Scottish Challenge Cup
Founded | 1990 |
---|---|
Number of teams | 53 (2022–23) |
Current champions | Airdrieonians |
Most successful club(s) | Falkirk (4 titles) |
Television broadcasters | BBC Alba Premier Sports S4C (involving Welsh clubs) |
2023–24 Scottish Challenge Cup |
The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,[1][2][3] commonly known as the Scottish League Challenge Cup[4][5] or Scottish Challenge Cup,[1][2] and currently known as the SPFL Trust Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an association football knock-out cup competition run by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It is recognised as the third most prestigious knockout trophy in Scottish football, after the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.
The competition was first held during the 1990–91 season as the B&Q Centenary Cup[1] to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Scottish Football League (SFL). It was intended to be a one-off competition but was continued due to its popularity. It was originally contested by SFL (SPFL since 2013) teams below the top level of the Scottish football league system; select teams from lower levels of the league system were added in 2011–12, and guest teams from outside Scotland in 2016–17. For the 2019–20 edition there were 58 teams: 30 from the SPFL; the twelve Under-21 teams of the Scottish Premiership clubs; four each from the Highland League and Lowland League; and two guest teams from each of the NIFL Premiership, Cymru Premier, English National League, and League of Ireland Premier Division up until the 2019–20 season.[6]
The first winner of the tournament was
Format
The Challenge Cup is a
Beginning with the
History
The competition was created in the
The number of competitors has varied in relation to the number of clubs with Scottish Football League membership. The first tournament featured the 28 clubs in the
From
The
Venues
In the rounds before the final, the venue of each match is determined when the fixtures are drawn; the first club drawn in a fixture is named the home team and chooses the venue for the match, usually its own home ground.[10] The venue may be switched to that of the away team or changed to a neutral venue for security reasons such as being unable to host a club with a large travelling fan base or the venue being unavailable.[29][30]
Final venue
The final match of the tournament is played at a
Winners and finalists
A total of 27 clubs have reached the final, of whom 17 have won the competition. The first winners were
Most winners and finalists have been from the second tier, while only four teams have won the competition from below this division.
In 2019, Connah's Quay Nomads of Wales were the first non-Scottish side to get to the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup; despite taking the lead in the 21st minute, they eventually lost 3–1.
Finals
The winner of the tournament is decided by a
* | Match went to extra time
|
† | Match decided by a penalty shoot-out after extra time |
‡ | Winning team won the second tier of Scottish football league system |
Italics | Team from below the second tier of the Scottish football league system |
, , , or | Team from outside the Scottish football league system |
Results
Performance by club
Clubs shown in italics are no longer in existence.
Club | Wins | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost | Total final appearances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falkirk | 4 | 2012 | 0 | — | 4 |
Hamilton Academical | 3 | 2023 | 2 | 2012 | 5 |
Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 3 | 2020* | 2 | 2009 | 5 |
Ross County | 3 | 2019 | 2 | 2008 | 5 |
Raith Rovers | 3 | 2022 | 1 | 2023 | 4 |
Airdrieonians (1878) | 3 | 2001 | 0 | — | 3 |
Queen of the South | 2 | 2013 | 3 | 2022
|
5 |
Dundee | 2 | 2009 | 1 | 1994 | 3 |
Airdrieonians | 2 | 2024 | 1 | 2003 | 3 |
St Mirren | 1 | 2005 | 2 | 2017 | 3 |
Alloa Athletic | 1 | 1999 | 2 | 2015 | 3 |
Dundee United | 1 | 2017 | 1 | 1995 | 2 |
Rangers | 1 | 2016 | 1 | 2014 | 2 |
Livingston | 1 | 2015 | 1 | 2000 | 2 |
St Johnstone | 1 | 2007 | 1 | 1996 | 2 |
Stranraer | 1 | 1996 | 0 | — | 1 |
Stenhousemuir | 1 | 1995 | 0 | — | 1 |
Ayr United | 0 | — | 2 | 1991 | 2 |
The New Saints | 0 | — | 1 | 2024 | 1 |
Connah's Quay Nomads | 0 | — | 1 | 2019 | 1 |
Dumbarton | 0 | — | 1 | 2018 | 1 |
Peterhead | 0 | — | 1 | 2016 | 1 |
Partick Thistle | 0 | — | 1 | 2013 | 1 |
Dunfermline Athletic | 0 | — | 1 | 2007 | 1 |
Clyde | 0 | — | 1 | 2006 | 1 |
Brechin City | 0 | — | 1 | 2002 | 1 |
Morton | 0 | — | 1 | 1992 | 1 |
List of winning managers
Sponsorship and media coverage
The Scottish Challenge Cup has been sponsored several times since it was introduced in 1990. The sponsor has been able to determine the name of the competition. There have been four sponsors since the competition's formation as well as several name changes within the duration of each sponsorship.[1] The competition relies on revenue earned from sponsorship although it has been able to run without a sponsor over two periods but had to be suspended for one season in 1998–99 as a consequence.[2]
- 1990–1995: B&Q (B&Q Centenary Cup (until 1991) then B&Q Cup)[2][4]
- 1995–1998: No sponsor
- 1999–2006: Bell's whisky (Bell's Challenge Cup (until 2002) then Bell's Cup)[2][4]
- 2006–2008: No sponsor
- 2008–2011: MG Alba (ALBA Challenge Cup)[42]
- 2011–2014 Ramsdens (Ramsdens Cup)[43]
- 2014–2016: Petrofac (Petrofac Training Cup)[44][45]
- 2016–2019: Irn-Bru (Irn-Bru Cup)[46]
- 2019–2020: Tunnock's (Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup)[47]
- 2021– : SPFL Trust (SPFL Trust Trophy)[48]
Selected games have been broadcast live on the
See also
- Scottish C Division League Cup
- Scottish B Division Supplementary Cup
- Spring Cup
References
- ^ a b c d e The Scottish Football League Challenge Cup Final Results, scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Preview Forfar Athletic, dafc.co.uk. Dunfermline Athletic F.C. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ a b c Scottish Football League Challenge Cup, scottish-football-historical-archive.com. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ The Sunday Herald. 4 August 2002.
