The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877–78 (then under Sheffield Rules.[1] Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. Both professional and amateur clubs may enter. In the modern age, however, professional teams such as Stoke City and Port Vale, the main clubs in Staffordshire, usually field a reserve team as they place more prestige on their professional league and cup competitions. This has left the door open for non-league sides to have more success in the cup as it is classed as a bigger achievement for them to win it.
 Flag of Staffordshire | |
| Founded | 1877 |
|---|---|
| Region |  Staffordshire |
| Number of teams | 21 (2023–24) |
| Current champions | Rushall Olympic (5th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Stoke City (19 titles) |
| Website | Staffordshire FA |
In recent years the entries from clubs from neighbouring counties have virtually been phased out. Most County FAs now have their own separate Senior Cup competitions and this, coupled with the formation of the West Midlands county, has meant the entries for the Cup are quite low in some seasons. This has seen Market Drayton Town and Shifnal Town both enter since the turn of the millennium to make up the numbers, despite not being located in Staffordshire.
From the 2008–09 season the Staffordshire FA introduced a cut off point whereby teams lower than level 9 in the English football league system can not compete in the Senior Cup. Teams below the level of the North West Counties League Premier Division and Midland Football Alliance now compete in the sister competition the Staffordshire Senior Vase.
Stoke City are the most successful sides in the competition's history with 19 wins.
Historically the non-league side with the most wins is Stafford Rangers who have won the cup 11 times since the Second World War.
The most successful side from outside what is traditionally classed as Staffordshire are Kidderminster Harriers from Worcestershire, who won the competition four times in the 1980s. Worcester City and Redditch United have also won the competition from Worcestershire. Macclesfield Town and Northwich Victoria from neighbouring Cheshire have also won.
Finals
editThis section lists every final of the competition played since 1877–78, the winners, the runners-up, and the result.[2]
The first final was also the inaugural match at Stoke City's new Victoria Ground between Stoke and Talke Rangers on 28 March 1878,[3] Stoke won 1–0 before upwards of 2,000 spectators,[3] with the goal scored by William Boddington at about the 80th minute.[4]
Key
edit| Match went to extra time | |
| Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time | |
| Shared trophy |
Results by teams
edit| Club | Wins | First final won | Last final won | Runner-up | Last final lost | Total final apps. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke City | 19 | 1877–78 | 2016–17 | 18 | 2010–11 | 37 | [a] |
| Aston Villa | 16 | 1880–81 | 1953–54 | 6 | 1933–34 | 22 | |
| Stafford Rangers | 14 | 1954–55 | 2021–22 | 11 | 2008–09 | 25 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 13 | 1882–83 | 1968–69 | 8 | 1937–38 | 21 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 12 | 1887–88 | 1966–67 | 7 | 1950–51 | 19 | |
| Port Vale | 7 | 1897–98 | 2000–01 | 7 | 2013–14 | 14 | [b] |
| Walsall | 6 | 1881–82 | 1967–68 | 15 | 1965–66 | 21 | [c] |
| Bilston Town | 5 | 1957–58 | 1997–98 | 5 | 1996–97 | 10 | [d] |
| Rushall Olympic | 5 | 2005–06 | 2023–24 | 4 | 2018–19 | 9 | |
| Kidsgrove Athletic | 5 | 2003–04 | 2011–12 | 2 | 2015–16 | 7 | |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 4 | 1980–81 | 1984–85 | 5 | 1978–79 | 9 | |
| Tamworth | 4 | 1958–59 | 2001–02 | 5 | 1900–2000 | 9 | |
| Birmingham City | 3 | 1904–05 | 1914–15 | 6 | 1936–37 | 9 | [e] |
| Hednesford Town | 3 | 1969–70 | 2012–13 | 2 | 2017–18 | 5 | |
| Northwich Victoria | 3 | 1978–79 | 1989–90 | 2 | 1990–91 | 5 | |
| Macclesfield Town † | 2 | 1993–94 | 1996–97 | 1 | 1989–90 | 3 | [f] |
| Birmingham St George's † | 2 | 1883–84 | 1889–90 | 0 | – | 2 | [g] |
| Leek Town | 1 | 1995–96 | 1995–96 | 9 | 2023–24 | 10 | |
| Newcastle Town | 1 | 2009–10 | 2009–10 | 2 | 2001–02 | 3 | |
| Burton Albion | 1 | 1955–56 | 1955–56 | 1 | 1976–77 | 2 | |
| Halesowen Town | 1 | 1988–89 | 1988–89 | 1 | 1983–84 | 2 | |
| Rocester | 1 | 2007–08 | 2007–08 | 1 | 2000–01 | 2 | |
| Blakenall † | 1 | 1999–2000 | 1999–2000 | 0 | – | 1 | [h] |
| Burton Swifts † | 1 | 1891–92 | 1891–92 | 0 | – | 1 | [i] |
| Burton Wanderers † | 1 | 1894–95 | 1894–95 | 0 | – | 1 | [j] |
| Eastwood Hanley | 1 | 1985–96 | 1985–96 | 0 | – | 1 | |
| Oldbury United | 1 | 1987–98 | 1987–98 | 0 | – | 1 | |
| Redditch United | 1 | 1990–91 | 1990–91 | 0 | – | 1 | |
| Wednesbury Old Athletic † | 1 | 1879–80 | 1879–80 | 0 | – | 1 | [k] |
| Worcester City | 1 | 1976–77 | 1976–77 | 0 | – | 1 | |
| Brierley Hill Alliance † | 0 | – | – | 2 | 1963–64 | 2 | [l] |
| Chasetown | 0 | – | – | 2 | 2016–17 | 2 | |
| Armitage † | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1974–75 | 1 | [m] |
| Burton United † | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1905–06 | 1 | [n] |
| Cobridge † | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1878–79 | 1 | [o] |
| Leek † | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1888–89 | 1 | [p] |
