Oldest football competitions

This is a list of the oldest documented football competitions, played at school, club, national and international levels. The first list contains competitions that have been played continuously. The second is a list of competitions that are now defunct.

Current competitions

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Year commenced Date Competition Type First trophy awarded, years Original code Current code Location Notes & references
18587 AugustMelbourne Grammar School-Scotch College Cordner-Eggleston Cup, 1989–schools fixtureCordner-Eggleston Cup, ?experimental rulesAustralian rules footballMelbourne, Australia
185811 DecemberMerchiston Castle School vs. Edinburgh Academyschools fixture?Rugby footballRugby unionEdinburgh, Scotland[1]
1867Youdan Cupclub trophyYoudan Cup 1867Association footballAssociation footballEngland[2]
1871FA Cupclub trophyFA Cup
Original FA Cup trophy 1871–1897
Second FA Cup trophy 1898–1910
Current FA cup Trophy 1911–		Association footballAssociation footballEnglandOldest national football competition in the world.
1874United Hospitals Challenge Cupclub trophyUnited Hospitals Challenge Cup – 1874–Rugby footballRugby unionSurrey, EnglandOldest rugby football competition in the world.
1874Scottish Cupclub trophyScottish Cup 1874–Association footballAssociation footballScotland
1875Bromsgrove–KESschools fixtureSiviter-Smith Cup, 1935–Rugby footballRugby unionBromsgrove/Birmingham, EnglandLater trophy donated by Paul Siviter-Smith, a Birmingham businessman, who had sons at both schools.[3][4]
187513 NovemberThe GameInterscholastic match1875-modified Rugby unionAmerican footballUnited States
1876Birmingham Senior Cupregional club knock-out cup competition1875–?Association footballEnglish West MidlandsOldest regional trophy in the world.
187617 MarchUlster Schools Cupcup tournamentSchools Cup 1876–Rugby unionRugby unionRavenhill, Belfast, Northern Ireland
1877Welsh Cupclub trophyWelsh Cup, 1877–Association footballAssociation footballWales
187730 AprilSouth Australian Football Associationclub leagueThomas Seymour Hill Premiership Trophy, ?Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballAdelaide, South AustraliaOldest Australian rules football league and earliest governing body.
187717 MayVictorian Football Associationclub league?Victorian rulesAustralian rules footballMelbourne, AustraliaMost influential early governing body for Australian rules football.
1879Tasmanian Football Leagueclub league?Victorian rulesAustralian rules footballHobart, Tasmania, AustraliaSome discontinuity, most recently dormant between 2001 and 2008.
187910 MarchCalcutta Cupinternational challenge?Rugby footballRugby unionEngland, ScotlandCompeted for by the England and Scotland international rugby teams annually.
1880Cheshire Senior Cupcounty cup1880–Association footballAssociation footballCheshire, EnglandAlso includes teams from Greater Manchester and Merseyside, many from the historical boundaries of Cheshire.
1880Bendigo Football Leagueclub league?Victorian rulesAustralian rules footballBendigo, AustraliaIncludes the Castlemaine football club, second oldest football club in Australia.
1883Black Diamond Football Leagueclub leagueBlack Diamond Challenge Cup, 1888–Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballNewcastle, New South Wales, AustraliaTrophy donated to the league by Newcastle’s Richmond Tobacco Co., claims to be the longest running football trophy in Australia.[5][6]
1883Auckland Premierclub league?Rugby unionRugby unionAuckland, New ZealandThe winner of the competition has been awarded the Gallaher Shield since 1922.
1885West Australian Football Leagueclub league?Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballPerth, Western Australia
1886Airdrie Schools Cupclub trophy?Association footballAssociation footballAirdrie, ScotlandOldest schools association football tournament in the world. The tournament ceased in 1994 when Broomfield Stadium was demolished but was rejuvenated in 2011 in celebration of 125th anniversary at the new Broomfield Stadium.
1887Aberdeenshire Cupclub trophy1888Association footballAssociation footballAberdeenshire, ScotlandClaims to be second oldest association football tournament in the world.[7]
1887All-Ireland Senior Football Championshipinter-county cup1928Gaelic footballGaelic football
1888English Football Leagueclub league?Association footballAssociation footballOldest association football league.
1888Durand CuptournamentRoyal Scots Fusiliers, 1988–ExperimentalAssociation footballShimla, IndiaOldest football tournament in Asia.
1888Broken Hill Football Leagueclub league?Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballBroken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
1889Currie Cupprovincial tournamentCurrie Cup, 1889–Rugby footballRugby unionSouth AfricaOldest provincial rugby union competition in the world, and oldest national rugby union competition in the southern hemisphere.
