Gold Cup
Organising bodyIrish Football Association
Founded1911
Abolished2001
RegionNorthern Ireland Northern Ireland (1921–2001)
Ireland Ireland (1911–1921)
Most successful club(s)Linfield (33 titles)

The Gold Cup is a defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and, from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association.

The competition was first played in the 1911–12 season after seven of the eight participating clubs left the IFA (only Linfield remained) after a dispute over money and founded the New IFA. This new organisation introduced the cup as the "New Irish Cup". At the end of the season after many discussions, the dissident clubs returned to the IFA and the tournament was not held in 1912-13. However, it was revived by the IFA as the Gold Cup in 1913–14 season. In the seasons 1915–16 to 1918–19 season it was played in a league format. This involved a play-off between the two teams topping the table in the first of these seasons. The competition was last staged in 2000-01.

Last year of competition

The last season that the Gold Cup was competed for was during the 2000-01 season. Glentoran were the victors after defeating Coleraine in the final. It was Glentoran's third Gold Cup victory in as many seasons.

Format

The format for the Gold Cup varied throughout its history, but most commonly it was organised on a knock-out basis.

The format over the years was as follows:

Years No. of seasons Format
1911–12 and 1913–15 3 knock-out
1915–1919 4 league
1919–1920 1 knock-out
1920–1923 3 league
1923–1940 17 knock-out
1940–1947 7 league
1947–1976 29 knock-out
1976–1983 7 group system plus final
1983–1985 2 group system plus top-four knock-out
1985–1986 1 league followed by top-four knock-out
1986–1991 5 group system plus top-four knock-out
1991–1999 8 group system plus top-eight knock-out
1999–2001 2 knock-out

In 1915–16, there was a play-off between the top two teams.

Sponsorship

From the late 1970s on the Gold Cup was sponsored by Hennessy, TNT (1984/85-1994/95), Sun Life (1995/96-1996/97) and Nationwide (1997/98-2000/01).[1]

List of Gold Cup finals

Key:

Scores level after 90 minutes. A replay was required.
(a.e.t.) Scores level after extra time. A replay was required.
(a.e.t.) Scores level after 90 minutes. Winner was decided in extra time with no penalty shootout required.
pens. Scores level after extra time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.


