The Forfarshire Cup is a football competition in Scotland competed for by teams in the Forfarshire Football Association from Angus, Dundee and Perth.[1] The name of the competition is often baffling to some, as "Forfarshire" is an archaic and anglicised name for Angus which became official in the late 19th century around the time of Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 which restructured and renamed many of Scotland's counties, however the name quickly fell into disuse and was very rarely used in everyday conversation and non existent today.

The Forfarshire Football Association was founded in 1883 and comprised eighteen clubs. Twelve from Dundee, two from Arbroath and one each from Broughty Ferry and Lochee (both independent of Dundee at the time), Coupar Angus and Montrose. The association immediately put up a trophy for competition between its member clubs. At that time, cup competitions were the only form of organised football in Scotland. In the early days of Scottish football the county cups were regarded as just as prestigious as the Scottish Cup, especially outwith the west of Scotland and the Central Belt whose teams were most successful in the Scottish Cup, with the result that they often attracted substantial crowds. Even in 1911, several special trains conveyed supporters of Arbroath to Dens Park for the final against Dundee Hibs and they contributed to a crowd of more than 7,000.

The competition has continued to be played every season as of 2006, although the Dundee clubs left in the 1980s. Dundee United asked the Forfarshire FA for permission to field their reserve team, as it had become virtually impossible for United to find suitable dates for their ties due to their regular participation in European competition. When this was refused the club withdrew from the competition and the FFA; shortly afterwards, Dundee followed suit. United re-entered the competition in the 2001–02 season, and the club now fields a mixture of first team and reserve/youth players. Even long before this Dundee played reserve teams in the early 20th century and withdrew from various seasons' competitions. Dundee withdrew completely for a few years in the early 1950s and also in the 1960s due to fixture congestion.[2] From 2011–12 season, the competition was played as an under-19 tournament.

Dundee, to date, have won 28 trophies and as such are the most successful team in the competition's history.

Forfarshire FA remains an Affiliated Association of the Scottish Football Association.

