Ayrshire Cup

The Ayrshire Cup was an annual association football regional competition in Scotland. The cup competition was a knockout tournament between football clubs in the historic county of Ayrshire. The Ayrshire Cup was first held in 1877–78, the trophy being a solid silver vase, 30 inches high, and valued at £100, designed by Messrs John Cameron & Son. The first winners were Mauchline.

The competition was most recently held in the 1997–98 season, when it was won by Kilmarnock. Although the Cup has not been competed for since, discussions have taken place between all the major participating clubs (Ayr United, Girvan and Kilmarnock) who have stated that they would welcome the return of the Ayrshire Cup.

History The Ayrshire Cup was first proposed by two medical students who tried to persuade Ayr United to invest into the competition. After failing to persuade the club, John Wallace, who was a local from Kilmarnock, offered to and did put in the finances needed to organise the event including allowing the town to choose the final venue of the cup.

The first time the Ayrshire Cup was competed for was in 1877–78, with the first winners being Mauchline. 26 clubs entered the first year of the competition, consisting of Catrine, Largs Western, Beith Thistle, Dalry Rangers, Kilmarnock, Kilbirnie, Ayr Academicals, Kilmarnock Cricket and Football Club, Kilmarnock Portland, Kilmarnock Dean, Kilmarnock Hawthorn, Kilmaurs Floors, Irvine, Mauchline, Burnfoothill Ramblers, Maybole Carrick, Tarbolton, Beith, Maybole Ladywell, Cumnock, Rankinston Mountaineers, Lanemark, Stewarton, Kilmarnock Star, Vale of Irvine, Girvan, and Hurlford.

The number of entrants for the cup peaked prior to World War II at over 40, however by 1946 Ayr United and Kilmarnock were the only entrants. In 1978–79 Girvan Amateurs joined the competition,. The last winner outside the 'big two' (being Ayr United and Kilmarnock) was Beith who won it in 1926–27.

Before penalty shoot-outs were introduced in 1970–71, if a cup final was tied it would be given to the club who won it the previous year. The last cup final was played in 1998 between Kilmarnock and Ayr United with Kilmarnock coming out victorious and as the last winner of the Ayrshire Cup.

The Ayrshire FA was dissolved in June 1999 when it was merged with the Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire FAs to form the West of Scotland FA. This was because the memberships of these associations had fallen below the 7-club threshold placed on them by the Scottish FA.

Performance by club ClubWinsLast winRunners-upLast final lost 1Kilmarnock 43 1998 28 1997 2Ayr United 26 1997 29 1998 3Hurlford 6 1911 7 1912 4Galston 6 1925 6 1924 5Ayr 4 1910 3 1909 6Annbank 4 1895 2 1903 7Beith 3 1927 4 1938 8Stevenston United 2 1920 2 1922 9Kilmarnock Athletic 2 1883 010Ayr Parkhouse 1 1902 3 1910Kilbirnie 1 1888 3 1893 11Kilmarnock Portland 1 1882 2 1879 12Lugar Boswell 1 1881 1 188313Mauchline 1 1878 0 Kilmarnock Athletic (1888) 1 1897 0 15Girvan 0 3 1982 16Lanemark 0 1 1907Stevenston Thistle 0 1 1901Saltcoats Victoria 0 1 1894

Ayrshire Cup Finals

Key (R)Replay, or repeat if original match was declared void(SR)Second Replay‡Match void*Match went to extra time†Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time

