The Ulster Cup was an annual football competition held by the Irish Football League for senior clubs.

History

Beginning in 1949, it was held on fifty-one occasions until being suspended after the 1998/99 season and discontinued after a one-off re-appearance in 2002/03. The last three editions were only open to First Division sides. From the mid-1980s to the early-1990s the competition was known as the Lombard Ulster Cup due to a sponsorship deal with the Lombard & Ulster Bank. It had previously been sponsored by Morans.

Format

The format of the Ulster Cup varied from season to season. It often employed a league format, with each club playing each other once and the winner declared as the team with the most points; and sometimes a group basis, with the winners decided by a play-off.

The format over the years was as follows:

YearsNo. of seasonsFormat
1948–491group system plus final
1949–523group system plus top-four knockout
1952–564group system plus final
1956–571league
1957–658group system plus final
1965–8318league
1983–852group system plus top-four knockout
1985–9611group system plus top-eight knockout
1996–971knock-out
1997–99 and 2002–033league (First Division clubs only)

Finals results

Winners of the Ulster Cup by season.

Key:

Scores level after 90 minutes. A replay was required.
(a.e.t.)Scores level after 90 minutes. Winner was decided in extra time with no penalty shootout required.
pens.Scores level after extra time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.
SeasonWinner (number of titles)ScoreRunner-upVenue
1948–49Linfield (1)3 – 0ArdsSolitude, Belfast
1949–50Larne (1)2 – 1Ballymena UnitedGrosvenor Park, Belfast
1950–51Glentoran (1)2 – 1LinfieldGrosvenor Park, Belfast
1951–52Ballymena United (1)3 – 0CrusadersSolitude, Belfast
1952–53Glentoran (2)3 – 0DistillerySolitude, Belfast
1953–54Crusaders (1)2 – 1LinfieldSolitude, Belfast
1954–55Glenavon (1)3 – 1ColeraineWindsor Park, Belfast
1955–56Linfield (2)5 – 1ColeraineThe Oval, Belfast
1956–57Linfield (3)League formatDistillery—
1957–58Distillery (1)1 – 1GlentoranSolitude, Belfast
Replay4 – 1Windsor Park, Belfast
1958–59Glenavon (2)2 – 0CrusadersWindsor Park, Belfast
1959–60Linfield (4)1 – 1CrusadersSolitude, Belfast
Replay4 – 1Windsor Park, Belfast
1960–61Ballymena United (2)3 – 1GlenavonGrosvenor Park, Belfast
1961–62Linfield (5)2 – 0GlentoranWindsor Park, Belfast
1962–63Glenavon (3)1 – 0ColeraineWindsor Park, Belfast
1963–64Crusaders (2)2 – 2GlenavonWindsor Park, Belfast
Replay1 – 0Windsor Park, Belfast
1964–65Linfield (6)1 – 0GlentoranWindsor Park, Belfast
1965–66Coleraine (1)League formatLinfield—
1966–67Glentoran (3)Glenavon
1967–68Linfield (7)Glentoran
1968–69Coleraine (2)Linfield
1969–70Coleraine (3)Glentoran
1970–71Linfield (8)Coleraine
1971–72Linfield (9)Ballymena United
1972–73Coleraine (4)Distillery
1973–74Ards (1)Linfield
1974–75Linfield (10)Glentoran
1975–76Coleraine (5)Linfield
1976–77Glentoran (4)Portadown
1977–78Linfield (11)Coleraine
1978–79Linfield (12)Crusaders
1979–80Linfield (13)Cliftonville
1980–81Ballymena United (3)Linfield
1981–82Glentoran (5)Coleraine
1982–83Glentoran (6)Linfield
1983–84Glentoran (7)5 – 2 (a.e.t.)ColeraineWindsor Park, Belfast
1984–85Linfield (14)2 – 2 (a.e.t.) (3 – 2 pens.)LarneThe Oval, Belfast
1985–86Coleraine (6)5 – 0 (a.e.t.)PortadownWindsor Park, Belfast
1986–87Coleraine (7)1 – 0LinfieldThe Oval, Belfast
1987–88Larne (2)2 – 1ColeraineThe Oval, Belfast
1988–89Glentoran (8)5 – 2LarneWindsor Park, Belfast
1989–90Glentoran (9)3 – 1GlenavonWindsor Park, Belfast
1990–91Portadown (1)1 – 1GlenavonThe Oval, Belfast
Replay1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (3 – 2 pens.)
1991–92Bangor (1)3 – 1CrusadersThe Oval, Belfast
1992–93Linfield (15)2 – 0ArdsThe Oval, Belfast
1993–94Crusaders (3)1 – 0BangorWindsor Park, Belfast
1994–95Bangor (2)2 – 1LinfieldThe Oval, Belfast
1995–96Portadown (2)2 – 2 (a.e.t.) (5 – 3 pens.)LinfieldWindsor Park, Belfast
1996–97Coleraine (8)1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (4 – 3 pens.)CrusadersWindsor Park, Belfast
1997–98Ballyclare Comrades (1)League formatDistillery—
1998–99Distillery (2)Ards
2002–03Dungannon Swifts (1)Ballymena United

Performance by club

Senior

ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning yearsRunners-up years
Linfield15111948–49, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1992–931950–51, 1953–54, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1994–95, 1995–96
Glentoran961950–51, 1952–53, 1966–67, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1989–901957–58, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1974–75
Coleraine881965–66, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1996–971954–55, 1955–56, 1962–63, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1987–88
Crusaders361953–54, 1963–64, 1993–941951–52, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1978–79, 1991–92, 1996–97
Ballymena United321951–52, 1960–61, 1980–811949–50, 1971–72
Glenavon351954–55, 1958–59, 1962–631960–61, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1989–90, 1990–91
Larne221949–50, 1987–881984–85, 1988–89
Portadown221990–91, 1995–961976–77, 1985–86
Bangor211991–92, 1994–951993–94
Distillery131957–581952–53, 1956–57, 1972–73
Ards121973–741948–49, 1992–93

First Division only

ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning yearsRunners-up years
Distillery111998–991997–98
Ballyclare Comrades101997–98—
Dungannon Swifts102002–03—
Ards01—1998–99
Ballymena United01—2002–03

Notes

External links