The Belfast Charity Cup was a football competition which ran from 1883 to 1941, and was based on a similar tournament in Scotland, the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup. The competition was open to senior sides from Belfast and invited intermediate teams.

The last tournament was played in 1940. The following year, instead of the tournament being played, the holders Belfast Celtic played a representative match against players with cross-channel experience. The representative team won 3-1.

List of finals

Key: Scores level after 90 minutes. A replay was required.Scores level after extra time. A replay was required.Scores level after 90 minutes. Winner was decided in extra time with no penalty shootout required.Scores level after 90 minutes. Trophy was shared.

#SeasonWinner(number of titles)ScoreRunner-upVenue11883–84Cliftonville (1)2 – 0DistilleryUlster Cricket Ground, Belfast21884–85Oldpark (1)1 – 0CliftonvilleUlster Cricket Ground, Belfast31885–86Cliftonville (2)5 – 1GlentoranUlster Cricket Ground, Belfast41886–87Cliftonville (3)3 – 2YMCAUlster Cricket Ground, Belfast5 1887–88Cliftonville (4)3 – 2Linfield AthleticUlster Cricket Ground, Belfast61888–89Cliftonville (5)4 – 2DistillerySolitude, Belfast71889–90Black Watch (1)5 – 2Gordon HighlandersUlster Cricket Ground, Belfast81890–91Linfield (1)7 – 1UlsterSolitude, Belfast91891–92Linfield (2)1 – 0DistillerySolitude, Belfast101892–93Linfield (3)3 – 2DistillerySolitude, Belfast111893–94Linfield (4)3 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast121894–95Linfield (5)3 – 1CliftonvilleSolitude, Belfast13 1895–96Glentoran (1)1 – 0CliftonvilleSolitude, Belfast14 1896–97Cliftonville (6)1 – 1DistillerySolitude, BelfastReplay6 – 2Solitude, Belfast151897–98North Staffordshire Regiment (1)4 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast161898–99Linfield (6)2 – 1DistillerySolitude, Belfast171899–1900Distillery (1)5 – 0LinfieldSolitude, Belfast181900–01Linfield (7)4 – 1DistillerySolitude, Belfast191901–02Glentoran (3)2 – 0LinfieldSolitude, Belfast20 1902–03Linfield (8)2 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast211903–04Belfast Celtic (1)1 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast221904–05Linfield (9)2 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast231905–06Cliftonville (6)1 – 1 (a.e.t.)DistillerySolitude, BelfastReplay2 – 0Grosvenor Park, Belfast241906–07Glentoran (4)2 – 0LinfieldSolitude, Belfast25 1907–08Cliftonville (7)3 – 1LinfieldGrosvenor Park, Belfast261908–09Cliftonville (8)0 – 0DistillerySolitude, BelfastReplay2 – 0Grosvenor Park, Belfast271909–10Belfast Celtic (2)2 – 2 (a.e.t.)DistillerySolitude, BelfastReplay2 – 1Grosvenor Park, Belfast281910–11Glentoran4 – 2Belfast CelticSolitude, Belfast291911–12Belfast Celtic3 – 0DistillerySolitude, Belfast301912–13Linfield3 – 1Belfast CelticSolitude, Belfast31 1913–14Linfield1 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast321914–15Linfield1 – 0Belfast CelticGrosvenor Park, Belfast331915–16Distillery1 – 0LinfieldSolitude, Belfast34 1916–17Linfield1 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast351917–18Linfield1 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast361918–19Linfield1 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast37 1919–20Belfast Celtic3 – 0DistillerySolitude, Belfast381920–21Distillery2 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast391921–22Linfield3 – 0Cliftonville OlympicSolitude, Belfast40 1922–23Glentoran2 – 1CrusadersSolitude, Belfast411923–24Cliftonville1 – 0 (a.e.t.)BarnSolitude, Belfast42 1924–25Glentoran2 – 1Belfast CelticSolitude, Belfast431925–26Belfast CelticGlentoran1 – 1—Solitude, Belfast441926–27Linfield5 – 2GlentoranSolitude, Belfast451927–28Linfield4 – 0Belfast CelticSolitude, Belfast461928–29DistilleryGlentoran3 – 3—Solitude, Belfast471929–30Linfield2 – 0Belfast CelticSolitude, Belfast481930–31Distillery4 – 2Belfast CelticGrosvenor Park, Belfast49 1931–32Belfast Celtic2 – 0LinfieldSolitude, Belfast501932–33Linfield3 – 0DistillerySolitude, Belfast51 1933–34Linfield4 – 1DistillerySolitude, Belfast521934–35Linfield1 – 1Belfast CelticSolitude, BelfastReplay2 – 1Solitude, Belfast531935–36Belfast CelticLinfield2 – 2—Solitude, Belfast541936–37Belfast Celtic1 – 0DistillerySolitude, Belfast551937–38Linfield3 – 1GlentoranSolitude, Belfast561938–39Belfast Celtic1 – 0LinfieldSolitude, Belfast571939–40Belfast Celtic3 – 0GlentoranSolitude, Belfast

Performance by club Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Runners-up years Linfield 8 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1894–95, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1921–22, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36 (shared), 1937–38 1887–88, 1899–1900, 1901–02, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1915–16, 1931–32, 1938–39 Belfast Celtic 10 (2 shared) 8 1903–04, 1909–10, 1911–12, 1919–20, 1925–26 (shared), 1931–32, 1935–36 (shared), 1936–37, 1938–39, 1939–40 1910–11, 1912–13, 1914–15, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1934–35 Cliftonville 10 3 1883–84, 1885–86, 1886–87, 1887–88, 1888–89, 1896–97, 1905–06, 1907–08, 1908–09, 1923–24 1884–85, 1894–95, 1895–96 Glentoran 8 (2 shared) 14 1895–96, 1901–02, 1906–07, 1910–11, 1922–23, 1924–25, 1925–26 (shared), 1928–29 (shared) 1885–86, 1893–94, 1897–98, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1904–05, 1913–14, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1920–21, 1926–27, 1937–38, 1939–40 Distillery 5 (1 shared) 15 1899–1900, 1915–16, 1920–21, 1928–29 (shared), 1930–31 1883–84, 1888–89, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1905–06, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1911–12, 1919–20, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1936–37 Oldpark 1 0 1884–85 — Black Watch 1 0 1889–90 — 1 0 1897–98 — YMCA 0 1 — 1886–87 Gordon Highlanders 0 1 — 1889–90 Ulster 0 1 — 1890–91 Cliftonville Olympic 0 1 — 1921–22 Crusaders 0 1 — 1922–23 Barn 0 1 — 1923–24

Sources Malcolm Brodie, "100 Years of Irish Football", Blackstaff Press, Belfast (1980)

References

External links Irish League Archive - Belfast Charity Cup