1889Northern Football Leagueclub league?Association footballAssociation footballNorth East EnglandSecond-oldest association football league in the world.
1890Every JuneSt Joseph's College, Dumfries?1890, Part Pupils v Present Pupils TrophyAssociation footballAssociation footballDumfries, Scotland
1890Every NovemberBaldwin ShieldInter School Tournament?Association FootballAssociation footballBangalore, India
1891Argentine Primera Divisiónclub league?Association footballAssociation footballArgentinaOldest top-tier association football league in the world and oldest association football league outside Great Britain.
1892Brown Shieldinterprovincial knockout tournamentBrown Shield, 1892Association footballAssociation footballNew ZealandOriginally the country's premier football trophy, now only contested sporadically.[8]
1893IFA ShieldtournamentRoyal Irish RiflesExperimentalAssociation footballKolkata, India
1893 Boxing Day/ Christmas day (1893-98) Scarborough Fisherman v Fireman football match Cup The Silver Cup, 1901 Experimental Rules Experimental Rules Scarborough, England Organised as a charity football match to raise money for the Evelyn and Maud that sank. Still played annually today to raise money for the Finsherman and Fireman fund.
1895Belgian First Division Aclub leagueNational Championships 1895–Association footballAssociation footballBelgiumOldest association football league in continental Europe.
1895Hong Kong Shieldclub trophyAssociation footballAssociation footballHong Kong
1895Rugby Football League/Super Leagueclub leagueRugby Football League Championship 1895–Rugby leagueRugby leagueEngland
1896Challenge Cupclub league1896–Rugby leagueRugby leagueEurope
1896Victorian Football League/Australian Football Leagueclub leagueFlag 1895-; AFL Premiership Cup, 1959–Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballVictoria, Australia (national since 1990)Now the game's premier competition and highest governing body.
1898Yates Cupcollege leagueCanadian footballCanadian footballOntario, CanadaThe Ontario University Athletics football trophy and oldest football trophy in North America.
1898Calcutta Football Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballAssociation footballCalcutta, IndiaOldest Association football league in Asia.
1901Ontario Cupclub trophy1901–Association footballAssociation footballCanadaOldest association football competition in North America.
1901Nemzeti Bajnokságclub leagueAssociation footballAssociation footballHungary
1901New South Wales Suburban Rugby Unionclub leagueRugby unionRugby unionSydney, Australia
1902Copa del Reyclub trophyAssociation footballAssociation footballSpain
1902January 1 or 2Rose Bowl Gamebowl gameAmerican footballAmerican footballPasadena, California, United States
1902May 3Campeonato Paulistaclub league?Association footballAssociation footballSão Paulo state, Brazil
1903Sydney AFLclub leagueAustralian rules footballAustralian rules footballSydney, Australia
1904–Ranfurly Shieldprovincial challengeRanfurly Shield, 1902Rugby UnionRugby UnionNew Zealand First won by Auckland in 1902, and first challenged for in 1904.
1904–AFL Queensland State Leagueclub leagueAustralian rules footballAustralian rules footballBrisbane, Australia
1908–NSWRL/National Rugby Leagueclub leagueRugby leagueRugby leagueSydney, Australia
1908–Queensland Rugby Leagueclub leagueRugby leagueRugby leagueBrisbane, Australia
1908–The Ashesinternational challengeRugby leagueRugby leagueAustralia & Great Britain
1908–Anzac Testinternational challengeRugby leaguerugby leagueAustralia & New Zealand
1908–Hong Kong First Division Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballAssociation footballHong Kong
1909–Grey CupOriginally national club trophy; now national league"Rugby football" (early form of Canadian football)Canadian footballCanadaNow the championship trophy of the Canadian Football League.
1909–6 DecemberLiga Iclub leagueAssociation footballAssociation footballRomania
1910–New Zealand Rugby Leagueclub leagueRugby League Shield 1910–Rugby leagueRugby leagueAuckland, New Zealand
1910–Newcastle Rugby Leagueclub leagueRugby leagueRugby leagueNewcastle, New South Wales, Australia
1911–Illawarra Rugby Leagueclub leagueRugby leagueRugby leagueIllawarra, New South Wales, Australia
1912–Úrvalsdeildclub leagueAssociation footballAssociation footballIceland
1912–The Challenge Trophyclub fixtureConnaught Cup 1913–1926, Challenge Trophy 1926–1954, Carling Cup 1954–Association footballAssociation footballCanada
1914–IUFU Collingwood Cupuniversity trophy1914–Association footballAssociation footballRepublic of Ireland
1914–Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cupclub trophyNational Challenge Cup (1914); Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1999–)Association footballAssociation footballUnited StatesOldest association football competition in the United States of America.

