List of Welsh Cup finals
The Football Association of Wales Challenge Cup,[1] commonly known as the Welsh Cup, is a knockout cup competition in Welsh football, organised by the Football Association of Wales (the FAW). It is the third oldest association football competition in the world, behind only it's English and Scottish equivalents, having began in 1877.[2] The tournament is open to any men's football team in Wales, however the club's ground must meet certain requirements laid out by the FAW prior to entering.[1] The six Welsh clubs playing within the English football league system, Cardiff City, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Town, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham, have been excluded from entering the tournament since 1995 following the creation of the League of Wales,[3][4] when UEFA decreed that the winner of the competition could not compete in the European Cup Winners' Cup unless the six sides were barred from entering.[3] During it's history, the competition has allowed some English clubs within close proximity to Wales to enter the tournament and has been won on 21 occasions by teams based outside Wales' borders.[3]
As of 2016, the record for the most wins is held by Wrexham who have won the competition on 23 occasions, their last victory coming in 1995.[3][5] Apart from Wrexham, only Cardiff City and Swansea City have won the competition on 10 or occasions, having won 22 and 10 respectively.[3] Shrewsbury Town hold the record for the most times an English team has won the Cup having claimed victory on six occasions. The last English winner of the Welsh Cup was Hereford United in 1990.[5]
History
The Welsh Cup was founded by the Football Association of Wales in 1877, staging the first competition for the 1877–88 season. The first final was played on 30 March 1878 and was won by Wrexham who defeated Druids 1–0, Jas Davies scoring the first ever Welsh Cup final goal for the Dragons.[6][7] Despite their defeat, amateur side Druids, who had become the first Welsh side to enter the English FA Cup the year before only to withdraw without playing a match, dominated the early stagings of the competition,[8] featuring in eight of the first ten finals, winning five.[5] However, the dawn of fully professional football clubs eventually proved too strong for the side who reached their last final in 1901.[8]
Although the competition was introduced for Welsh clubs, English clubs close to the border were also allowed to enter and Shropshire based Oswestry Town and Cheshire based Northwich Victoria both participated in the inaugural season in 1877–88,[9] the final for the 1878–79 torunament the following year also being held in Oswestry.[7][10] In it's early stages, the competition was dominated by teams from the northern area of Wales with Wrexham, Druids, Chirk and Newtown White Stars claiming multiple titles each by the turn of the century as well as other northern based sides Bangor and Aberystywth Town also claiming victories.[3] It was not until 1903 until a Welsh side from the south of the country reached the final, by which time the competition had even been won on four occasions by English sides, when Aberaman Athletic reached the final but suffered an 8–0 defeat to Wrexham,[3] a result that still stands as the biggest victory in a Welsh Cup final.[7] It would take a further 9 years for a southern side to win the cup, Cardiff City claiming the title after defeating Pontypridd 3–0 in a replay in 1912.[3][11] The tie was also the first time that the final had been played in the south of Wales.[7]
During the 1960s, the competition gained new interest when the winner was handed a place in the qualifying rounds of the European Cup Winners' Cup. This gave amateur Welsh league sides and the Welsh sides playing in the lower levels of the Football League the chance to compete in European competitions and the tournament was subsequently dominated by the fully professional Football League sides Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham who were keen on reaching the Cup Winners' Cup for lucrative ties against European sides.[12] English sides who won the tournament were barred from claiming the European place due to their location so the spot would be handed to the highest placed finishing Welsh sides in their stead. In 1995, the six Welsh clubs playing within the English football league system, Cardiff City, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham were barred from entering the competition by the FAW after pressure from governing body UEFA,.[12] after rejecting a transfer into the newly formed League of Wales.
