The League of Ireland Cup[1] (Irish: Corn Sraithe na hÉireann) is an Irish football competition open to all League of Ireland clubs and sometimes invited clubs from non league football. Occasionally, the sides invited have included junior league representative selections.
The format has changed from year to year. For the most part it has been used a precursor to the league season, with 6 groups of 4 teams (geographically based), with the winners and two best runners up going on to the last eight (which started the knockout phase). The knockout stage would be played midweek through the season. In the late 1990s the cup went into a straight knockout format and recently has reverted to again starting with a group phase, this time with 8 groups of 3 with only the winners progressing. In 2006, the competition was once again contested on a straight knock-out basis, with a convoluted regionalised seeding system determining pairings and byes in the early rounds.
The League Cup Final has also changed format many times. They have been played on neutral grounds, with two legged games and currently (and historically most times) a draw is made to see which finalist gets home advantage.
The competition began in 1973, replacing the earlier League of Ireland Shield. Starting with the 2005 competition, the winner of this competition used to receive a place in the Setanta Cup. Now the winners will play off with the winners of the League of Ireland First Division for a place in the Setanta Cup.
From 2009, the League of Ireland Cup will be sponsored by Electronic Arts and branded for sponsorship reasons as the EA Sports Cup.[2]
Contents |
List of League Cup Finals
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973/74 | Waterford | 2-1 | Finn Harps | |
| 1974/75 | Bohemians | 1-1, 2-1 | Finn Harps | |
| 1975/76 | Limerick | 4-1 1 | Sligo Rovers | |
| 1976/77 | Shamrock Rovers | 1-0 | Sligo Rovers | |
| 1977/78 | Dundalk 2 | 4-4 1 | Cork Alberts | |
| 1978/79 | Bohemians | 2-0 | Shamrock Rovers | |
| 1979/80 | Athlone Town | 4-2 | St. Patrick's Athletic | |
| 1980/81 | Dundalk 2 | 0-0 | Galway Rovers | |
| 1981/82 | Athlone Town | 1-0 | Shamrock Rovers | |
| 1982/83 | Athlone Town | 2-1 | Dundalk | |
| 1983/84 | Drogheda United | 3-1 | Athlone Town | |
| 1984/85 | Waterford United | 2-1 | Finn Harps | |
| 1985/86 | Galway United | 2-0 | Dundalk | |
| 1986/87 | Dundalk | 1-0 | Shamrock Rovers | |
| 1987/88 | Cork City | 1-0 | Shamrock Rovers | |
| 1988/89 | Derry City | 4-0 | Dundalk FC | |
| 1989/90 | Dundalk 2 | 1-1 | Derry City | |
| 1990/91 | Derry City | 2-0 | Limerick | |
| 1991/92 | Derry City | 1-0 | Bohemians | |
| 1992/93 | Limerick City | 3-1 | St Patrick's Athletic | |
| 1993/94 | Derry City | 1-0 1 | Shelbourne | |
| 1994/95 | Cork City | 2-1 1 | Dundalk | |
| 1995/96 | Shelbourne 2 | 2-2 1 | Sligo Rovers | |
| 1996/97 | Galway United | 4-2 1 | Cork City | |
| 1997/98 | Sligo Rovers | 1-0 1 | Shelbourne | |
| 1998/99 | Cork City | 2-1 1 | Shamrock Rovers | |
| 1999/2000 | Derry City | 5-2 1 | Athlone Town | |
| 2000/01 | St Patrick's Athletic | 5-3 1 | UCD | |
| 2001/02 | Limerick 2 | 2-2 1 | Derry City | |
| 2002/03 | No Competition due to change in seasons | |||
| 2003 | St Patrick's Athletic | 1-0 | Longford Town | |
| 2004 | Longford Town | 2-1 | Bohemians | |
| 2005 | Derry City | 2-1 | UCD | |
| 2006 | Derry City 2 | 0-0 | Shelbourne | |
| 2007 | Derry City | 1-0 | Bohemians | |
| 2008 | Derry City | 6-1 | Wexford Youths | |
| 2009 | Bohemains | 3-1 | Waterford United |
1 Score on aggregate after 2 legs
2 Won on penalties
Performance By Club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derry City | 9 | 2 | 1988/89, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1999/2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Dundalk | 4 | 4 | 1977/78, 1980/81, 1986/87, 1989/90 |
| Athlone Town | 3 | 2 | 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83 |
| Bohemian | 3 | 2 | 1974/75, 1978/79, 2009 |
| Limerick1 | 3 | 1 | 1975/76, 1992/93, 2001/02 |
| Cork City | 3 | 1 | 1987/88, 1994/95, 1998/99 |
| St. Patrick's Athletic | 2 | 2 | 2000/01, 2003 |
| Galway United2 | 2 | 1 | 1985/86, 1996/97 |
| Waterford United3 | 2 | 1 | 1973/74, 1984/85 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 1 | 5 | 1976/77 |
| Sligo Rovers | 1 | 3 | 1997/98 |
| Shelbourne | 1 | 3 | 1995/96 |
| Longford Town | 1 | 1 | 2004 |
| Drogheda United | 1 | - | 1983/84 |
| Finn Harps | - | 3 | - |
| UCD | - | 2 | - |
| Cork Alberts | - | 1 | - |
1 Includes results for Limerick and Limerick City
2 Includes results for Galway Rovers
3 Includes results for Waterford FC
See also
References
- ^ "EA SPORTS™ confirmed as new title sponsor of League of Ireland Cup". FAI. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4116. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
- ^ "EA SPORTS™ confirmed as new title sponsor of League of Ireland Cup". FAI. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4116. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
External links
- Ireland League Cup Finals from RSSSF
- League of Ireland Shield Winners from RSSSF
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League of Ireland Cup seasons
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