The LFA President's Cup was an association football cup competition featuring League of Ireland clubs affiliated to the Leinster Football Association. It was played for between 1930 and 2002. It was a de facto national super cup and on twenty four occasions featured the League of Ireland champions against the FAI Cup winners. The Football Association of Ireland also organised similar competitions, such as the Top Four Cup and the FAI Super Cup, both of which co-existed with the LFA President's Cup. Since 2014 the FAI has organised their own similarly named super cup, the President's Cup.
History Early years The LFA President's Cup was originally introduced as fundraiser to help cover the costs of the LFA's new headquarters at Parnell Square. The top four placed LFA affiliated clubs from the 1929–30 League of Ireland season took part in two semi-finals. Shelbourne defeated Brideville 1–0 at Harold's Cross Stadium in the first game on Sunday, 4 May 1930. Three days later the 1929–30 FAI Cup winners Shamrock Rovers defeated the league champions, Bohemians 2–0 at Dalymount Park. In the inaugural final on 23 May, Rovers and Shelbourne drew 1–1 at Shelbourne Park. For some reason the final was never replayed. In the 1930–31 final Dundalk beat Rovers 7–3. This became the competitions highest scoring final. Rovers won the cup for the first time outright in 1932–33. They would go on to become the competition's most successful club, winning it twenty-one times. They were also runners-up on a further ten occasions. The 1941–42 competition took nearly an entire year to compete despite a single tie format been used. Shamrock Rovers and Drumcondra drew in August 1941, drew in the replay in April 1942 before Rovers, in Bob Fullam's first competitive match in charge, won the second replay in August 1942.
Format The most common format used throughout LFA President's Cup history saw the top placed LFA affiliated club from the League of Ireland play-off against the LFA affiliated club that had progressed the furthest in the FAI Cup. This match was usually a one-off fixture played before the following season. However the earliest competitions in 1930s featured as many as ten clubs and were played at the end of the season. There was no competition held between 1933 and 1938 and when it returned in 1939–40 it adopted the two club single match format. This format continued throughout the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. Between 1964 and 1965 and 1972–73, with the exception a single tie final in 1968–69, it reverted to a knockout tournament featuring up to eight clubs. In 1973–74 the LFA broke with tradition when they arranged an all-Munster final for the first and only time. Waterford, who had been League of Ireland champions for six out of the eight previous seasons, played Cork Hibernians, the winners of the two previous FAI Cup finals. Alfie Hale scored both goals, including one penalty, as Waterford won 2–0 at Flower Lodge on 29 August 1973. From 1973 to 1974 onwards the LFA President's Cup continued with the two club single match format, except between 1980 and 1981 and 1983–84 when the finals were played over two legs.
Super Cup When the LFA President's Cup was first established in 1929–30 every previous League of Ireland winner had come from Leinster and only two teams from outside Leinster – Alton United and Fordsons – had won the FAI Cup. This Leinster dominance would continue and the League of Ireland's traditional top four clubs – Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, Bohemians and Dundalk – all came from the province. As a result the LFA President's Cup developed into a de facto national super cup. On twenty four occasions the final featured the League of Ireland champions against the FAI Cup winners. Between 1954 and 1955 and 1959–60 they met in six consecutive finals. Of the 64 finals played only nine did not feature either the League of Ireland champion or the FAI Cup winner.
List of finals
Date Winner Score Runners-up Venue1929–30Shamrock Rovers 1–1 Final not replayed.ShelbourneShelbourne Park1930–31Dundalk 1–1 Shelbourne were the League of Ireland champions but did not take partShamrock Rovers Shelbourne ParkReplayDundalk 7–3Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park1931–32This competition was not completed Ten teams were supposed to participate in 1931–32 but the competition was abandoned after only three games played.1932–33Shamrock Rovers 2–0 Eight teams competed in 1932–33 tournament. By coincidence the League of Ireland champions and the FAI Cup winners both reached final.DundalkDalymount Park1939–40Shelbourne2–1Shamrock Rovers Shelbourne Park1940–41Shamrock Rovers 2–1St James's GateShelbourne Park1941–42Shamrock Rovers 3–3DrumcondraTolka ParkReplayShamrock Rovers 4–4DrumcondraDalymount Park2nd ReplayShamrock Rovers 5–3DrumcondraGlenmalure Park1942–43No competition1943–44Shamrock Rovers 3–2Dundalk Glenmalure Park1944–45Shamrock Rovers 2–0 Shelbourne were the League of Ireland champions but did not take partDrumcondraGlenmalure Park1945–46Shamrock Rovers 3–2ShelbourneGlenmalure Park1946–47Drumcondra2–2Shamrock Rovers Dalymount ParkReplayDrumcondra1–0Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park1947–48Drumcondra2–2 