The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992.[1]
The competition was created after the Heysel Stadium disaster, when English clubs were banned from European competition, as an additional competition for clubs in the top two divisions[2] (but not the teams that would have qualified for Europe in 1985–86, as these played in the Super Cup instead). It was named as such because these clubs were Full Members of the Football League, with full voting rights; teams from the lower two divisions were Associate Members and were eligible for the Football League Trophy (then known as the Associate Members Cup). However, it was cancelled after seven seasons, when the Premier League arose from the old Football League First Division and reduced the Football League to three divisions.
Seven finals took place between 1986 and 1992. Blackburn Rovers and Reading were the only Second Division teams to win the Cup. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest won the trophy twice.
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The competition was open to teams from the top two levels of the English leagues (First and Second Divisions) but not all eligible teams competed in the tournament. Details of numbers of teams competing in each of the seasons is provided below:[3]
1985/86: 21 teams – 5 from Division 1 (Chelsea, Coventry City, Manchester City, Oxford United, West Bromwich Albion) and 16 from Division 2 [note: the 6 teams that would have qualified for Europe were ineligible for the Full Members Cup as they played in the Super Cup tournament instead].
1986/87: 30 teams – 14 from Division 1 and 16 from Division 2
1987/88: 40 teams – 17 from Division 1 and all 23 from Division 2
1988/89: 40 teams – 16 from Division 1 and all 24 from Division 2
1989/90: 37 teams – 13 from Division 1 and all 24 from Division 2
1990/91: 39 teams – 15 from Division 1 and all 24 from Division 2
1991/92: 41 teams – 18 from Division 1 and 23 from Division 2 (all D2 teams entered except Sunderland)
Note: Four teams were in the First Division throughout the six seasons of the tournament but never entered the competition – Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
See 1986 Full Members Cup Final for further details.
See 1987 Full Members Cup Final for further details.
See 1988 Full Members Cup Final for further details.
As Reading won the competition the same season in which they were relegated they were not eligible to defend the tournament the following season.[1]
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See 1990 Full Members Cup Final for further details.
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