| Paget Rangers | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1994–95 | 1 | |
| Stone Old Alleynians | 0 | – | – | 1 | 2021–22 | 1 | |
| Sutton Coldfield Town | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1988–89 | 1 | |
| Talke Rangers † | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1877–78 | 1 | [q] |
| Wednesfield Social † | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1993–94 | 1 | [r] |
| Willenhall Town | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1982–83 | 1 |
Wins by cities/towns
edit| City | County | Wins | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham |  West Midlands
|
21 | Aston Villa (16), Birmingham City (3), Birmingham St. George's (2) |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Staffordshire
|
19 | Stoke City (19) |
| Stafford | Staffordshire
|
14 | Stafford Rangers (14) |
| West Bromwich | West Midlands
|
13 | West Bromwich Albion (13) |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands
|
12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (12) |
| Burslem | Staffordshire
|
7 | Port Vale (7) |
| Walsall | West Midlands
|
6 | Walsall (6) |
| Bilston | West Midlands
|
5 | Bilston (5) |
| Kidsgrove | West Midlands
|
5 | Kidsgrove Athletic (5) |
| Rushall | West Midlands
|
5 | Rushall Olympics (5) |
| Kidderminster |  Worcestershire
|
4 | Kidderminster Harriers (4) |
| Tamworth | Staffordshire
|
4 | Tamworth (4) |
| Hednesford | Staffordshire
|
3 | Hednesford Town (3) |
| Northwich |  Cheshire
|
3 | Northwich Victoria (3) |
| Burton upon Trent | Staffordshire
|
3 | Burton Albion (1), Burton Swifts (1), Burton Wanderers (1) |
| Macclesfield | Cheshire
|
2 | Macclesfield Town (2) |
| Leek | Staffordshire
|
1 | Leek Town (1) |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | Staffordshire
|
1 | Newcastle Town (1) |
| Halesowen | West Midlands
|
1 | Halesowen Town (1) |
| Rocester | Staffordshire
|
1 | Rocester (1) |
| Blakenall Heath | West Midlands
|
1 | Blakenall (1) |
| Hanley | Staffordshire
|
1 | Eastwood Hanley (1) |
| Oldbury | West Midlands
|
1 | Oldbury United (1) |
| Redditch | Worcestershire
|
1 | Redditch United (1) |
| Wednesbury | Staffordshire
|
1 | Wednesbury Old Athletic (1) |
| Worcester | Worcestershire
|
1 | Worcester City (1) |
Records and statistics
editMatches
edit- Most final wins: 19
- Stoke City (1877–78, 1878–79, 1903–04, 1913–14, 1920–21, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1938–39, 1947–48, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1981–82, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2016–17)
- Most final lost: 18
- Stoke City (1882–83, 1885–86, 1890–91, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1934–35, 1951–52, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1980–81, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2010–11)
- Most consecutive finals win: 4
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38)
- Most consecutive finals lost: 3
- Stafford Rangers (1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61)
- Most finals played without losing: 2
- Birmingham St George's (1883–84, 1889–90)
- Most finals played without winning: 2
- Brierley Hill Alliance (1961–62, 1963–64)
- Chasetown (1991–92, 2016–17)
Scoring
edit- Widest winning margin: 13 goals
- Macclesfield Town 14–1 Wednesfield Social (1993–94)
- Highest scoring final: 15 goals
- Macclesfield Town 14–1 Wednesfield Social (1993–94)
- Most finals won without conceding a goal: 12
- Aston Villa (1892–93, 1895–96, 1898–99, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1910–11, 1912–13, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1953–54)
Notes
edit- ^ Won 5 titles as Stoke.
- ^ Won 2 titles as Burslem Port Vale.
- ^ Won 2 titles as Walsall Town.
- ^ Won 4 titles as Bliston.
- ^ Won 1 title as Small Heath.
- ^ Dissolved in 2020.
- ^ Dissolved in 1892.
- ^ Dissolved in 2001. Merged with Bloxwich Town to form Bloxwich United.
- ^ Dissolved in 1901. Merged with Burton Wanderers to form Burton United.
- ^ Dissolved in 1901. Merged with Burton Swifts to form Burton United.
- ^ Dissolved in 1893.
- ^ Dissolved in 1981.
- ^ Dissolved in 1996.
- ^ Dissolved in 1910. Merged with Burton All Star.
- ^ Dissolved in 1999.
- ^ Dissolved in 1896.
- ^ Dissolved in 2004.
- ^ Dissolved in 2003.
References
edit- ^ Cooke, Martyn Dean (January 2023). "Early football, governance and cup competitions: the formative years of the Staffordshire Football Association, c. 1877–1887". Soccer & Society. 24 (1). doi:10.1080/14660970.2022.2113123. EBSCOhost 161311156. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ "SENIOR CUP HISTORY OF PREVIOUS WINNERS". Fulltime FA. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ a b "The Challenge Cup of North Staffordshire". The Staffordshire Daily Sentinel. No. 1, 513. Stoke-upon-Trent. 25 March 1878. p. 4. Retrieved 28 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Smith, Peter (10 Apr 2019). "Stoke City's origin story as historian claims Nottingham Forest are older". The Sentinel. Stoke-upon-Trent. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "The Staffordshire Cup". The Staffordshire Sentinel. Stoke-upon-Trent. 24 February 1900. p. 12. Retrieved 27 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879–1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.