Season Winner
(number of titles)		 Score Runner-up Venue Attendance
1911–12 Belfast Celtic (1) 2–0 Glentoran Grosvenor Park, Belfast 9,500
1913–14 Distillery (1) 0–0 Shelbourne Shelbourne Park, Dublin
Replay 3–2 Grosvenor Park, Belfast
1914–15 Shelbourne (1) 1–0 Linfield Solitude, Belfast 18,000
1915–16 Linfield (1) League format Distillery — —
1916–17 Glentoran (1) Linfield
1917–18 Linfield (2) Glentoran
1918–19 Linfield (3) Glentoran
1919–20 Distillery (2) 3–1 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
1920–21 Linfield (4) League format Glenavon — —
1921–22 Linfield (5) Cliftonville
1922–23 Cliftonville (1) Linfield
1923–24 Linfield (6) 1–0 Distillery The Oval, Belfast
1924–25 Distillery (3) 2–0 Queen's Island Celtic Park, Belfast
1925–26 Belfast Celtic (2) 3–0 Cliftonville Windsor Park, Belfast 15,000
1926–27 Linfield (7) 1–0 Glenavon Celtic Park, Belfast
1927–28 Linfield (8) 3–2 Belfast Celtic Grosvenor Park, Belfast
1928–29 Linfield (9) 3–1 Ards The Oval, Belfast
1929–30 Distillery (4) 3–0 Bangor Windsor Park, Belfast
1930–31 Linfield (10) 6–1 Belfast Celtic Grosvenor Park, Belfast
1931–32 Coleraine (1) 3–0 Ballymena Solitude, Belfast 10,000
1932–33 Cliftonville (2) 2–1 Linfield Celtic Park, Belfast
1933–34 Portadown (1) 1–0 Glentoran Solitude, Belfast
1934–35 Belfast Celtic (3) 4–0 Linfield Grosvenor Park, Belfast 8,000
1935–36 Linfield (11) 3–0 Distillery Celtic Park, Belfast
1936–37 Linfield (12) 7–2 Derry City The Oval, Belfast
1937–38 Portadown (2) 2–0 Belfast Celtic Grosvenor Park, Belfast 12,000
1938–39 Belfast Celtic (4) 2–1 Glenavon The Oval, Belfast
1939–40 Belfast Celtic (5) 1–0 Linfield Grosvenor Park, Belfast 10,000
1947–48 Belfast Celtic (6) 2–0 Distillery Solitude, Belfast
1948–49 Linfield (13) 5–0 Glenavon Solitude, Belfast
1949–50 Linfield (14) 3–2 Portadown The Oval, Belfast
1950–51 Linfield (15) 5–1 Glentoran Solitude, Belfast
1951–52 Glentoran (2) 2–1 Glenavon Windsor Park, Belfast 15,000
1952–53 Portadown (3) 2–1 Linfield Seaview, Belfast
1953–54 Ards (1) 2–1 Distillery Seaview, Belfast 6,000
1954–55 Glenavon (1) 3–2 Linfield The Oval, Belfast
1955–56 Linfield (16) 3–0 Portadown Grosvenor Park, Belfast
1956–57 Glenavon (2) 3–1 Derry City The Oval, Belfast
1957–58 Linfield (17) 1–0 Glenavon Grosvenor Park, Belfast
1958–59 Coleraine (2) 1–0 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
1959–60 Linfield (18) 3–2 Portadown Solitude, Belfast
1960–61 Glentoran (3) 4–2 Linfield Solitude, Belfast
1961–62 Linfield (19) 4–0 Glentoran Grosvenor Park, Belfast
1962–63 Glentoran (4) 3–1 Derry City Windsor Park, Belfast
1963–64 Linfield (20) 2–2 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
Replay 3–2 Windsor Park, Belfast
1964–65 Derry City (1) 5–2 Crusaders Windsor Park, Belfast
1965–66 Linfield (21) 6–0 Portadown The Oval, Belfast
1966–67 Glentoran (5) 5–2 Crusaders Windsor Park, Belfast
1967–68 Linfield (22) 3–2 Ards The Oval, Belfast
1968–69 Linfield (23) 0–0 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
Replay 2–1 The Oval, Belfast 20,000
1969–70 Coleraine (3) 1–0 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
1970–71 Linfield (24) 2–1 Glentoran The Oval, Belfast 15,000
1971–72 Portadown (4) 0–0 Ards Mourneview Park, Lurgan 5,000
Replay 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) Mourneview Park, Lurgan 3,500
1972–73 Linfield (25) 2–0 Portadown Castlereagh Park, Newtownards
1973–74 Ards (2) 4–1 Bangor The Oval, Belfast
1974–75 Ballymena United (1) 3–2 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast 2,000
1975–76 Coleraine (5) 2–1 Ballymena United Showgrounds, Ballymena 6,000
1976–77 Glentoran (6) 5–1 Linfield Windsor Park, Belfast 10,000
1977–78 Glentoran (7) 3–1 Glenavon Windsor Park, Belfast
1978–79 Portadown (5) 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) Cliftonville Windsor Park, Belfast 6,000
1979–80 Linfield (26) 2–1 Ballymena United Windsor Park, Belfast
1980–81 Cliftonville (3) 3–1 Linfield Windsor Park, Belfast 10,000
1981–82 Linfield (27) 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (5 – 4 pens.) Ballymena United The Oval, Belfast
1982–83 Glentoran (8) 2–0 Linfield The Oval, Belfast
1983–84 Linfield (28) 3–1 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
1984–85 Linfield (29) 1–0 Glentoran Windsor Park, Belfast
1985–86 Crusaders (1) 3–1 Linfield The Oval, Belfast
1986–87 Glentoran (9) 3–2 Linfield The Oval, Belfast
1987–88 Linfield (30) 3–0 Newry Town The Oval, Belfast 5,000
1988–89 Linfield (31) 1–0 Portadown The Oval, Belfast
1989–90 Linfield (32) 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) Portadown The Oval, Belfast
Replay 2–0 The Oval, Belfast
1990–91 Glenavon (3) 2–1 Portadown Windsor Park, Belfast 8,000
1991–92 Glentoran (10) 1–0 Cliftonville Windsor Park, Belfast 10,000
1992–93 Portadown (6) 1–0 Cliftonville Windsor Park, Belfast 7,000
1993–94 Distillery (5) 3 – 2 (a.e.t.) Bangor Windsor Park, Belfast 750
1994–95 Glentoran (11) 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (3 – 0 pens.) Crusaders Windsor Park, Belfast 2,000
1995–96 Crusaders (2) 1–0 Linfield The Oval, Belfast
1996–97 Linfield (33) 1–0 Glenavon The Oval, Belfast 3,253
1997–98 Glenavon (4) 4–2 Coleraine Windsor Park, Belfast 2,036
1998–99 Glentoran (12) 3–1 Portadown Windsor Park, Belfast 2,670
1999–00 Glentoran (13) 4–2 Linfield Windsor Park, Belfast 6,000
2000–01 Glentoran (14) 4–3 Coleraine Windsor Park, Belfast 3,000