Defunct competitions

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Years Date Competition Type First trophy awarded, years Original code Location Notes
1860–26 December—interclub fixture—Sheffield rulesSheffield, England[9][10]
1861–1876DecemberCaledonian Challenge Cupclub trophyCaledonian Challenge Cup, 1861–1864Melbourne RulesMelbourne, Australia[11]
1867 onlyYoudan Cupclub trophyYoudan Cup, 1867Sheffield rulesSheffield, England
1868 onlyCromwell Cupclub trophyCromwell Cup, 1868Sheffield rulesSheffield, England
1882–?Northern Football Associationclub league?Victorian rulesLaunceston, Tasmania
1884–1984Home International Championshipinternational challengeHome International Championship, 1884–1984Association footballHome Nations (UK)
1888–1956Netherlands Football League Championshipclub league?Association footballReplaced with Eredivisie for the 1956–1957 season
1890–2013Scottish Football Leagueclub league?Association footballScotland
1891–2001Rovers Cuptournament1st Worcester RegimentExperimentalBombay, India

References

  1. ↑ Chris Thau. "The oldest running rugby fixture in the world". Retrieved October 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ↑ "Oldest football cup 'not for sale'". BBC News. 2014-10-14. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  3. ↑ Highbeam Research citing Michael Blair, RUGBY UNION: Refresher course in old values; King Edward's School Birmingham 0 Bromsgrove School 18 the Birmingham Post, 2 December 2002
  4. ↑ Bromsgrove & KES Birmingham.
    • Thomas Winter Hutton, King Edward's School, Birmingham, 1552–1952, Blackwell, 1952. p. 148 "The first Bromsgrove game was in 1875, and 121 games have been played—two in a season at one period."
    • Henry Icely, Bromsgrove School through four centuries, Blackwell, 1953. pp. 69,99. "Rugby football, hitherto an unregulated and unsatisfactory game, was by 1875 a far better occupation for October half-holidays than wooding." "In the seventies the Rugby game was still twelve a side. There were School matches. KES, Birmingham, was an early fixture; SES, Oxford, was played for the first time in 1882."
  5. ↑ "FOOTBALL". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 12 May 1888. p. 6. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Australian Football 150 Years > Article > Football gold mined in coal country".
  7. ↑ Cryle, Ryan. "Draw for Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup revealed - Evening Express". Evening Express. evening express. Retrieved 19 July 2018. 120th edition of the tournament, which is claimed to be the second oldest association football cup competition in the world.
  8. ↑ "New Zealand - Brown Shield History". www.rsssf.com.
  9. ↑ "Hallam FC".
  10. ↑ "Sheffield FC". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  11. ↑ First contested in 1862 (a trophy was prepared for an 1861 match that was cancelled). The first Australian Rules competition and trophy History of the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne. Later trophy donated by the Athletic Sports Committee before becoming the South Yarra Challenge Cup.

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