In 2012, the six clubs were invited back into the competition,[13] although only Merthyr, Newport and Wrexham accepted the invitation,[14] and competed in the 2011–12 season. In order to attract the other three teams into the competition, the FAW hoped to allow the sides to be eligible for European competition again but UEFA rules only allow teams to qualify for European tournaments via the competitions of one national association, requiring the sides to not enter the FA Cup or EFL Cup.[13] However, the appeal was rejected by UEFA and the following season the six clubs were not invited to enter the Welsh Cup.[15]
Finals
Until 1961, a draw in the final would lead to a replay in order to decide a winner. Between the 1961–62 and 1984–85 seasons, the final was played as a two-leg match,[7] originally on a points basis rather than aggregate score, going to a third play-off match if required. In the 1985–86 season, it reverted to a single game, with the result to be decided by a reply in the event of a tie.[5] Two years later, in 1987, the final reverted to a single game, with the result to be decided on the day by extra time and penalties as necessary.[5] The competition was not held between 1915–1919 and 1940–1945 due to the first and second world wars when competitive football was suspended.[16]
All teams are Welsh, except where marked (England).
Results
Notes:
- P indicates won on Penalties
Results by team
Club | Wins | First final won | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost | Total final appearances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wrexham | 23 | 1878 | 1995 | 22 | 1991 | 45 |
Cardiff City | 22 | 1912 | 1993 | 10 | 1995 | 32 |
Swansea City[lower-alpha 1] | 10 | 1913 | 1991 | 8 | 1983 | 18 |
Bangor City[lower-alpha 2] | 8 | 1889 | 2010 | 10 | 2013 | 18 |
Druids | 8 | 1880 | 1904 | 5 | 1901 | 13 |
Shrewsbury Town | 6 | 1891 | 1985 | 3 | 1980 | 9 |
The New Saints[lower-alpha 3] | 6 | 1996 | 2016 | 2 | 2004 | 8 |
Barry Town | 6 | 1955 | 2003 | 1 | 1996 | 7 |
Chirk AAA | 5 | 1887 | 1894 | 1 | 1893 | 6 |
Rhyl | 4 | 1952 | 2006 | 4 | 1993 | 8 |
Chester City[lower-alpha 4] | 3 | 1908 | 1933 | 10 | 1970 | 13 |
Merthyr Tydfil[lower-alpha 5] | 3 | 1949 | 1987 | 3 | 1952 | 6 |
Wellington Town[lower-alpha 6] | 3 | 1902 | 1940 | 0 | N/A | 3 |
Newtown[lower-alpha 7] | 2 | 1879 | 1895 | 1 | 2015 | 5 |
Crewe Alexandra | 2 | 1936 | 1937 | 0 | — | 2 |
Oswestry United | 2 | 1901 | 1907 | 0 | — | 2 |
Hereford United | 1 | 1990 | 1990 | 3 | 1981 | 4 |
Aberystwyth Town | 1 | 1900 | 1900 | 2 | 2014 | 3 |
Carmarthen Town | 1 | 2007 | 2007 | 2 | 2005 | 3 |
Connah's Quay & Shotton | 1 | 1929 | 1929 | 2 | 1911 | 3 |
Llanelli | 1 | 2011 | 2011 | 2 | 2008 | 3 |
Newport County | 1 | 1980 | 1980 | 2 | 1987 | 3 |
Flint Town United[lower-alpha 8] | 1 | 1954 | 1954 | 1 | 1925 | 2 |
Lovell's Athletic | 1 | 1948 | 1948 | 1 | 1959 | 2 |
Oswestry White Star | 1 | 1884 | 1884 | 1 | 1885 | 2 |
Tranmere Rovers | 1 | 1935 | 1935 | 1 | 1934 | 2 |
Borough United | 1 | 1963 | 1963 | 0 | — | 1 |
Bristol City | 1 | 1934 | 1934 | 0 | — | 1 |
Ebbw Vale | 1 | 1926 | 1926 | 0 | — | 1 |
Inter CableTel | 1 | 1999 | 1999 | 0 | — | 1 |
Prestatyn Town | 1 | 2013 | 2013 | 0 | — | 1 |
South Liverpool | 1 | 1939 | 1939 | 0 | — | 1 |
Aberdare Athletic | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1923 | 3 |
Cwmbran Town | 0 | — | — | 3 | 2003 | 3 |
Pontypridd | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1921 | 3 |
Kidderminster Harriers | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1989 | 2 |
Northwich Victoria | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1889 | 2 |
Westminster Rovers | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1894 | 2 |
Whitchurch | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1907 | 2 |
Aberaman Athletic | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1903 | 1 |
Afan Lido | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2007 | 1 |
Airbus UK Broughton | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2016 | 1 |
Cefn Druids | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2012 | 1 |
Connah's Quay Nomads | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1998 | 1 |
Davenham | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1887 | 1 |
