCupNI, formerly called the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament and the Dale Farm Milk Cup, is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of Northern Ireland, with matches taking place in the towns of Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymoney, Ballymena and Broughshane. Mitre are the Official Ball Sponsor of the SuperCup with a specially designed Pro Max ball being used.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History

Logo used when the tournament was known as the Dale Farm Milk Cup Dale Farm Milk Cup.png
Logo used when the tournament was known as the Dale Farm Milk Cup

The Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament began in 1983 with sixteen teams participating at an Under 16 (Premier) level. Motherwell from Scotland were the first winners. It was founded by Jim Weir, Victor Leonard, George Logan and Bertie Peacock, one of the most famous football players from the region.[ citation needed ]

The competition was extended in 1985 when an extra age group, the Under 14 (Junior) section was introduced and again the first champions were from Scotland, as Rangers won the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament at that age level. The competition at both levels has grown in size and stature over the years, with teams increasingly travelling from all continents to compete. The Under 19 (Elite) section was introduced in 1995 with the Welsh finishing the tournament as winners. Traditionally, the finals are played at the Coleraine Showgrounds on the Friday evening.[ citation needed ]

Milk Cup Sub-16 2007. Taca Milk Cup 2007.jpg
Milk Cup Sub-16 2007.

Internationally capped footballers have taken part in the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament, such as Charlie Davies, Jonathan Spector, Paul Scholes, and Wayne Rooney have all competed at some level.[ citation needed ] In the 2002 FIFA World Cup there were 30 Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament veterans playing.[ citation needed ]

To celebrate the competition's silver jubilee, a friendly match took place between Northern Ireland and four-time junior section winners Everton at the Coleraine Showgrounds on 14 July 2007. Everton won the tie 2–0.[ citation needed ]

One of the key parts to the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament is the inclusion of six representative teams from each county of Northern Ireland – Antrim, Armagh, Londonderry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone. This system allows young players from across the province to compete against some of the best in the world at their age group.

In October 2013, the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament organising committee and lead sponsors Dairy Council released a joint statement stating that the long-term sponsors Dairy Council would be withdrawing sponsorship. [1]

In February 2014, the organisers announced that competition would be sponsored by Belfast-based company Dale Farm and that the competition would be known as the Dale Farm Milk Cup for sponsorship reasons. [2] From 2016 it has been known as the Super Cup NI. [3]

