League of Ireland Cup
The League of Ireland Cup (Irish: Corn Sraithe na hÉireann) is a football competition open to all League of Ireland clubs. Some invited clubs from the lower levels of the Republic of Ireland football league system participate and occasionally these sides have included junior league representative selections.
| Organising body | Football Association of Ireland League of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Region |  |
| Number of teams | 24 (2018) |
| Current champions | Dundalk F.C |
| Most successful club(s) | Derry City (11 titles) |
 | |
The format has changed from year to year. For the most part it has been used as a precursor to the league season, with 6 groups of 4 teams (geographically based), with the winners and two best runners up going on to the last eight (which started the knockout phase). The knockout stage would be played midweek through the season. In the late 1990s the cup went into a straight knockout format and recently has reverted to again starting with a group phase, this time with 8 groups of 3 with only the winners progressing. In 2006, the competition was once again contested on a straight knock-out basis, with a regionalised seeding system determining pairings and byes in the early rounds. The winners of the cup receive a €25,000 prize.
The League Cup Final has also changed format many times. They have been played on neutral grounds, with two-legged games and currently (and historically most times) a draw is made to see which finalist gets home advantage.
The competition began in 1973, replacing the earlier League of Ireland Shield.
From 2009, the League of Ireland Cup has been sponsored by Electronic Arts and branded for sponsorship reasons as the EA Sports Cup.[1]
List of League Cup Finals
 |
Score on aggregate after 2 legs |
| Match was won on a penalty shootout |
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973/74 | Waterford | 2 – 1 | Finn Harps | ||
| 1974/75 | Bohemians | 3 – 2 |
Finn Harps | ||
| 1975/76 | Limerick | 4 – 1 |
Sligo Rovers | ||
| 1976/77 | Shamrock Rovers | 1 – 0 | Sligo Rovers | ||
| 1977/78 | Dundalk | 4 – 4 |
Cork Alberts | ||
| 1978/79 | Bohemians | 2 – 0 | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 1979/80 | Athlone Town | 4 – 2 | St. Patrick's Athletic | ||
| 1980/81 | Dundalk | 0 – 0 | Galway Rovers | ||
| 1981/82 | Athlone Town | 1 – 0 | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 1982/83 | Athlone Town | 2 – 1 | Dundalk | ||
| 1983/84 | Drogheda United | 3 – 1 | Athlone Town | ||
| 1984/85 | Waterford United | 2 – 1 | Finn Harps | ||
| 1985/86 | Galway United | 2 – 0 | Dundalk | ||
| 1986/87 | Dundalk | 1 – 0 | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 1987/88 | Cork City | 1 – 0 | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 1988/89 | Derry City | 4 – 0 | Dundalk | ||
| 1989/90 | Dundalk | 1 – 1 | Derry City | ||
| 1990/91 | Derry City | 2 – 0 | Limerick | ||
| 1991/92 | Derry City | 1 – 0 | Bohemians | ||
| 1992/93 | Limerick City | 2 – 0 | St. Patrick's Athletic | ||
| 1993/94 | Derry City | 1 – 0 |
Shelbourne | ||
| 1994/95 | Cork City | 2 – 1 |
Dundalk | ||
| 1995/96 | Shelbourne | 2 – 2 |
Sligo Rovers | ||
| 1996/97 | Galway United | 4 – 2 |
Cork City | ||
| 1997/98 | Sligo Rovers | 1 – 0 |
Shelbourne | ||
| 1998/99 | Cork City | 2 – 1 |
Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 1999/00 | Derry City | 5 – 2 |
Athlone Town | ||
| 2000/01 | St. Patrick's Athletic | 5 – 3 |
UCD | ||
| 2001/02 | Limerick F.C. | 2 – 2 |
Derry City | ||
| 2002/03 | No Competition due to change in seasons | ||||
