FA Youth Cup
 | |
| Founded | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Region |
 England Wales |
| Number of teams | 474 |
| Current champions | Chelsea (2015–16) |
| Most successful club(s) | Manchester United (10 wins) |
| Website | The FA Youth Cup |
 2016–17 FA Youth Cup | |
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It is dominated by the youth sides of professional teams, mostly from the Premier League, but attracts over 400 entrants from throughout the country.
At the end of the Second World War the FA had decided to organise a Youth Championship for County Associations considering it the best way to stimulate the game among those youngsters not yet old enough to play senior football. The matches did not attract large crowds but outstanding players were selected for Youth Internationals and thousands were given the chance to play in a national contest for the first time. In 1951 it was realised that a competition for clubs would probably have a wider appeal. The FA Youth Challenge Cup (1952–53 season) was restricted to the youth teams of clubs, both professional and amateur, who were members of the FA.[1]
The notion of a youth cup was thought of by Sir Joe Richards, the late President of the Football League. He initially put forward the idea to the league clubs but they were not enthused, Richards then took the idea to the Football association who liked the idea and created the competition in the same year.[2] The Youth Cup trophy itself was purchased by the Football League during World War II. However, they never found a use for it. Football League secretary Fred Howarth found the trophy in a cupboard at the Starkie Street office and handed it over to the Football Association.[2]
Manchester United are the competition's most successful club, winning it ten times. The current holders are Chelsea.
The tournament has served as a springboard into the professional game for many top British players. The likes of George Best, John Barnes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge, Jack Wilshere, and Gareth Bale had all won the tournament or played in the final. The 1991-92 FA Youth Cup famously spawned the rise of Fergie's Fledglings.
Previous finals
- For squads see FA Youth Cup Finals.
- Finals were played over 2 legs; the aggregate scores are given below.
Winners table
| Club | Wins | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 10 | 4 | 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2011 | 1982, 1986, 1993, 2007 |
| Chelsea | 7 | 3 | 1960, 1961, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 | 1958, 2008, 2013 |
| Arsenal | 7 | 1 | 1966, 1971, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2009 | 1965 |
| West Ham United | 3 | 4 | 1963, 1981, 1999 | 1957, 1959, 1975, 1996 |
| Everton | 3 | 4 | 1965, 1984, 1998 | 1961, 1977, 1983, 2002 |
| Aston Villa | 3 | 3 | 1972, 1980, 2002 | 1978, 2004, 2010 |
| Liverpool | 3 | 3 | 1996, 2006, 2007 | 1963, 1972, 2009 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 2 | 1970, 1974, 1990 | 1981, 1995 |
| Ipswich Town | 3 | 0 | 1973, 1975, 2005 | |
| Manchester City | 2 | 6 | 1986, 2008 | 1979, 1980, 1989, 2006, 2015, 2016 |
| Crystal Palace | 2 | 2 | 1977, 1978 | 1992, 1997 |
| Sunderland | 2 | 1 | 1967, 1969 | 1966 |
| Millwall | 2 | 1 | 1979, 1991 | 1994 |
| Watford | 2 | 1 | 1982, 1989 | 1985 |
| Leeds United | 2 | 0 | 1993, 1997 | |
| Newcastle United | 2 | 0 | 1962, 1985 | |
| Norwich City | 2 | 0 | 1983, 2013 | |
| Coventry City | 1 | 4 | 1987 | 1968, 1970, 1999, 2000 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1 | 4 | 1958 | 1953, 1954, 1962, 1976 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 3 | 1959 | 1998, 2001, 2012 |
| Middlesbrough | 1 | 2 | 2004 | 1990, 2003 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1 | 2 | 1976 | 1955, 1969 |
| Burnley | 1 | 0 | 1968 | |
| Birmingham City | 0 | 1 | 1967 | |
| Bristol City | 0 | 1 | 1973 | |
| Cardiff City | 0 | 1 | 1971 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 0 | 1 | 1987 | |
| Chesterfield | 0 | 1 | 1956 | |
| Doncaster Rovers | 0 | 1 | 1988 | |
| Fulham | 0 | 1 | 2014 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 0 | 1 | 1974 | |
| Preston North End | 0 | 1 | 1960 | |
| Sheffield United | 0 | 1 | 2011 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 0 | 1 | 1991 | |
| Southampton | 0 | 1 | 2005 | |
| Stoke City | 0 | 1 | 1984 | |
| Swindon Town | 0 | 1 | 1964 |
FA Cup and FA Youth Cup double
Only five clubs have ever achieved the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup "double".
Chelsea F.C are the only club to achieve this twice.
- Arsenal (1970–71)
- Everton (1983–84)
- Coventry City (1986–87)
- Liverpool (2005–06)
- Chelsea (2009–10 and 2011–12)
Chelsea (2009–10) and Arsenal won the top flight in their double cup years.
Attendance record
The highest attendance at an FA Youth Cup match was 38,187 for the first leg of the Arsenal against Manchester United semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on 14 March 2007, which Arsenal won 1–0.[3]
International capped winners
- Tables are ordered by date of first cap.