Winners

YearElite (U-19)Premier (U-16)Junior (U-14)
WinnerRunner-upWinnerRunner-upWinnerRunner-up
1983Founded in 1995 Flag of Scotland.svg Motherwell Ulster Banner.svg Coleraine Founded in 1985
1984 Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers Flag of Scotland.svg Motherwell
1985 Flag of England.svg Newcastle United Ulster Banner.svg Coleraine Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers Ulster Banner.svg Craigavon
1986 Flag of Scotland.svg Dundee United Flag of England.svg Newcastle United Ulster Banner.svg Craigavon United Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra
1987 Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra Flag of England.svg Liverpool Flag of Scotland.svg Dundee United Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra
1988 Flag of England.svg Liverpool Flag of Scotland.svg Motherwell Flag of Ireland.svg Home Farm Flag of Scotland.svg Dundee United
1989 Flag of England.svg Newcastle United Flag of England.svg Manchester United Ulster Banner.svg Dungannon Swifts Flag of Ireland.svg Dublin & District Schoolboys
1990 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra Flag of Scotland.svg Hibernian
1991 Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of Scotland.svg Heart of Midlothian Flag of England.svg Norwich City Flag of Scotland.svg Dundee United
1992 Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers Flag of England.svg Nottingham Forest Flag of England.svg Norwich City Flag of Scotland.svg Heart of Midlothian
1993 Flag of Ireland.svg Cherry Orchard Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Flag of Scotland.svg Heart of Midlothian
1994 Flag of Scotland.svg Hearts Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of England.svg Middlesbrough Flag of England.svg Manchester United
1995Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of the Netherlands.svg Feyenoord Flag of England.svg Everton Flag of England.svg Norwich City
1996Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur Flag of England.svg Blackburn Rovers Flag of England.svg West Ham United Flag of Scotland.svg Motherwell
1997Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of England.svg Middlesbrough Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of England.svg West Ham United Flag of England.svg Middlesbrough
1998Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of Chile.svg  Chile Flag of England.svg West Ham United Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra Flag of England.svg West Ham United
1999 Flag of Brazil.svg Vitória Flag of England.svg Crewe Alexandra Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of England.svg Manchester City Flag of England.svg Everton
2000Flag of Chile.svg  Chile Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of England.svg Manchester City Flag of England.svg Charlton Athletic Flag of England.svg Manchester City
2001Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of England.svg Norwich City Flag of Scotland.svg Heart of Midlothian
2002Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Flag of England.svg Leeds United Flag of Greece.svg Panathinaikos Flag of England.svg Everton Flag of Brazil.svg Botafogo
2003Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of England.svg Preston North End Flag of Argentina.svg Racing Club Flag of Scotland.svg Heart of Midlothian
2004Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of Scotland.svg Heart of Midlothian Flag of Ireland.svg Belvedere Flag of Israel.svg Maccabi Haifa Flag of England.svg Everton
2005 Flag of the United States.svg USA Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Spain.svg Barcelona Flag of England.svg Chelsea Flag of Denmark.svg Lyngby Flag of Russia.svg CSKA Moscow
2006Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay Flag of the United States.svg USA Flag of Russia.svg Spartak Moscow Flag of Austria.svg Rapid Vienna Flag of England.svg Swindon Town Flag of Ireland.svg Crumlin United
2007Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Brazil.svg Fluminense Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of Mexico.svg Guadalajara Flag of Ireland.svg St. Kevin's Boys FC
2008Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Chile.svg  Chile Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of the United States.svg South Coast Bayern Flag of England.svg Everton Flag of England.svg Wolverhampton Wanderers
2009 Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of England.svg Sheffield United Flag of England.svg Everton Flag of England.svg Watford
2010 Flag of the United States.svg USA Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Senegal.svg Étoile Lusitana Flag of England.svg Bolton Wanderers Flag of England.svg Chelsea Flag of Mexico.svg Cruz Azul
2011 Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Qatar.svg Aspire Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of England.svg Everton Flag of Mexico.svg Cruz Azul
2012 Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Flag of Brazil.svg Desportivo Brasil Flag of England.svg Newcastle United Flag of England.svg Brentford Flag of England.svg Everton
2013 Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of England.svg Manchester United Ulster Banner.svg County Tyrone Flag of England.svg Everton Ulster Banner.svg County Antrim
2014Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of France.svg Vendée Flag of Brazil.svg Corinthians Ulster Banner.svg County Antrim
2015not held Ulster Banner.svg County Antrim Flag of Mexico.svg Club América Flag of Ghana.svg Right to Dream Flag of England.svg Southampton
2016 Flag of England.svg Everton Flag of Scotland.svg Celtic Flag of Chile.svg O'Higgins Flag of Scotland.svg Hibernian Flag of Ghana.svg Right to Dream Ulster Banner.svg County Londonderry
2017 Flag of England.svg Manchester United Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Ghana.svg Right to Dream Flag of Mexico.svg Club América Ulster Banner.svg County Antrim Flag of the United States.svg GPS Bayern
2018not held Flag of Italy.svg B Italia Ulster Banner.svg County Down Ulster Banner.svg County Antrim Flag of England.svg Manchester United
2019not held Flag of Spain.svg Valencia Flag of England.svg Newcastle United Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers FC Flag of England.svg Charlton Athletic

The competition wasn't played in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Manchester United's under-16s played 3 challenge matches against Coleraine, Ballymena United and Linfield.

YearPremierJuniorYouth (U-14)Minor (U-13)
WinnerRunner-upWinnerRunner-upWinnerRunner-upWinnerRunner-up
2022 Flag of England.svg Ipswich Town Ulster Banner.svg County Antrim Flag of England.svg Manchester United Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers Flag of England.svg Charlton Athletic Ulster Banner.svg Glenavon Flag of the United States.svg Surf Select Ulster Banner.svg Glentoran
2023 Ulster Banner.svg County Londonderry Flag of Mexico.svg Tigres UANL Flag of England.svg West Ham United Ulster Banner.svg County Antrimnot held Flag of Scotland.svg Celtic Ulster Banner.svg Dungannon United Youth
2024 Flag of England.svg Brighton & Hove Albion Ulster Banner.svg County Armagh Flag of England.svg West Ham United Ulster Banner.svg County Downnot held Ulster Banner.svg Crusaders Ulster Banner.svg Linfield

Notable players

Media coverage

Since 2005 the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament has been broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland, taking over from UTV. This has led to much more media coverage as matches from Finals Night are broadcast on BBC Two Northern Ireland. Usually these are from the Premier and Elite section featuring highlights of the junior game which happens earlier in the afternoon. Some Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament matches are broadcast on BBC Two NI, made available to the rest of the UK via BBCi and the BBC Sport website and some other Milk Cup matches are broadcast online. The coverage is usually hosted by Stephen Watson, with commentary by BBC commentators such as Jackie Fullerton, Michael McNamee, Paul Gilmour, Joel Taggart, Grant Cameron and punditry by John O'Neill, Gerry Armstrong and Oran Kearney.

See also

References

  1. "Milk Cup Chairman: Dairy Council backing was 'remarkable'". NI Milk Cup. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  2. "Dale Farm new sponsor for Milk Cup". Coleraine Times. Johnston Publishing. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  3. "Milk Cup football tournament in name change to Super Cup NI". BBC Sport. 20 October 2015.