| Founded | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Ireland |
| Number of teams | 42 |
| Current champions | Lisburn Distillery (2010–11) |
| Most successful club | Linfield (9 titles) |
| 2011–12 Irish Football League Cup | |
The Irish League Cup, or the IRN-BRU League Cup, is the third-highest rated competition in domestic Northern Irish football competition after the IFA Premiership and Irish Cup. It has been sponsored by Irn Bru since the 2011–12 season.[1] From 2001–02 to 2010–11 it was been sponsored by Co-operative Insurance (known as CIS until 2007–08). Previous sponsors have been Coca-Cola (1998–99 to 2000–01), Wilkinson Sword (1991–92 to 1997–98), and Roadferry Freight (1986–87 to 1990–91). 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.
The League Cup winners qualify for the next season's all-Ireland Setanta Cup.
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The competition is for IFA Premiership and IFA Championship clubs, and uses a knock-out system. Twenty Championship teams play the first round, with the remaining ten given a bye to the second round, where they are joined by the twelve Premiership clubs. From there on, it is quarter-finals and semi-finals and final.
Each round consists of a single match. In the event that the scores are level, extra time is played, and if the teams are still level, there is a penalty shoot-out. The semi-finals are played at neutral venues. The final, generally, is played at Windsor Park.
The final has been broadcast live on television since the 2005–06 season.
The competition began as a straight knock-out competition in 1986–87, and also included teams from the Irish League B Division until 1997–98. From 1998–99 until 2007–08, only senior (Irish League and Irish Premier League teams have competed, but the competition was opened up to the IFA Championship for 2008–09.
The competition began with a straight knock-out format, but from 2001–02 until 2007–08, a group/knock-out system was 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.
Linfield have won the League Cup the most times (nine) and reached the most finals (eleven).
The highest score recorded in a League Cup final was 4–0, when Linfield defeated Coleraine in 2000.
A total of nine different teams have won the League Cup, and eleven 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.
The 1988–89 final, played between Glentoran and Linfield at the Oval on 11 November 1988 was won courtesy of a goal by Glens' goalkeeper, Alan Patterson, via a kick from his own penalty area. This was the first time that a goalkeeper had score in a British football final.[2]
In 2008–09, Portadown became the first intermediate team to reach the final, and subsequently became the first intermediate team to win the cup after defeating Newry City 1–0.
The 2008–09 final (between Newry City and Portadown was the first to be played outside Belfast, with Mourneview Park, Lurgan hosting a 1–0 win for the Ports. This match was attended by UEFA President Michel Platini and Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington who was in Northern Ireland for the FIFA meeting held in Newcastle, County Down.
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Date | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | Linfield |
2–1 | Crusaders |
09/05/1987 | The Oval, Belfast | |
| 1987–88 | Coleraine |
1–0 | Portadown |
28/11/1987 | The Oval, Belfast | |
| 1988–89 | Glentoran |
2–1 | Linfield |
30/11/1988 | The Oval, Belfast | 10,000 |
| 1989–90 | Glenavon |
3–1 | Newry Town |
19/12/1989 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 1,000 |
| 1990–91 | Glentoran |
2–0 | Ards |
13/03/1991 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 4,000 |
| 1991–92 | Linfield | 3–0 | Larne |
14/04/1992 | The Oval, Belfast | |
| 1992–93 | Bangor | 3–0 | Coleraine |
20/04/1993 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 2,000 |
| 1993–94 | Linfield | 2–0 | Coleraine |
26/04/1994 | The Oval, Belfast | 4,500 |
| 1994–95 | Ards | 0 – 0
(2–0 pens) |
Cliftonville |
25/04/1995 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 3,500 |
| 1995–96 | Portadown | 2–1 | Crusaders |
19/09/1995 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 2,600 |
| 1996–97 | Crusaders | 1–0 | Glentoran |
15/10/1996 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 3,000 |
| 1997–98 | Linfield | 1–0 | Glentoran |
09/09/1997 | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
| 1998–99 | Linfield | 2–1 | Glentoran |
04/05/1999 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,500 |
| 1999–00 | Linfield | 4–0 | Coleraine |
18/04/2000 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 2,963 |
| 2000–01 | Glentoran |
1–0 | Glenavon |
24/04/2001 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 2,515 |
| 2001–02 | Linfield | 3–1 | Glentoran |
27/11/2001 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,200 |
| 2002–03 | Glentoran |
2–0 | Linfield |
03/12/2002 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 5,700 |
| 2003–04 | Cliftonville |
1 – 1
(5–4 pens) |
Larne |
11/11/2003 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 3,000 |
| 2004–05 | Glentoran |
2–1 | Linfield |
09/11/2004 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,000 |
| 2005–06 | Linfield | 3–0 | Glentoran |
10/12/2005 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,845 |
| 2006–07 | Glentoran | 1–0 | Cliftonville |
02/12/2006 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,910 |
| 2007–08 | Linfield | 3–2 | Crusaders | 02/02/2008 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 5,200 |
| 2008–09 | Portadown | 1–0 | Newry City | 28/02/2009 | Mourneview Park, Lurgan | 4,000 |
| 2009–10 | Glentoran | 2 – 2
(4–1 pens) |
Coleraine | 27/03/2010 | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
| 2010–11 | Lisburn Distillery | 2–1 | Portadown | 02/04/2011 | Mourneview Park, Lurgan |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linfield | 9 | 3 | 1986–87, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2007–08 |
| Glentoran | 7 | 5 | 1988–89, 1990–91, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10 |
| Portadown | 2 | 1 | 1995–96, 2008–09 |
| Coleraine | 1 | 4 | 1987–88 |
| Crusaders | 1 | 3 | 1996–97 |
| Cliftonville | 1 | 2 | 2003–04 |
| Ards | 1 | 1 | 1994–95 |
| Glenavon | 1 | 1 | 1989–90 |
| Bangor | 1 | – | 1992–93 |
| Lisburn Distillery | 1 | – | 2010–11 |
| Larne | – | 2 | – |
| Newry City | – | 2 | – |
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