Finals SeasonWinner Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Notes1877–78Mauchline 4–3Kilmarnock PortlandHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock 5,0001878–79Kilmarnock Athletic 1–1 *Kilmarnock PortlandRugby Park, Kilmarnock 1878–79 (R)Kilmarnock Athletic 2–1 *Kilmarnock PortlandRugby Park, Kilmarnock 4,0001879–80Beith 1–0KilbirnieHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock 5,0001880–81Lugar Boswell 5–0Annbank Rugby Park, Kilmarnock 5,0001881–82Kilmarnock Portland 4–0KilmarnockHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock1882–83Kilmarnock Athletic 0–0*Lugar BoswellRugby Park, Kilmarnock1882–83 (R)Kilmarnock Athletic 3–2Lugar BoswellRugby Park, Kilmarnock 4,0001883–84Kilmarnock 2–2*HurlfordHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock1883–84 (R)Kilmarnock 1–0HurlfordHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock1884–85Kilmarnock 2–0HurlfordHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock 3,0001885–86Kilmarnock 2–1AyrRugby Park, Kilmarnock1886–87Hurlford 4–1KilbirnieRugby Park, Kilmarnock 6,0001887–88Kilbirnie 4–3HurlfordRugby Park, Kilmarnock 5,0001888–89Hurlford 2–0AyrRugby Park, Kilmarnock 6,0001889–90Annbank 3–2HurlfordRugby Park, Kilmarnock 7,0001890–91Kilmarnock 7–1HurlfordHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock1891–92Annbank 3–0HurlfordRugby Park, Kilmarnock1892–93Annbank 5–2KilbirnieRugby Park, Kilmarnock1893–94Hurlford 2–2*Saltcoats VictoriaHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock1893–94 (R)Hurlford 2–1Saltcoats VictoriaHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock 5,0001894–95Annbank 2–2*KilmarnockRugby Park, Kilmarnock1894–95 (R)Annbank 4–2KilmarnockRugby Park, Kilmarnock1895–96Kilmarnock 7–2GalstonHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock 5,0001896–97Kilmarnock Athletic (1888) 1–1*KilmarnockBeresford Park, Ayr1896–97 (R)Kilmarnock Athletic (1888) 3–0KilmarnockSomerset Park, Ayr1897–98Kilmarnock 9–3GalstonHolm Quarry, Kilmarnock1898–99Kilmarnock 6–3GalstonRugby Park, Kilmarnock1899–1900Kilmarnock 4–0Ayr ParkhouseSomerset Park, Ayr 4,000 - 5,0001900–01Ayr 1–1*Stevenston ThistleRugby Park, Kilmarnock 6,0001900–01 (R)Ayr 2–1Stevenston ThistleRugby Park, Kilmarnock 3,000 - 4,0001901–02Ayr Parkhouse 1–0GalstonRugby Park, Kilmarnock1902–03Galston 4–3‡AnnbankBeresford Park, Ayr1902–03Galston 1–1‡AnnbankRugby Park, Kilmarnock 3,0001902–03Galston 2–0AnnbankSomerset Park, Ayr1903–04Galston4–1BeithRugby Park, Kilmarnock1904–05Ayr 1–0KilmarnockBeresford Park, Ayr5,0001905–06Ayr 1–0Ayr ParkhouseBeresford Park, Ayr3,8001906–07Hurlford 3–1LanemarkSomerset Park, Ayr1907–08Galston 2–2*KilmarnockSomerset Park, Ayr1907–08 (R)Galston 2–1KilmarnockRugby Park, Kilmarnock1908–09Hurlford 1–1*AyrBeresford Park, Ayr1908–09 (R)Hurlford 1–0AyrBeresford Park, Ayr1909–10Ayr 1–0Ayr ParkhouseSomerset Park, Ayr5,0001910–11Hurlford 3–2Ayr UnitedBeresford Park, Ayr1911–12Ayr