The Highland Amateur Cup is an annual football cup competition run by the Highland Executive branch of the Scottish Amateur Football Association. It also covers various offshore islands.
| Founded | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Region | Scottish Highlands |
| Current champions | Pentland United (9th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Pentland United (9 titles) |
| Website | [1] |
All teams affiliated to Highland Associations are eligible to enter; and so this competition covers one of the largest geographical areas for any district amateur cup competition in the UK.
Currently, the Associations affiliated to the Highland Amateur Cup are:
- Caithness AFA
- North West Sutherland AFA
- Inverness and District FA
- West Highland AFA
- Lewis & Harris FA
- Uist & Barra AFA
- Orkney AFA
Shetland FA clubs are eligible to take part but due to travel distances, have rarely entered the competition.
History
editPentland United are the most successful club, having won the competition eight times.
Western Isles teams
editThe 1984 tournament was the first time a team from the Western Isles was allowed to enter, and Ness' cup-run culminated in a 4–1 victory over Bishopmill Villa at Victoria Park, Dingwall. Ness have won the competition on three other occasions; 1991, 1992 and 1995.
Back, who also compete in the Lewis and Harris Football League, won the cup in 2004.
Lochs (2003 and 2005) and Point (1994) are the other Lewis and Harris Football League teams to have won the cup, while Stornoway Athletic have been runners-up on two occasions (1990 and 2003). Carloway also finished runners-up in 2014.
Finals from 2007–2012
edit| Year | Teams | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Avoch and Point | Grant Street Park, Inverness | On 18 August. Avoch were competing in their 4th successive final, having beaten Lochs in the semi-final.[1] The match finished 5–0 to the team from the Black Isle. |
| 2008 | Castletown and Pentland United | Harmsworth Park, Wick | Pentland took the lead in the first half before adding another two to win the game 3–0.[2] |
| 2009 | Avoch and Kirkwall Thorfinn | Harmsworth Park, Wick | The game came down to a penalty shoot-out after Thorfinn 'threw away' a 2–0 lead - only for Avoch to draw level. The match went to penalties, and Kirkwall won, with their first Amateur Cup win since 1988.[3] |
| 2010 | Golspie Stafford and Pentland United | Dudgeon Park, Brora | In front of a 500 strong crowd on 14 August, a Garry MacLeod free kick was all that came between the two sides in what was a fiercely contested game that ended 1–0 to Pentland United.[4] |
| 2011 | Back F.C. (Lewis) and Avoch | Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness | On 20 August 2011, Avoch won 5–1, for their first success in the cup since 2007. A brace by Paul Brindle, followed by goals from Charlie Christie, Shaun Kerr and Gary Urqhuart, secured the win, with Martin Maclean scoring for Back.[5] |
| 2012 | Avoch and Wick Groats | Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness | On 4 August, Avoch won 4–0, with Shaun Kerr scoring a hat-trick and Ronnie Jones grabbing the other. This was Avoch's fourth cup triumph in seven years.[6] |
Past winners
edit| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Blackmuir | 2–0 | Thurso Pentland | ||
| 1979 | South Ronaldsay | beat | Halkirk | ||
| 1980 | Thurso Pentland | 5–2 | Dingwall Thistle Youth | ||
| 1981 | Thurso Pentland | 1–0 | Wick Groats | ||
| 1982 | Halkirk | 2–1 | Thurso Pentland | ||
| 1983 | Thurso Pentland | beat | Muir of Ord | ||
| 1984 | Ness | 4–1 | Bishopmill Villa | ||
| 1985 | Halkirk | 7–2 | Conon | ||
| 1986 | Maryburgh | 1–0 | Conon | ||
| 1987 | Pentland United | 1–0 | Wick Groats | ||
| 1988 | Kirkwall Thorfinn | 2–1 | Maryburgh | ||