| 2003 | St. Patrick's Athletic | 1 – 0 | Longford Town | Richmond Park, Dublin | |
| 2004 | Longford Town | 2 – 1 | Bohemians | Flancare Park, Longford | |
| 2005 | Derry City | 2 – 1 | UCD | Belfield Park | 2,150 |
| 2006 | Derry City | 0 – 0 | Shelbourne | Brandywell Stadium, Derry | |
| 2007 | Derry City | 1 – 0 | Bohemians | Brandywell Stadium, Derry | 7,700 |
| 2008 | Derry City | 6 – 1 | Wexford Youths | Ferrycarrig Park, Crossabeg | 3,500 |
| 2009 | Bohemians | 3 – 1 | Waterford United | Waterford Regional Sports Centre, Waterford | 4,000 |
| 2010 | Sligo Rovers | 1 – 0 | Monaghan United | Showgrounds, Sligo | 3,000 |
| 2011 | Derry City | 1 – 0 | Cork City | Turner's Cross, Cork | 4,164 |
| 2012 | Drogheda United | 3 – 1 | Shamrock Rovers | Tallaght Stadium, Dublin | 3,120 |
| 2013 | Shamrock Rovers | 2 – 0 | Drogheda United | Tallaght Stadium, Dublin | 3,820 |
| 2014 | Dundalk | 3 – 2 | Shamrock Rovers | Oriel Park, Dundalk | 3,500 |
| 2015 | St Patrick's Athletic | 0 – 0 | Galway United | Eamonn Deacy Park, Galway | 3,662 |
| 2016 | St Patrick's Athletic | 4 – 1 | Limerick | Markets Field, Limerick | 4,362 |
| 2017 | Dundalk | 3 - 0 | Shamrock Rovers | Tallaght Stadium, Dublin | 4,102 |
| 2018 | Derry City | 3 - 1 | Cobh Ramblers | Brandywell Stadium, Derry | 3,500 (est) |
| 2019 | Dundalk | 2 – 2 | Derry City | Brandywell Stadium, Derry | 3,500 (est) |
Performance By Club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning Years | Years runners up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derry City | 11 | 3 | 1988/89, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1999/00, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2018 | 1989/90, 2001/02, 2019 |
| Dundalk | 7 | 4 | 1977/78, 1980/81, 1986/87, 1989/90, 2014, 2017, 2019 | 1982/83, 1985/86, 1988/89, 1994/95 |
| St. Patrick's Athletic | 4 | 2 | 2000/01, 2003, 2015, 2016 | 1979/80, 1992/93 |
| Bohemians | 3 | 3 | 1974/75, 1978/79, 2009 | 1991/92, 2005, 2007 |
| Athlone Town | 3 | 2 | 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83 | 1983/84, 1999/2000 |
| Cork City | 3 | 2 | 1987/88, 1994/95, 1998/99 | 1996/97, 2011 |
| Limerick 1 | 3 | 2 | 1975/76, 1992/93, 2001/02 | 1990/91, 2016 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 2 | 8 | 1976/77, 2013 | 1978/79, 1981/82, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1998/99, 2012, 2014, 2017 |
| Sligo Rovers | 2 | 3 | 1997/98, 2010 | 1975/76, 1976/77, 1995/96 |
| Galway United 2 | 2 | 2 | 1985/86, 1996/97 | 1980/81, 2015 |
| Waterford United 3 | 2 | 1 | 1973/74, 1984/85 | 2009 |
| Drogheda United | 2 | 1 | 1983/84, 2012 | 2013 |
| Shelbourne | 1 | 3 | 1995/96 | 1993/94, 1997/98, 2006 |
| Longford Town | 1 | 1 | 2004 | 2003 |
| Finn Harps | - | 3 | - | 1973/74, 1974/75, 1984/85 |
| UCD | - | 2 | - | 2000/01, 2005 |
| Cork Alberts | - | 1 | - | 1977/78 |
| Wexford Youths | - | 1 | - | 2008 |
| Monaghan United | - | 1 | - | 2010 |
| Cobh Ramblers | - | 1 | - | 2018 |
Sponsors
Bass League Cup: 1975/1976 – 1978/79
Opel League Cup: 1986/87 – 1989/90
Bord Gáis League Cup: 1990/91/ – 1995/96
Harp Lager League Cup: 1996/97 – 1998/99
Eircom League Cup: 1999/00 – 2008
EA Sports Cup: 2009 –
Television coverage
The Final has been broadcast live since 2005, first by Setanta Sports, then since 2016 by its successor channel Eir Sport
References
- "EA SPORTS confirmed as new title sponsor of League of Ireland Cup". FAI. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
External links
- Ireland League Cup Finals from RSSSF
- League of Ireland Shield Winners from RSSSF