List of winners

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  • Note that until October 1923 Dundee United were known as Dundee Hibernian
  • Lochee United were a senior team not affiliated with their junior namesake
  • 1919–1920 competition was replayed after Dundee appealed against an ineligible player[3]
  • 1927–1928 competition was discontinued at the semi-final stage
  • Stadium info- Rollo's Pier- home of Strathmore (Dundee).[4] Strathmore later merged with Johnstone Wanderers to form Dundee Wanderers.[5] East Dock Street- home of Dundee Harp.[6]
Season Winner Runner-Up Score Venue Attendance
1883–84 Arbroath Dundee Harp 2–1 Rollo's Pier 5,000
1884–85 Dundee Harp Strathmore (Arbroath) 2–2; 15–1 (R) Rollo's Pier 8,000 (replay)
1885–86 Dundee Harp Arbroath 5–3 West Craigie Park 11,000
1886–87 Dundee Harp Strathmore (Dundee) 4–2 West Craigie Park 7,000
1887–88 Arbroath Strathmore (Dundee) 10–2 East Dock Street 7,000
1888–89 Arbroath Dundee East End 2–1 East Dock Street 3,500
1889–90 Dundee Our Boys Dundee East End 2–1 East Dock Street 6,000
1890–91 Dundee Our Boys Dundee East End 6–2 East Dock Street
1891–92 Montrose Dundee East End 5–3 Carolina Port
1892–93 Arbroath Dundee Harp 1–0 Carolina Port
1893–94 Dundee Dundee Harp 4–0 Carolina Port 10,000
1894–95 Dundee Lochee United 1–0 Gayfield Park
1895–96 Arbroath Dundee 2–0 East Dock Street
1896–97 Arbroath Forfar Athletic 2–2; 5–2 (R) Carolina Port
1897–98 Dundee Wanderers Arbroath 1–1; 7–5 (R) Carolina Port
1898–99 Arbroath Dundee Wanderers 4–2 Carolina Port
1899–1900 Arbroath Lochee United 3–3; 1–0 (R) Dens Park 5,000 (replay)
1900–01 Dundee Dundee Wanderers 1–0 Dens Park 4,000
1901–02 Dundee Wanderers Arbroath 3–2 Dens Park 6,000
1902–03 Dundee Montrose 2–1 Links Park 2,000
1903–04 Dundee Wanderers Montrose 1–1; 3–0 (R) Dens Park; Gayfield Park (replay) 5,000
1904–05 Dundee Arbroath walkover
1905–06 Forfar Athletic Arbroath 1–1; 2–1 (R) Dens Park; Links Park (replay)
1906–07 Arbroath Dundee 1–0 Dens Park 2,000
1907–08 Forfar Athletic Montrose 4–1 Dens Park 5,000
1908–09 Dundee Brechin City 2–0 Dens Park 3,000
1909–10 Brechin City Arbroath 4–1 Dens Park
1910–11 Dundee Hibernian Arbroath 1–0 Dens Park 7,000
1911–12 Dundee Brechin City 2–0 Dens Park 3,000
1912–13 Dundee Montrose 1–1; 7–0 (R) Dens Park 3,000 (replay)
1913–14 Arbroath Dundee Hibernian 1–1; 2–1 Dens Park 8,000; 9,000 (replay)
1914–15 Dundee Hibernian Arbroath 2–0 Dens Park 5,000
1915–16 Suspended during World War I
1916–17
1917–18
1918–19
1919–20 Dundee Hibernian Dundee 1–0 Dens Park 12,000
1920–21 Arbroath Dundee 2–2; 3–0 (R) Dens Park; Gayfield Park 9,000; 2,000 (replay)
1921–22 Montrose Forfar Athletic 1–0 Gayfield Park 5,000
1922–23 Dundee Forfar Athletic 2–0 Dens Park
1923–24 Arbroath Forfar Athletic 3–0 Dens Park
1924–25 Dundee Arbroath 1–0 Dens Park 6,000
1925–26 Dundee Arbroath 4–2 Tannadice Park
1926–27 Brechin City Montrose 4–3 agg Links Park; Glebe Park
1927–28 Not completed
1928–29 Dundee United Forfar Athletic 2–1 Dens Park
1929–30 Dundee United Montrose 2–1 Dens Park
1930–31 Forfar Athletic Dundee 2–1 Dens Park
1931–32 Montrose Dundee United 1–0 Gayfield Park
1932–33 Montrose Dundee 1–1; 1–0 (R) Gayfield Park 2,000; 2,500 (replay)
1933–34 Arbroath Brechin City 4–1 Tannadice Park
1934–35 Dundee Arbroath 1–1; 1–0 (R) Tannadice Park 11,600; 8,600 (replay)
1935–36 Arbroath Montrose 1–0 Gayfield Park
1936–37 Arbroath Brechin City 3–1 Links Park
1937–38 Dundee Dundee United 3–0 Dens Park 3,000
1938–39 Arbroath Dundee United 2–0 Dens Park
1939–40 Arbroath Dundee 1–1; 2–0 (R) Dens Park; Gayfield Park 2,000; 1,500 (replay)
1940–41 Suspended during World War II
1941–42
1942–43
1943–44
1944–45 Dundee Arbroath 6–0 Dens Park 6,500
1945–46 Dundee Forfar Athletic 6–1 Dens Park 4,000
1946–47 Dundee Dundee United 5–0 Dens Park 14,000
1947–48 Dundee United Arbroath 4–1 Dens Park