2010s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Lawrence | MF | Manchester United | 2011 | Wales |
v  Andorra, 13 October 2015 |
| Andreas Christensen | DF | Chelsea | 2014 |  Denmark |
v  Montenegro, 8 June 2015 |
| Aliu Djaló | MF | Chelsea | 2010 |  Guinea-Bissau |
|
| Paul Pogba | MF | Manchester United | 2011 |  France |
v  Georgia, 22 March 2013 |
| Gökhan Töre | MF | Chelsea | 2010 |  Turkey |
v  Estonia, 10 August 2011 |
| Jeffrey Bruma | DF | Chelsea | 2010 |  Netherlands |
v  Ukraine, 12 August 2010 |
2000s
1990s
1980s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David James | GK | Watford | 1989 | England |
v  Mexico 29 March 1997 |
| Andy Hinchcliffe | DF | Manchester City | 1986 | England |
v  Moldova 1 September 1996 |
| David White | MF | Manchester City | 1986 | England |
v  Spain 9 September 1992 |
| Mark Walters | MF | Aston Villa | 1980 | England |
v  New Zealand 3 June 1991 |
| Jeremy Goss | MF | Norwich City | 1983 | Wales |
v  Iceland May 1 1991 |
| Steve Morrow | DF | Arsenal | 1988 |  Northern Ireland |
v  Uruguay 19 May 1990 |
| Pat Scully | DF | Arsenal | 1988 |  Republic of Ireland |
v  Tunisia 19 October 1988 |
| Paul Gascoigne | MF | Newcastle United | 1985 | England |
v Denmark 14 September 1988 |
| Tony Rees | FW | Aston Villa | 1980 | Wales |
v  Norway 6 June 1984 |
1970s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Fenwick | DF | Crystal Palace | 1977, 1978 | England |
v Wales 2 May 1984 |
| Derek Statham | DF | West Bromwich Albion | 1976 | England |
v Wales 23 February 1983 |
| Steve Lovell | FW | Crystal Palace | 1978 | Wales |
v  Soviet Union 18 November 1981 |
| Kevin O'Callaghan | MF | Millwall | 1979 | Republic of Ireland |
v  Czechoslovakia 29 April 1981 |
| Noel Brotherston | MF | Tottenham Hotspur | 1974 | Northern Ireland |
v  Scotland 16 May 1980 |
| Jerry Murphy | MF | Crystal Palace | 1977, 1978 | Republic of Ireland |
v Wales 11 September 1979 |
| Peter Nicholas | MF | Crystal Palace | 1978 | Wales |
v Scotland 19 May 1979 |
| John Wark | MF | Ipswich Town | 1975 | Scotland |
v Wales 19 May 1979 |
| John Gidman | DF | Aston Villa | 1972 | England |
v  Luxembourg 30 March 1977 |
| Brian Little | FW | Aston Villa | 1972 | England |
v Wales 21 May 1975 |
| Graeme Souness | MF | Tottenham Hotspur | 1970 | Scotland |
v  East Germany 30 October 1974 |
1960s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Rimmer | GK | Manchester United | 1964 | England |
v  Italy 28 May 1976 |
| Billy Hughes | FW | Sunderland | 1967 | Scotland |
v  Sweden 16 April 1975 |
| Dave Thomas | FW | Burnley | 1968 | England |
v Czechoslovakia 30 October 1974 |
| Dennis Yaager | MF | Everton | 1965 |  Australia |
v  Iran 4 November 1970 |
| Sammy Nelson | FW | Arsenal | 1966 | Northern Ireland |
v England 21 April 1970 |
| Pat Rice | DF | Arsenal | 1966 | Northern Ireland |
v  Israel 10 September 1968 |
| Bobby Moncur | FW | Newcastle United | 1962 | Scotland |
v Netherlands 30 May 1968 |
| David Sadler | FW | Manchester United | 1964 | England |
v Northern Ireland 22 November 1967 |
| Peter Bonetti | GK | Chelsea | 1960 | England |
v Denmark 3 July 1966 |
| Terry Venables | MF | Chelsea | 1960, 1961 | England |
v .svg.png){kind=small} Belgium 21 October 1964 |
| George Best | FW | Manchester United | 1964 | Northern Ireland |
v Wales 15 April 1964 |
| Bobby Tambling | FW | Chelsea | 1960 | England |
v Wales 21 November 1962 |
1950s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Newton | DF | Blackburn Rovers | 1959 | England |
v  West Germany 23 February 1966 |
| Shay Brennan | FW | Manchester United | 1955 | Republic of Ireland |
v Spain 5 May 1965 |
| Fred Pickering | DF | Blackburn Rovers | 1959 | England |
v  United States 27 May 1964 |
| Mike England | DF | Blackburn Rovers | 1959 | Wales |
v Northern Ireland 11 April 1962 |
| Phil Kelly | DF | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1958 | Republic of Ireland |
v Wales 28 September 1960 |
| Joe Carolan | MF | Manchester United | 1956 | Republic of Ireland |
v Sweden 1 November 1959 |
| Wilf McGuinness | MF | Manchester United | 1954, 1955, 1956 | England |
v Northern Ireland 4 October 1958 |
| Bobby Charlton | FW | Manchester United | 1954, 1955, 1956 | England |
v Scotland 19 April 1958 |
| David Pegg | FW | Manchester United | 1953, 1954 | England |
v Republic of Ireland 19 May 1957 |
| Billy Whelan | FW | Manchester United | 1953 | Republic of Ireland |
v Netherlands 10 May 1956 |
| Duncan Edwards | MF, FW | Manchester United | 1953, 1954, 1955 | England |
v Scotland 2 April 1955 |
See also
- FA Youth Cup Finals
- FA Cup
- U21 Premier League Cup
- Professional Development League
- Football League Youth Alliance
References
- ↑ FA Youth Cup history: TheFA.com website.
- 1 2 Inglis, Simon. Football League and the men who made it. Harper Collins. p. 205. ISBN 978-0002182423.
- ↑ Match report on Arsenal F.C. official website.
External links
- The FA Youth Cup at The Football Association official website