United 2–0HurlfordBeresford Park, Ayr1912–13Galston 3–3*Ayr UnitedRugby Park, Kilmarnock1912–13 (R)Galston 2–1Ayr UnitedRugby Park, Kilmarnock1913–14Galston 3–2Stevenston UnitedRugby Park, Kilmarnock1914–15Stevenston United 0–0*KilmarnockRiverside Park, Galston1914–15 (R)Stevenston United 2–1 *KilmarnockRiverside Park, GalstonNo competition from 1915–16 to 1918–19 due to World War I1919–20Stevenston United 1–0GalstonRugby Park, Kilmarnock1920–21Kilmarnock 1921–22Kilmarnock 5–2Stevenston UnitedRugby Park, Kilmarnock1922–23Kilmarnock 5–0Ayr United1923–24Beith Galston1924–25Galston 4–1KilmarnockRugby Park, Kilmarnock 1,0001925–26Ayr United 3–3 (agg)Beith1925–26 (R)Ayr United 4–1Beith1926–27Beith 1927–28Kilmarnock 1928–29Ayr United 5–1KilmarnockSomerset Park, Ayr1,0001929–30Kilmarnock 1930–31Kilmarnock 5–1BeithRugby Park, Kilmarnock1931–32Incomplete1932–33Ayr United 3–1Kilmarnock2,0001933–34No Competition1934–35Kilmarnock 3–3*Ayr United1934–35 (R)Kilmarnock 8–0Ayr United1935–36Ayr United 2–2*Kilmarnock1935–36 (R)Ayr United 3–2Kilmarnock1936–37No Competition1937–38Ayr United 7–1Beith1938–39Ayr United 2–2*Kilmarnock1938–39 (R)Ayr United 3–1KilmarnockNo competition from 1939–40 to 1945–46 due to World War II1946–47Kilmarnock 4–2Ayr United1947–48 No Competition1948–49 No Competition1949–50Ayr United 3–1 (agg)Kilmarnock1950–51Kilmarnock 6–1 (agg)Ayr United1951–52Kilmarnock 4–3 (agg) Ayr United1952–53Kilmarnock 5–0 (agg)Ayr United1953–54Kilmarnock 5–1 (agg)Ayr United1954–55Kilmarnock 3–0Ayr United1955–56Kilmarnock 7–0 (agg)Ayr United1956–57Kilmarnock 1–0Ayr United1957–58Ayr United 2–1 (agg)Kilmarnock1958–59Kilmarnock 4–4 (agg)Ayr United1959–60Kilmarnock 3–2 (agg)Ayr United1960–61Ayr United 3–0Kilmarnock1961–62Kilmarnock 7–2 (agg)Ayr United1962–63 Incomplete1963–64 Incomplete1964–65Ayr United 1–0Kilmarnock1965–66Kilmarnock 3–1 (agg)Ayr United1966–67 Incomplete1967–68 Incomplete1968–69Ayr United Kilmarnock1969–70Ayr United 2–0Kilmarnock1970–71Ayr United 2–2 (agg)(5–4p)†Kilmarnock1971–72Kilmarnock 3–1 (agg) Ayr United1972–73Kilmarnock 2–1 (agg) Ayr United1973–74Kilmarnock 1–1 (5–4p)†Ayr United1974–75Ayr United 1–0Kilmarnock1975–76Ayr United 4–0 (agg) Kilmarnock1976–77Ayr United 2–2 (6–5p)†Kilmarnock1977–78Ayr United 2–1Kilmarnock1978–79Kilmarnock 4–0Girvan1979–80Ayr United 10–2 (agg)Girvan1980–81Kilmarnock 2–0 (agg)Ayr United1981–82Kilmarnock 12-0Girvan1982–83Kilmarnock 1–0Ayr United1983–84Kilmarnock 2–1Ayr United1984–85Kilmarnock 2–1Ayr United1985–86Ayr United 2–1Kilmarnock1986–87Kilmarnock 3–0Ayr United1987–88Ayr United 2–0 Kilmarnock1988–89Ayr United 2–0Kilmarnock1989–90Kilmarnock 2–1*Ayr United1990–91Ayr United 2–1Kilmarnock1991–92Kilmarnock 4–0Ayr United1992–93Kilmarnock 2–1Ayr United1993–94Kilmarnock 3–3 (3–2p)†Ayr United 3,6131994–95Ayr United 4–3Kilmarnock1995–96Kilmarnock 1–0Ayr United1996–97Ayr United 2–0Kilmarnock 2,1761997–98Kilmarnock 4–2Ayr United 4,652

Ayrshire Cup

Bron en licentie