Football League Third Division South Cup
The Football League Third Division South Cup was a football knockout competition open to teams competing in Football League Third Division South.
| Organising body | Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1933 |
| Abolished | 1946 |
| Region |  Southern England Wales |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Last champions | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (1st title) |
The competition was first held in 1933–34 and ran until the 1938–39 season.[1] The cup was revived for the 1945–46 season.[2]
Format
editThe competition was run using a knockout format, with games replayed if level. In the first year the tournament format resulted in 6 first round ties, with the remaining 10 sides joining in the next round to make eight ties.[3] In most seasons there were minor changes to the format, resulting in differing numbers of ties in each round. The tournaments featured all 22 teams from Division Three South. In the first two seasons the final was played at a neutral venue, and for the next three seasons the final was two-legged, whilst the final edition was not completed.[1]
The 1945–46 competition started with two cup competitions, the Third Division South (South) Cup and Third Division South (North) Cup. Each cup consisted of 11 teams played on a league basis, although only 16 games were played by each team. The first two places in each cup then contested the semi-finals of a knockout competition.[2]
Finals
editSource:[1]
| Season | Winners | Result | Runner-up | Venue | Att. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933–34 | Exeter City | 1–0 | Torquay United | Home Park | 6,198 | |
| 1934–35 | Bristol Rovers | 3–2 | Watford | The Den | 5,294 | |
| 1935–36 | Swindon Town | 0–2 | Coventry City | County Ground | 3,610 | First Leg. |
| Coventry City | 3–2 | Swindon Town | Highfield Road | 2,077 | Second Leg. | |
| Coventry City won 5–2 on aggregate. | ||||||
| 1936–37 | Watford | 2–2 | Millwall | Vicarage Road | 2,714 | First Leg. |
| Millwall | 1–1 | Watford | The Den | 3,368 | Second Leg. | |
| Match drawn 3–3 on aggregate. Trophy shared. | ||||||
| 1937–38 | Reading | 6–1 | Bristol City | Elm Park | 1,097 | First Leg. |
| Bristol City | 1–0 | Reading | Ashton Gate | 718 | Second Leg. | |
| Reading won 6–2 on aggregate. | ||||||
| 1938–39 | Semi-final replay between Queens Park Rangers and Port Vale not played. Torquay United were in the finals. | |||||
| 1945–46[2] | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 1–0 | Walsall | |||
Venues
editThe 1933–34 final was held at Home Park, Plymouth on 2 May 1934.[4]
The 1945–46 final was held at Stamford Bridge, London.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "English Division Three South Cup". Statto. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d Rollin, Jack (2005). Soccer at War 1939–45. pp. 246, 259. ISBN 0-7553-1431-X.
- ^ 1933–34 2nd Rnd results, with links to other rounds/seasons – Statto[permanent dead link].
- ^ "Rare pre-war football medal to raise £350 at auction". This is Cornwall. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2010.