Mid-Ulster Cup
| Organiser(s) | Mid-Ulster Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| Region | Northern Ireland |
| Current champions | Annagh United (1st title) |
| Most championships | Glenavon (22 titles) |
The Mid-Ulster Cup is a senior football competition in Northern Ireland run by the Mid-Ulster Football Association (founded 2 April 1887).[1] The competition has historically featured teams based in County Armagh, east County Tyrone, and west County Down, though teams from outside the Mid-Ulster FA's jurisdiction have also competed on occasion, with Bangor (affiliated to the County Antrim & District F.A.) winning the cup in 1995/96.
History
First held in 1887–88, the inaugural edition was won by Milford. For 30 seasons, from 1947–48 to 1977–78, while remaining a senior competition, senior clubs declined to take part, instead fielding their reserve teams. Senior clubs returned, however, for the 1978–79 season, when the Bob Radcliffe Cup was introduced as an intermediate competition.[2]
The biggest recorded victory in Mid-Ulster cup final history came in the 1892–93 season, when Donacloney beat Portadown 13–0.[3]
The competition is currently sponsored by EuroElectrix, and has been sponsored in the past by Golden Cow Dairies, Dukes Transport, Tennent's Lager, Bass, Ted Clarke, McEwan's Lager, Silverwood Hotel, Rushmere Shopping Centre and Belfast Telegraph.
List of finals
Performance by club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenavon | 22 | 15 | 1897–98, 1901–02, 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1910–11, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21 | 1894–95, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1905–06, 1907–08, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2019–20 |
| Portadown | 19 | 14 | 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1905–06, 1907–08, 1909–10, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2023–24 | 1892–93, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1914–15, 1925–26, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1990–91 |
| Newry City AFC‡ | 16 | 13 | 1936–37, 1938–39, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2022–23 | 1937–38, 1947–48, 1957–58, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2017–18 |
| Dungannon Swifts | 11 | 7 | 1970–71, 1975–76, 1987–88, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2024-25 | 1993–94, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2010–11, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Tandragee Rovers | 5 | 6 | 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1961–62 | 1956–57, 1958–59, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70 |
| Glenavon Reserves | 5 | 3 | 1947–48, 1957–58, 1965–66, 1971–72, 1976–77 | 1913–14, 1961–62, 1962–63 |
| Portadown Reserves | 5 | 3 | 1946–47, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1969–70 | 1938–39, 1952–53, 1963–64 |
| Banbridge Town | 5 (1 shared) | 8 | 1948–49, 1949–50 (shared), 1958–59, 1973–74, 1979–80 | 1960–61, 1964–65, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1989–90, 1999–2000, 2007–08, 2012–13 |
| Donacloney | 4 | 0 | 1890–91, 1892–93, 1895–96, 1900–01 | — |
| Loughgall | 3 | 5 | 2003–04, 2007–08, 2019–20 | 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2020–21, 2024-25 |
| Lurgan Celtic (1903) | 3 | 1 | 1911–12, 1912–13, 1914–15 | 1909–10 |
| Seapatrick | 3 | 1 | 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55 | 1953–54 |
| Milford | 2 | 2 | 1887–88, 1888–89 | 1889–90, 1890–91 |
| Warrenpoint Town | 2 | 1 | 2016–17, 2021–22 | 2018–19 |
| Armagh City | 1 | 4 | 2000–01 | 1975–76, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17 |
| Gilford Crusaders | 1 | 3 | 1934–35 | 1930–31, 1931–32, 1948–49 |
| Sunnyside | 1 | 2 | 1935–36 | 1932–33, 1946–47 |
| New Century | 1 | 1 | 1972–73 | 1974–75 |
| East Lancashire Regiment | 1 | 0 | 1889–90 | — |
| Banford | 1 | 0 | 1891–92 | — |
| 15th King's Hussars | 1 | 0 | 1893–94 | — |
| Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry | 1 | 0 | 1894–95 | — |
| Milltown Wanderers | 1 | 0 | 1896–97 | — |
| Lurgan Rangers | 1 | 0 | 1913–14 | — |