1948–49 Dundee Arbroath 1–1; 2–0 (R) Dens Park 5,500 (replay)
1949–50 Dundee Brechin City 3–2 (aet) Dens Park 3,500
1950–51 Dundee United Dundee 3–2 Dens Park 12,500
1951–52 Montrose Arbroath 2–1 Gayfield Park
1952–53 Brechin City Dundee United 2–1 Tannadice Park
1953–54 Dundee United Arbroath 2–1 Tannadice Park 3,000
1954–55 Dundee Montrose 6–0 Dens Park 1,500
1955–56 Dundee Arbroath 2–0 Dens Park 4,500
1956–57 Not completed
1957–58 Arbroath Forfar Athletic 3–2 Glebe Park 3,000
1958–59 Brechin City Dundee United 6–0 Gayfield Park
1959–60 Dundee Forfar Athletic 3–2 Dens Park 6,500
1960–61 Dundee United Montrose 6–3 Tannadice Park
1961–62 Montrose Arbroath 2–1 Gayfield Park
1962–63 Dundee United Arbroath 2–1 (aet) Dens Park 6,000
1963–64 Dundee United Montrose 4–0 Tannadice Park
1964–65 Dundee United Dundee 1–0 Tannadice Park 15,000
1965–66 Dundee Brechin City 2–1 Dens Park 1,500
1966–67 Dundee Dundee United 4–3 Dens Park 7,000
1967–68 Not completed
1968–69 Dundee United Arbroath 2–0 Tannadice Park
1969–70 Not completed
1970–71 Dundee Dundee United 2–0 Tannadice Park 8,000
1971–72 Dundee United Dundee 4–0 Tannadice Park 6,500
1972–73 Montrose Dundee United 2–1 Gayfield Park
1973–74 Not completed
1974–75 Dundee United Montrose 3–1 Links Park
1975–76 Dundee United Dundee 3–1 Tannadice Park 10,778
1976–77 Dundee United Arbroath 3–0 Gayfield Park
1977–78 Not completed
1978–79 Forfar Athletic Dundee 3–1 Station Park 2,000
1979–80 Dundee United Dundee 2–1 Dens Park 9,027
1980–81 Not completed
1981–82 Not completed
1982–83 Not completed
1983–84 Forfar Athletic Dundee 3–2 Station Park 2,308
1984–85 Dundee United Forfar Athletic 2–1 Tannadice Park 2,580
1985–86 Dundee Dundee United 2–0 Tannadice Park 5,201
1986–87 Dundee United Montrose 5–0 Tannadice Park 1,162
1987–88 Dundee United Dundee 3–2 Dens Park 4,773
1988–89 Dundee Arbroath 3–0 Gayfield Park
1989–90 Dundee St Johnstone 3–2 McDiarmid Park 4,786
1990–91 Forfar Athletic Brechin City
1991–92 Montrose St Johnstone 4–1 Links Park
1992–93 St Johnstone Montrose 4–1 Links Park 473
1993–94 Arbroath Dundee 2–0 Gayfield Park
1994–95 Forfar Athletic St Johnstone 3–2 Station Park 483
1995–96 Arbroath Forfar Athletic 3–2 Gayfield Park
1996–97 Brechin City
1997–98 Forfar Athletic St Johnstone 2–1 Station Park
1998–99 St Johnstone Brechin City 1–0 McDiarmid Park
1999–2000 Dundee Forfar Athletic 2–2 (4–3 pens) Station Park
2000–01 Not completed
2001–02 Dundee United Montrose 5–1 Tannadice Park
2002–03 Not completed
2003–04 St Johnstone Montrose 2–0 McDiarmid Park
2004–05 Dundee United Forfar Athletic 1–0 Station Park 1,097
2005–06 Not completed
2006–07 St Johnstone Arbroath 3–2 Gayfield Park
2007–08 Brechin City Montrose 2–1 Glebe Park 353
2008–09 Not completed
2009–10 Not completed
2010–11 Not completed
2011–12 St Johnstone Dundee United 1–1 (4–2 pens.) Tannadice Park
2012–13 Not completed
2013–14 Not completed
2014–15 Forfar Athletic Arbroath 3–3 (5–4 pens.) Gayfield Park 577
Rank Club Number of Wins
1 Dundee 28
2 Dundee Hibernian/United 21
3 Arbroath 20
4 Montrose 10
5 Forfar Athletic 9
6 Brechin City 6
7 St Johnstone 5
8 Dundee Harp 3
= Dundee Wanderers 3
10 Dundee Our Boys 2

References

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  1. ^ Forfarshire Cup, Scottish Football Historical Archive
  2. ^ "Forfarshire FA Homepage". Forfarshire FA. Retrieved 29 October 2009.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Price, Norrie; "They Wore the Dark Blue"
  4. ^ "Dundee's Footballing Victorians". Dundee Programme Collector. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Dundee's Footballing Victorians". Dundee Programme Collector. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Dundee's Footballing Victorians". Dundee Programme Collector. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
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