| 1989 | Dingwall Thistle | 2–1 | Halkirk | ||
| 1990 | Maryburgh | 3–1 | Stornoway Athletic | ||
| 1991 | Ness | 1–0 | Dingwall Thistle | ||
| 1992 | Ness | 1–0 | Kirkwall Thorfinn | ||
| 1993 | Pentland United | 6–2 | Southend | ||
| 1994 | Point | 1–0 | Cromarty | ||
| 1995 | Ness | 4–2 | Avoch | ||
| 1996 | Dingwall Thistle | 2–0 | Kirkwall Thorfinn | ||
| 1997 | Kirkwall Rovers | 4–2 | Contin | ||
| 1998 | Pentland United | 3–1 | Inverness British Legion | ||
| 1999 | Contin | 1–0 | Pentland United | ||
| 2000 | Pentland United | 4–0 | Cromarty | ||
| 2001 | Wick Thistle | 2–1 | Avoch | ||
| 2002 | Pentland United | 2–1 | Portree | ||
| 2003 | Lochs | 3–2 | Stornoway Athletic | ||
| 2004 | Back | 2–1 | Avoch | ||
| 2005 | Lochs | 3–1 | Avoch | ||
| 2006 | Avoch | 2–0 | Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union | ||
| 2007 | Avoch | 5–0 | Point | ||
| 2008 | Pentland United | 3–0 | Castletown | ||
| 2009 | Kirkwall Thorfinn | *2–2 | Avoch | ||
| 2010 | Pentland United | 1–0 | Golspie Stafford | ||
| 2011 | Avoch | 5–1 | Back | ||
| 2012 | Avoch | 4–0 | Wick Groats | ||
| 2013 | Wick Groats | 1–0 | Kirkwall Thorfinn | ||
| 2014 | Avoch | 2–1 | Carloway | ||
| 2015 | Wick Groats | 3–1 | Avoch | ||
| 2016 | Wick Groats | *0–0 | Kirkwall Thorfinn | ||
| 2017 | Avoch | 2–1 | Staxigoe United | ||
| 2018 | Pentland United | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Lerwick Spurs | ||
| 2019 | Wick Groats | 1–0 | Avoch | ||
| 2020 | No Competition | ||||
| 2021 | No Competition | ||||
| 2022 | High Ormlie Hotspur | *1–1 (a.e.t.) | Pentland United | ||
| 2023 | Avoch | 1–0 | Wick Groats | ||
| 2024 | Pentland United | 2–1 | Avoch | ||
* Won on penalties
Performance by club
edit- As of after 2024
| Club | Wins | Last win | Runners-up | Last final lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentland United | 9 | 2024 | 2 | 2022 |
| Avoch | 7 | 2023 | 8 | 2024 |
| Wick Groats | 4 | 2019 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ness | 4 | 1995 | 0 | — |
| Thurso Pentland | 3 | 1983 | 2 | 1982 |
| Kirkwall Thorfinn | 2 | 2009 | 4 | 2016 |
| Halkirk | 2 | 1985 | 2 | 1989 |
| Dingwall Thistle | 2 | 1996 | 1 | 1991 |
| Maryburgh | 2 | 1990 | 1 | 1988 |
| Lochs | 2 | 2005 | 0 | — |
| Back | 1 | 2004 | 1 | 2011 |
| Contin | 1 | 1999 | 1 | 1997 |
| Point | 1 | 1994 | 1 | 2007 |
| High Ormlie Hotspur | 1 | 2022 | 0 | — |
| Wick Thistle | 1 | 2001 | 0 | — |
| Kirkwall Rovers | 1 | 1997 | 0 | — |
| South Ronaldsay | 1 | 1979 | 0 | — |
| Blackmuir | 1 | 1978 | 0 | — |
| Stornoway Athletic | 0 | — | 2 | 2003 |
| Cromarty | 0 | — | 2 | 2000 |
| Conon | 0 | — | 2 | 1986 |
| Lerwick Spurs | 0 | — | 1 | 2018 |
| Staxigoe United | 0 | — | 1 | 2017 |
| Carloway | 0 | — | 1 | 2014 |
| Golspie Stafford | 0 | — | 1 | 2010 |
| Castletown | 0 | — | 1 | 2008 |
| Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union | 0 | — | 1 | 2006 |
| Portree | 0 | — | 1 | 2002 |
| Inverness British Legion | 0 | — | 1 | 1998 |
| Southend | 0 | — | 1 | 1993 |
| Bishopmill Villa | 0 | — | 1 | 1984 |
| Muir of Ord | 0 | — | 1 | 1983 |
| Dingwall Thistle Youth | 0 | — | 1 | 1980 |
References
edit- ^ "Sport | Football | Avoch march on to final of Amateur Cup". Ross-shire Journal. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Pentland United F.C - 2008". Pentland United F.C. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Thorfinn Football Club - 2009 Highland Amateur Cup". Orkneycommunities.co.uk. 21 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Home | Stafford's Highland Cup hopes thwarted by the woodwork". Northern Times. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Back lose Highland Amateur". Hebrides-news.com. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Sport | Football | There's no stopping Avoch!". Ross-shire Journal. Retrieved 3 October 2012.