| Blane's | 1 | 0 | 1967–68 | — |
| Bangor | 1 | 0 | 1995–96 | — |
| Dromore Athletic | 1 (shared) | 0 | 1949–50 | — |
| Cookstown | 0 | 3 | — | 1895–96, 1899–1900, 1901–02 |
| Bessbrook | 0 | 3 | — | 1912–13, 1951–52, 1955–56 |
| Annagh United | 1 | 3 | 2025-26 | 2006–07, 2013–14, 2021–22 |
| Loughgall (1887) | 0 | 2 | — | 1887–88, 1888–89 |
| Lurgan Celtic | 0 | 2 | — | 1970–71, 2001–02 |
| Royal Irish Rifles | 0 | 1 | — | 1893–94 |
| Lurgan Star | 0 | 1 | — | 1898–99 |
| Monaghan | 0 | 1 | — | 1903–04 |
| Portadown Celtic | 0 | 1 | — | 1910–11 |
| Lurgan B-Specials | 0 | 1 | — | 1924–25 |
| Warrenpoint United | 0 | 1 | — | 1950–51 |
| Holm Factory | 0 | 1 | — | 1954–55 |
| Woodvale Recreation | 0 | 1 | — | 1959–60 |
| Damolly Textiles | 0 | 1 | — | 1968–69 |
| Hanover | 0 | 1 | — | 1971–72 |
| Oxford United | 0 | 1 | — | 1985–86 |
| Distillery | 0 | 1 | — | 1996–97 |
| Ards | 0 | 1 | — | 1998–99 |
‡ Although Newry City A.F.C. were formed in 2013, they are widely recognised as being the spiritual successor to Newry City F.C. and their 2022–23 Mid-Ulster Cup win has been recognised as the club's 16th title, despite it being the first time they have won the competition since their formation.[43]
See also
References
- ^ Belfast News-Letter, 9 April 1887
- ^ Mid-Ulster Cup 1887-1987 Centenary Souvenir Programme
- ^ "Mid Ulster Football Association". midulsterfa.co.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ Belfast Telegraph Soccer Yearbook 2006-07 (Malcolm Brodie MBE) Page 72
- ^ "Football. Milford v Loughgall. Cup Tie". Armagh Standard. 4 May 1888. p. 3.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Notes". Ulster Football and Cycling News. 29 March 1889. p. 13.
- ^ "Pickings". Ulster Football and Cycling News. 5 April 1889. p. 9.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Notes". Ulster Football and Cycling News. 18 April 1890. p. 9.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Notes". Ulster Football and Cycling News. 3 April 1891. p. 7.
- ^ "Football. XV Hussars v. R. I. Rifles". Dundalk Herald. 21 April 1894. p. 5.
- ^ "Final of the Mid-Ulster Cup". Newry Telegraph. 30 April 1895. p. 3.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Cup - Final Tie". Mid-Ulster Mail. 16 May 1896. p. 5.
- ^ "Football. Mid-Ulster Challenge Cup". Mid-Ulster Mail. 5 June 1897. p. 5.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Cup Final Tie. Glenavon v Portadown". Ireland's Saturday Night. 30 April 1898. p. 3.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Cup - Final Tie. Portadown v Lurgan Star". Lurgan Mail. 10 June 1899. p. 3.
- ^ "Northern Notes". Sport (Dublin). 12 May 1900. p. 2.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Cup League". Tyrone Courier. 20 February 1902. p. 5.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Cup Back To Tandragee". Portadown News. 22 May 1954. p. 2.
- ^ "Reserves were "Shocking"". Lurgan Mail. 18 May 1962. p. 32.
- ^ "Reserves lose in cup final". Lurgan Mail. 7 June 1963. p. 23.
- ^ "Good Season for Reserves". Lurgan Mail. 3 June 1966. p. 20.
- ^ "Football Match Clash". Belfast News Letter. 28 May 1971. p. 1.
- ^ "Mid-Ulster Cup Goes To Lurgan". Portadown News. 2 June 1972. p. 45.
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | Irish | Ports retain Mid Ulster Cup
- ^ Mid-Ulster Cup Final
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | Irish | Newry win Mid-Ulster Cup decider
- ^ Loughgall Football Club Archived 2 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Swifts lift Mid-Ulster Cup
- ^ Mid-Ulster Cup Final: Glenavon 3-2 Loughgall
- ^ Belfast Telegraph, 12 April 2011
- ^ Newry City beat Glenavon in Mid-Ulster Cup final, BBC, 7 March 2012
- ^ Dungannon Swifts Claim Mid Ulster Cup, Belfast Newsletter, 4 May 2013
- ^ Portadown Times
- ^ ‘Swifts connect four’ Tyrone Courier, 2 March 2016
- ^ News Letter
- ^ News Letter
- ^ BBC
- ^ "Watch: Glenavon beat Loughgall to win Mid-Ulster Cup". BBC Sport.
- ^ Belfast Telegraph
- ^ News Letter
- ^ BBC
- ^ News Letter
- ^ "Newry City beat Dungannon Swifts to win first Mid-Ulster Cup since 2012". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 May 2023.