Irish Football League Cup

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The Irish League Cup is the third-highest rated competition in domestic Northern Irish football competition after the Irish Premier League and Irish Cup. It is currently sponsored by CIS Co-operative Insurance (since 2001/02). Previous sponsors have been Coca-Cola (98/99 to 00/01), Wilkinson Sword (91/92 to 97/98), and Roadferry Freight (86/87 to 90/91). It should not be confused with the Irish League Floodlit Cup which ran from 1987/88 to 1997/98 initially under the sponsorship of Budweiser and latterly Coca-Cola at which point the paths of the two competitions merged.

The League Cup winners qualify for the next season's all-Ireland Setanta Cup.

Contents

[edit] Format

The competition is for the sixteen Irish Premier League clubs, and combines league and knock-out systems. The sixteen teams are drawn into four groups, and the four teams in each group play each other twice (once at home and once away), making a total of six games each at this stage. Three points are awarded for a win, and one point for a draw. If two teams finish level on points, goal difference is used to separate them. If teams are still level on goal difference, then the team with the most goals scored is placed highest. The two highest-placed teams in each group after the six games qualify for the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage consists of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final: each of these games is “played to a finish”, i.e. extra time and penalties are used as necessary if the game ends in a draw. The group winners receive a home tie in the quarter-finals.

The League Cup is the first competition of the season, with the group stage taking place in August and September. The knock-out stage then takes place from October to December. In recent years the final has been played on a Saturday afternoon in December and has been broadcast live on television since the 2005-06 season.

[edit] History

The competition began as a straight knock-out competition in 1986/87, and also included teams from the now-defunct Irish League B Division until 1997-98. Since 1998-99 only senior Irish League and Irish Premier League teams have competed. Since 2001-02, the group/knock-out system has been used.

When it was first introduced it was one of a number of senior cup competitions in Northern Ireland run by the Irish League, originally to compensate for the relatively few league fixtures (traditionally 22 or 26), but also as vehicles for sponsorship revenue. The League Cup would have been considered less prestigious than the long-standing Gold Cup and Ulster Cup. Over the past decade or so, however, these other cup competitions have been phased out as the number of Irish League fixtures has increased and the public appetite for additional competitions has reduced, leaving the League Cup as the only surviving cup competition run by the Irish League and now established as the third most prestigious competition in Northern Ireland.

The actual trophy is the old City Cup, which was another senior Irish League competition that was ended in 1975.

[edit] 2007/08

Linfield beat Crusaders 3-2 in the final at Windsor Park on 2 February 2008. It was broadcast live on BBC Two Northern Ireland & BBCi.

[edit] History and Trivia

Linfield have won the League Cup the most times (9) and reached the most finals (11).

The highest score recorded in a League Cup final was 4-0, when Linfield defeated Coleraine in 2000.

A total of 9 different teams have won the League Cup, and 11 different teams have reached the final.

The most common final has been Glentoran v Linfield. These teams have played each other in seven finals. Linfield have won on four occasions and Glentoran on three.

Linfield hold the record for the most consecutive wins: three times from 1998 to 2000.

[edit] List of finals

Season Winner Score Runner-up Date Venue Attendance
2007/08 Linfield 3-2 Crusaders 02/02/2008 Windsor Park, Belfast 5,200
2006/07 Glentoran 1 - 0 Cliftonville
 02/12/2006 Windsor Park, Belfast 6,910
2005/06 Linfield 3 - 0 Glentoran
 10/12/2005 Windsor Park, Belfast 6,845
2004/05 Glentoran
 2 - 1 Linfield
 09/11/2004 Windsor Park, Belfast 6,000
2003/04 Cliftonville
 1 - 1

(5-4 pens)

 Larne
 11/11/2003 Windsor Park, Belfast 3,000
2002/03 Glentoran
 2 - 0 Linfield
 03/12/2002 Windsor Park, Belfast 5,700
2001/02 Linfield 3 - 1 Glentoran
 27/11/2001 Windsor Park, Belfast 6,200
2000/01 Glentoran
 1 - 0 Glenavon
 24/04/2001 Windsor Park, Belfast 2,515
1999/00 Linfield 4 - 0 Coleraine
 18/04/2000 Windsor Park, Belfast 2,963
1998/99 Linfield 2 - 1 Glentoran
 04/05/1999 Windsor Park, Belfast 6,500
1997/98 Linfield 1 - 0 Glentoran
 09/09/1997 Windsor Park, Belfast
1996/97 Crusaders 1 - 0 Glentoran
 15/10/1996 Windsor Park, Belfast 3,000
1995/96 Portadown 2 - 1 Crusaders
 19/09/1995 Windsor Park, Belfast 2,600
1994/95 Ards 0 - 0

(2-0 pens)

 Cliftonville
 25/04/1995 Windsor Park, Belfast 3,500
1993/94 Linfield 2 - 0 Coleraine
 26/04/1994 The Oval, Belfast 4,500
1992/93 Bangor 3 - 0 Coleraine
 20/04/1993 Windsor Park, Belfast 2,000
1991/92 Linfield 3 - 0 Larne
 14/04/1992 The Oval, Belfast
1990/91 Glentoran
 2 - 0 Ards
 13/03/1991 Windsor Park, Belfast 4,000
1989/90 Glenavon
 3 - 1 Newry Town
 19/12/1989 Windsor Park, Belfast 1,000
1988/89 Glentoran
 2 - 1 Linfield
 30/11/1988 The Oval, Belfast 10,000
1987/88 Coleraine
 1 - 0 Portadown
 28/11/1987 The Oval, Belfast
1986/87 Linfield
 2 - 1 Crusaders
 09/05/1987 The Oval, Belfast

[edit] Performance By Club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years
Linfield 9 3 1986/87, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2007/08
Glentoran 6 5 1988/89, 1990/91, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2006/07
Coleraine 1 3 1987/88
Crusaders 1 3 1996/97
Cliftonville 1 2 2003/04
Ards 1 1 1994/95
Glenavon 1 1 1989/90
Portadown 1 1 1995/96
Bangor 1 - 1992/93
Larne - 2 -
Newry City - 1 -

[edit] External links
National association • Teams: National, B, U-21, U-23, Women's • League system • History
Competitions
Premier League First Division Second Division Amateur Section A
Irish Cup League Cup Setanta Cup County Antrim Shield
Intermediate Cup North-West Cup Milk Cup Foyle Cup
National football League Cups
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