Final not replayed.ShelbourneTolka Park1948–49Shamrock Rovers 3–2DrumcondraGlenmalure Park1949–50Drumcondra2–1Dundalk Tolka Park1950–51Drumcondra2–0TransportTolka Park1951–52Dundalk 2–1DrumcondraTolka Park1952–53St Patrick's Athletic1–1Dundalk Tolka ParkReplaySt Patrick's Athletic 5–0Dundalk Dalymount Park1953–54St Patrick's Athletic 2–2ShelbourneTolka ParkReplaySt Patrick's Athletic 3–1ShelbourneTolka Park1954–55Shamrock Rovers2–1DrumcondraTolka Park1955–56St Patrick's Athletic 3–1Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park1956–57Shamrock Rovers 1–0St Patrick's Athletic Dalymount Park1957–58Shamrock Rovers3–3DrumcondraDalymount ParkReplayShamrock Rovers1–0DrumcondraDalymount Park1958–59Drumcondra4–3Dundalk Dalymount Park1959–60Shamrock Rovers 1–1St Patrick's Athletic Dalymount ParkReplayShamrock Rovers 2–0St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park1960–61 Shelbourne1–1Shamrock Rovers Dalymount ParkReplayShelbourne1–1Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park2nd ReplayShelbourne3–1Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park1961–62 Drumcondra3–0St Patrick's Athletic Dalymount Park1962–63Shamrock Rovers 1–0ShelbourneDalymount Park1963–64Dundalk4–3ShelbourneDalymount Park1964–65Dundalk 1–1Shamrock Rovers Dalymount ParkReplayDundalk 4–2Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park1965–66Bohemians1–1Shamrock Rovers Dalymount ParkReplayBohemians3–2Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park1966–67Drumcondra1–0Shamrock Rovers Tolka Park1967–68 Bohemians0–0 Four teams played in the competition. However Dundalk, the 1966–67 League of Ireland champions and Shamrock Rovers, the 1966–67 FAI Cup winners did not participate.DrumcondraDalymount ParkReplayBohemians3–2DrumcondraTolka Park1968–69Shamrock Rovers 3–2Dundalk Tolka Park1969–70 Shamrock Rovers 4–3St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park1970–71 Shamrock Rovers 3–3DroghedaDalymount ParkReplayShamrock Rovers 3–1DroghedaTolka Park1971–72 St Patrick's Athletic 0–0BohemiansDalymount ParkReplaySt Patrick's Athletic 2–1BohemiansTolka Park1972–73 Shamrock Rovers 3–1Dundalk Dalymount Park1973–74 Waterford2–0Cork Hibernians Flower Lodge1974–75Bohemians4–1St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park1975–76Bohemians4–0Home Farm Dalymount Park1976–77Bohemians1–1Dundalk Dalymount ParkReplayBohemians1–0Dundalk Oriel Park1977–78Bohemians2–1Dundalk Oriel Park1978–79Bohemians3–1Shamrock Rovers Glenmalure Park1979–80Dundalk 2–1BohemiansOriel Park1980–81Dundalk 1–1St Patrick's Athletic Richmond Park Dundalk 3–0 Final played over were two legs. Dundalk won 4–1 on aggregate. St Patrick's Athletic Oriel Park1981–82Dundalk 2–1 Athlone Town Oriel Park Dundalk 2–2 Final played over were two legs. Dundalk won 4–3 on aggregate. Athlone Town St Mel's Park1982–83Bohemians 1–0Dundalk Dalymount ParkBohemians 2–3 Final played over were two legs. Bohemians won on away goals. Dundalk Oriel Park1983–84Athlone Town 2–1BohemiansSt Mel's ParkAthlone Town 3–0 Final played over were two legs. Athlone Town won 5–1 on aggregate. BohemiansDalymount Park1984–85Shamrock Rovers3–2UCDTolka Park1985–86Shamrock Rovers 1–0 After extra time.BohemiansGlenmalure Park1986–87Shamrock Rovers 3–2Dundalk Oriel Park1987–88Shamrock Rovers 0–0 No extra time was played because of heavy rain. Shamrock Rovers won 3–1 on penalties.Dundalk Oriel Park1988–89Dundalk 3–2St Patrick's Athletic Tolka Park1989–90Dundalk 3–1Bray Wanderers Carlisle Grounds1990–91St Patrick's Athletic 2–2 After extra-time, St Patrick's Athletic won 5–4 on penalties.Bray Wanderers Carlisle Grounds1991–92Final not played. The two finalists, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers, could not agree on a date.1992–93Bohemians 0–0 After extra-time, Bohemians won 4–2 on penalties.ShelbourneTolka Park1993–94Shelbourne3–2 After extra time.BohemiansTolka Park1994–95Bohemians2–1Shamrock Rovers Dalymount Park1995–96Shelbourne2–1Dundalk Tolka Park1996–97St Patrick's Athletic0–0 No extra-time played, St Patrick's Athletic won 6–5 on penalties.ShelbourneDalymount Park1997–98Bohemians1–0ShelbourneDalymount Park1998–99Shelbourne4–0St Patrick's Athletic Richmond Park 1999–2000No competition2000–01Bohemians 0–0 Bohemians won 4–1 on penalties.ShelbourneDalymount Park2001–02Bohemians 1–1 Bohemians won 4–3 on penalties.ShelbourneDalymount Park2002–03Shelbourne2–0Dundalk Tolka Park
Notes
List of winners by club Club Titles Seasons Shamrock Rovers 1929–30, 1932–33, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 Bohemians 1965–66, 1967–68, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02 Dundalk 1930–31, 1951–52, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1988–89, 1989–90 Shelbourne 1929–30, 1939–40, 1947–48, 1960–61, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2002–03 Drumcondra 1946–47, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1966–67 St Patrick's Athletic 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1971–72, 1990–91, 1996–97 Athlone Town 1983–84 Waterford 1973–74
Notes Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne shared the 1929–30 title. Drumcondra and Shelbourne shared the 1947–48 title.
See also FAI Super Cup President of Ireland's Cup Top Four Cup
References