Hednesford Town | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1992 | 1 |
Port Talbot Town | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2010 | 1 |
Ruthin | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1880 | 1 |
Stourbridge | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1974 | 1 |
Ton Pentre | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1922 | 1 |
Notes
- ↑ Swansea City were founded under the name Swansea Town before changing their name in 1969 when Swansea was granted city stauts.[25]
- ↑ Includes results under the teams former name Bangor City.[5]
- ↑ Includes results under the teams former names, Total Network Solutions and Llansantffraid.[5]
- ↑ Includes results under the teams former name, Chester
- ↑ Includes results under the teams former name Merthyr Town.
- ↑ Wellington United later changed their club name to Telford United in 1969.[26]
- ↑ Includes results under the teams former name Newtown White Stars.
- ↑ Includes results under the teams former name Flint Town.[3]
References
- 1 2 "Rules of the Welsh Cup competition" (PDF). The Football Association of Wales. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "The Story of Welsh Football: 1877-1879". Wrexham.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Wales - List of Cup Finals". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "Top Welsh clubs could re-join Welsh Cup". BBC Sport. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Welsh Cup Winners and Runners-up, 1877 to date". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "WELSH CUP FINAL 1877/78". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Wrexham and the Welsh Cup". Wrexham A.F.C. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- 1 2 "The Story of Welsh Football: 1880-1914". wrexham.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "SEASON 1877/78". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Welsh Cup 1877 - to date: the finals". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "Swansea in the Welsh Cup". SCFC Heritage. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- 1 2 "Cardiff City tempted by Welsh Cup return". BBC Sport. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- 1 2 "FAW seeks route into Europe for Cardiff and Swansea". BBC Sport. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ↑ "County's Welsh Cup exile over". South Wales Argus. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ↑ "Welsh Cup snub for Wrexham and Newport County". BBC Sport. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ↑ "Notes". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ↑ "THE WELSH CHALLENGE CUP.|1878-04-06|Wrexham Guardian - Welsh Newspapers Online". Newspapers.library.wales. 2001-08-02. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 6 July 1888 — THE FINAL TIE OF THE LANCASHIRE ASSOCIATION CUP. HUNTING. OTAGO HOUNDS". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ↑ "THE WELSH JUNIOR CUP.|1891-04-04|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online". Newspapers.library.wales. 2001-08-02. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ↑ "Welsh Newspapers Online WELSH CUP, I|1892-04-23|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online". newspapers.library.wales. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and North and South Wales Independent : Welsh Senior Cup Final : Oswestry v Druids". Newspapers.library.wales. 1901-04-12. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ↑ "Welsh Newspapers Online FOOTBALL.|1903-04-17|Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and North and South Wales Independent - Welsh Newspapers Online". newspapers.library.wales. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
- ↑ "Welsh Newspapers Online WELSH CUP RE-PLAY.|1913-04-24|The Cambria Daily Leader - Welsh Newspapers Online". newspapers.library.wales. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
- ↑ "WELSH CUP FINAL 1990/91". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ↑ "History of Swansea City". Swansea City Supporters' Trust. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "History". Telford United F.C. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
Bibliography
- The History of the Welsh Cup 1877–1993 by Ian Garland (1991) ISBN 1-872424-37-6