The Victory Cup was a one-off Scottish football competition held in 1946 to celebrate the end of World War II. It is an unofficial competition in statistical terms, taking place at the end of the 1945–46 season just before official competitions such as the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Cup resumed.
The winners of the Victory Cup were Rangers who defeated Hibernian 3–1 in the final at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Summary The format was a straight knockout tournament open to clubs from across Scotland, with the first round being played over two legs, subsequent rounds in a single match with replays as necessary and the semi-finals and final at neutral venues. A preliminary tournament took place between September 1945 and January 1946, with Clachnacuddin and East Stirlingshire (who won the final held between them in a second replay) qualifying to make up 32 participants for the final tournament which was held between April and June 1946.
The trophy itself had been used throughout the war for the Southern League Cup which was contested five times on a regional basis, four of these being won by Rangers. Its last edition was played on a nationwide basis (acting as a forerunner to the Scottish League Cup) and was won by Aberdeen. However, the Scottish Football Association asked for the trophy to be returned for use in the Victory Cup, and Rangers' win meant it stayed in their possession permanently.
A similar wartime competition was held at the end of World War I, won by St Mirren.
A separate Victory In Europe Cup had been held in May 1945, in the form of a single match at Hampden between Celtic and Queen's Park arranged by the organisers of the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup; Celtic won that trophy by having won one more corner kick, following a 1–1 result.
Results
First round Leg 1Team 1AggregateTeam 2Leg 22–0Aberdeen4–0Hamilton Academical2–04–0Airdrieonians5–1Dumbarton1–13–1Alloa Athletic3–6Heart of Midlothian0–53–4Arbroath4–7Raith Rovers1–31–3Ayr United3–7Morton2–42–2Clachnacuddin3–9Partick Thistle1–74–2Clyde6–3Albion Rovers2–10–0Cowdenbeath5–3Queen's Park5–32–1Dundee United3–4Queen of the South1–32–0East Fife2–3Kilmarnock0–32–1Falkirk6–3Motherwell4–23–0Hibernian3–2Dundee0–22–8St Johnstone2–13Celtic0–53–1St Mirren5–3East Stirlingshire2–21–4Stenhousemuir2–8Rangers1–41–2Third Lanark3–2Dunfermline Athletic2–0
Second round Team 1AggregateTeam 2Aberdeen1–1KilmarnockAirdrieonians0–4RangersCeltic3–0Queen of the SouthClyde0–0MortonCowdenbeath1–1Partick ThistleFalkirk3–2Third LanarkHibernian3–1Heart of MidlothianRaith Rovers2–1St Mirren
Replays Team 1AggregateTeam 2Kilmarnock0–3AberdeenMorton0–2ClydePartick Thistle2–1Cowdenbeath
Quarter-finals Team 1AggregateTeam 2Clyde4–2AberdeenFalkirk1–1RangersPartick Thistle1–1HibernianRaith Rovers0–2Celtic
Replays Team 1AggregateTeam 2Rangers2–0FalkirkHibernian2–0Partick Thistle
Semi-finals Team 1AggregateTeam 2VenueHibernian2–1ClydeTynecastle ParkRangers0–0CelticHampden Park
Replay Team 1AggregateTeam 2VenueCeltic0–2Tales of Jimmy Mallan, Charles Buchan’s Football Weekly, September 1955, via Not The View, January 2019RangersHampden Park
Final
Rangers: GK Bobby BrownFB Sammy CoxFB Jock Shaw RH Charlie WatkinsCH George YoungLH Scot SymonRW Willie WaddellIF Torrance GillickCF Willie ThorntonIF Jimmy DuncansonLW Jimmy CaskieManager:Bill StruthHibernian: GK 1 Jimmy KerrDF 2 Jock GovanDF 3 Davie ShawMF 4 Hugh HowieMF 5 Peter AirdMF 6 Willie FinniganFW 7 Gordon SmithFW 8 Willie PeatFW 9 Arthur MilneFW 10 Johnny AitkenheadFW 11 Bobby NutleyManager: Willie McCartney
References