The FA Sunday Cup is a knock-out competition founded in 1964 for
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
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Sunday league football
Sunday league football is a term used in Britain and Ireland to describe the amateur association football competitions which take place on Sunday rather than the more usual Saturday. The term pub league may also be used, owing to the number of ...
teams.
Prior to 1960
The Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
did not permit clubs or players under its jurisdiction to take part in competitive football played on Sunday. A change of policy by the governing body in 1960 allowed Sunday leagues to become affiliated to County Associations and, four years later, The FA started the Sunday Cup to allow Sunday players to compete in a national knock-out tournament.
The Sunday Cup trophy was presented to the FA by the
Shah of Iran
This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the Iranic peoples, in present-day Iran), which are known by the royal title Shah or Shahanshah. This list starts from the establishment of the Medes around 671 BCE until the deposition of th ...
as a gift to mark the centenary of the FA in 1963. It was created by Iranian silversmiths.
In the Cup's first season (1964–65), teams representing Sunday players in various counties entered with
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
winning the two-legged final 6–2 against
Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
.
In the first final featuring club sides, Ubique United beat Aldridge Fabrications 1–0 in 1965–66.
After The Sunday Cup’s inaugural season, 1,600 requests for entry forms for the following season’s competition were received. Entries for season 2017–18 were 80. Since its inception in 1964-65 (53 years ago) the competition has been won by 42 different sides.
The most successful team is Hetton Lyons Cricket Club FC with 4 wins, in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. St Joseph's (Luton) have appeared in a record five finals, winning on two occasions in 1995 and '96. Eight other teams have been successful on two occasions – Carlton United in 1967 and '73, Newtown Unity in 1972 and '74, Fantail in 1980 and '81, Nicosia in 1991 and 2004, Oyster Martyrs in 2011 and '13, Humbledon Plains Farm in 1990 and 2014, Hardwick Social in 2017 and 2018, and Campfield FC in 2015 and 2020.
Hardwick Social FC became the first club for 22 years to retain the trophy since St Joseph's (Luton) in 1995-96.
The latest holders are Baiteze Squad from the Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League who were crowned as the 2021-22 FA Sunday Cup winners at Millwall's New Den as the defeated Highgate Albion in a 2-0 success. Shomari Barnwell opened the scoring in the early stages of the game before substitute Chaka Barnett headed in late on to confirm victory for the London based side.
Finals 1961-1964
The results of the first finals before the Cup was sanctioned by the FA.
Finals since 1965 (FA sanctioned)
The results of the finals to date:
References
External links
FA Sunday Cup page on the official FA website
{{Men's football in England
Football cup competitions in England