- ^ a b c League Challenge Cup, dundeeunitedfc.co.uk. Dundee United F.C. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ a b c "Scottish Challenge Cup: Bray Wanderers and Sligo Wanderers 'relishing' trophy chance". BBC Sport. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ Scottish League Challenge Cup, soccer.mistral.co.uk. 14 May 2001. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ a b Caught in Time: Dundee win the B&Q Centenary Cup, 1990, thesundaytimes.co.uk. The Sunday Times. 30 April 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ "Airdrieonians win SPFL Trust Trophy to thwart The New Saints record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Format, scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ "Challenge Cup expansion announced – Scottish Professional Football League". Scottish Professional Football League. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- Evening Times, Glasgow. 22 December 2007.
- ^ Alba Cup Final: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 Dundee 3, dailyrecord.co.uk. Daily Record. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ McCarra, Kevin. "Shootout victory for Stenhousemuir after 111 years", The Times, 6 November 1995. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ A Brief History of Stenhousemuir Football Club, stenhousemuirfc.com. Stenhousemuir F.C. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Rangers: Life in Scottish Division Three beckons". BBC Sport. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Annan v Livingston – 28th Jul 2012". Sky Sports. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Annan Athletic 0 – 3 Falkirk" Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Annan Athletic F.C.. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Record day at Annan", Scottish Football League. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Highland duo enter new Ramsdens Cup". BBC Sport. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ Wick Academy to play Raith Rovers in Ramsdens cup, johnogroat-journal.co.uk. John O'Groat Journal. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "Rangers to travel to face Albion Rovers in Ramsdens Cup first round". sport.stv.tv. STV. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ Scottish Challenge Cup gets new sponsorship deal, BBC Sport.
- ^ "Sligo Rovers and Bray in next season's Scottish Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ "National League sides join IRN-BRU Cup – Scottish Professional Football League". spfl.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- SPFL. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Scottish Challenge Cup cancelled for season 2020-21". BBC Sport. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers share last season's Scottish Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ "Rangers to kick off season with Ramsdens Cup tie at Brechin". The Scotsman. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ Livingston to host Ramsdens Cup final for second season in row. BBC Sport. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ "Challenge Cup final: Hampden to stage Rangers v Peterhead". BBC Sport. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Rangers 4-0 Peterhead". BBC Sport. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Scottish Challenge Cup Honours, statto.com. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ Airdrie retain Challenge Cup. BBC Sport. 14 October 2001. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ Queen of the South 1-1 Partick Thistle (6-5 pens). BBC Sport. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- ^ RSSSF. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ PREVIOUS IRN-BRU CUP FINALS, SPFL. 2 1 March 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d Bell's Cup, scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. 2 November 2005. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ "Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers share last season's Scottish Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ "Petrofac Cup: Winning managers". SPFL. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
"Irn–Bru Cup: Winning managers". SPFL. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
"IRN-BRU CUP WINNING BOSSES". SPFL. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019. - ^ "SFL Announces Sponsor of the Challenge Cup". Scottish Football League. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ Ramsdens Sponsor the Challenge Cup, scottishfootballleague.com. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- ^ Petrofac Training to sponsor Challenge Cup, spfl.co.uk. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ Macpherson, Graeme (8 June 2016). "Revamped Challenge Cup could pave the way for more cross-border competitions". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ IRN-BRU adds fizz to Challenge Cup, spfl.co.uk. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Challenge Cup: New sponsor a sweet deal". BBC Sport. 26 June 2019.
- ^ "SPFL Trust Trophy revealed & new funds launch". spfltrust.org. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "BBC Alba to screen live SFL games". BBC Sport. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ BBC Alba to cover Challenge Cup, news.bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ SFL's delight at joy sponsorship deal for Challenge Cup dailyrecord.co.uk. Daily Record. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- ^ BBC ALBA extend Ramsdens Challenge Cup TV deal, news.bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2013.