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years Runners-up Years
Linfield 33 14 1915–16, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1923–24, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1996–97 1914–15, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1939–40, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1960–61, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1995–96, 1999–00
Glentoran 14 15 1916–17, 1951–52, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01 1911–12, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1919–20, 1933–34, 1950–51, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1983–84, 1984–85
Portadown 6 9 1933–34, 1937–38, 1952–53, 1971–72, 1978–79, 1992–93 1949–50, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1998–99
Belfast Celtic 6 3 1911–12, 1925–26, 1934–35, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1947–48 1927–28, 1930–31, 1937–38
Distillery 5 6 1913–14, 1919–20, 1924–25, 1929–30, 1993–94 1915–16, 1916–17, 1923–24, 1935–36, 1947–48, 1953–54
Glenavon 4 9 1954–55, 1956–57, 1990–91, 1997–98 1920–21, 1922–23, 1926–27, 1938–39, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1957–58, 1977–78, 1996–97
Coleraine 4 2 1931–32, 1958–59, 1969–70, 1975–76 1997–98, 2000–01
Cliftonville 3 5 1922–23, 1932–33, 1980–81 1921–22, 1925–26, 1978–79, 1991–92, 1992–93
Ards 2 3 1953–54, 1973–74 1928–29, 1967–68, 1971–72
Crusaders 2 3 1985–86, 1995–96 1964–65, 1966–67, 1994–95
Derry City 1 3 1964–65 1936–37, 1956–57, 1962–63
Ballymena United 1 3 1974–75 1975–76, 1979–80, 1981–82
Shelbourne 1 1 1914–15 1913–14
Bangor 0 3 — 1929–30, 1973–74, 1993–94
Queen's Island 0 1 — 1924–25
Ballymena 0 1 — 1931–32
Newry Town 0 1 — 1987–88

Substitute Gold Cup

Between the 1940/41 and 1946/47 seasons the Gold Cup was competed for by the Northern Regional League Clubs and known as the "Substitute Gold Cup".

Season Winner
(number of titles)		 Score Runner-up
1940–41 Belfast Celtic (1) League format Glentoran
1941–42 Glentoran (1) Distillery
1942–43 Linfield (1) Belfast Celtic
1943–44 Belfast Celtic (2) Distillery
1944–45 Linfield (2) Distillery
1945–46 Belfast Celtic (3) Linfield
1946–47 Belfast Celtic (4) Linfield

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years Runners-up Years
Belfast Celtic 4 1 1940–41, 1943–44, 1945–46, 1946–47 1942–43
Linfield 2 2 1942–43, 1944–45 1945–46, 1946–47
Glentoran 1 1 1941–42 1940–41
Distillery 0 3 — 1941–42, 1943–44, 1944–45

References

  1. ↑ "Ballymena United Season by Season". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
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