# Football Times Cup

The Football Times Cup is an annual association football cup for competition between football clubs across the Highlands & Islands of Scotland.
The cup is a registered Scottish FA competition which runs under the auspices of the North Caledonian FA.

## Origins

The Football Times Cup was named after "The Football Times" – a Saturday evening football results and general news print newspaper produced by Highland News Ltd for distribution in Inverness and surrounding counties, from 1888 until the late 1960s.
The title made a brief return in the 1990s as a supplement of Highland News Group publications, including the Highland News, North Star and Lochaber News, but was again fazed out and ceased to exist by the 2000s.
First introduced the 1923–24 season, the sterling silver Football Times Cup was donated by Highland News Ltd for competition between clubs connected to the North of Scotland Junior FA.
Until the 1970s, the trophy was traditionally presented to the winning captain by the editor of the newspaper, or a representative from Highland News.
The Football Times Cup remains the second oldest cup competition to come under the auspices of the North of Scotland Junior FA (now known as the North Caledonian League), the oldest being the North Caledonian Cup.

## History

At the time of the Football Times Cup's introduction, the North of Scotland Junior FA's membership was made up in the majority by Highland Football League reserve sides, or 'A' combinations, from Inverness or Nairn, along with a select group of junior clubs, such as Nelson, Dingwall Victoria United (who later became Ross County) and Muir of Ord Rovers.
Highland League 'A' sides continued to dominate the competition until the 1960s when the league's presence grew across the Highlands and membership from clubs outside of the central Highlands increased.
During the 1993–94 season, with an unprecedented 16 teams holding membership and some clubs facing a campaign of over 40 games, the North Caledonian FA elected to play the Football Times Cup as a seven-a-side competition.
Although the format was popular with teams, it immediately returned to an 11-a-side competition the following season.
In 2019–20, the trophy was played for across a group format, split between the North and South of its competing members, along with guest club Lewis & Harris. After all group games were played, the winners of each group played in the final.

## Past winners

| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Notes |
| 2024–25 | Inverness Athletic | 3–1 | Alness United | Dalmore Park, Alness | |
| 2023–24 | Invergordon $^{[9]}$ | 3–2 | Inverness Athletic | King George V Park, Golspie | |
| 2022–23 | Invergordon $^{[8]}$ | 3–1 | St Duthus | King George V Park, Golspie | |
| 2021–22 | Thurso $^{[3]}$ | 2–2 $^p$ | Halkirk United | Harmsworth Park, Wick | Thurso won 3–2 on penalties |
| 2020–21 | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak |
| 2019–20 | St Duthus $^{[3]}$ | 3–2 | Golspie Sutherland | Dudgeon Park, Brora | North and South group stages as opposed to knockout format |
| 2018–19 | Alness United $^{[2]}$ | 3–2 | Golspie Sutherland | Couper Park, Helmsdale | |
| 2017–18 | Orkney $^{[2]}$ | 2–0 | Lewis & Harris | King George V Park, Golspie | First ever all-island final |
| 2016–17 | Invergordon $^{[7]}$ | 2–0 | Thurso | Couper Park, Helmsdale | |
| 2015–16 | Thurso $^{[2]}$ | 2–0 | Golspie Sutherland | Couper Park, Helmsdale | |
| 2014–15 | Golspie Sutherland $^{[5]}$ | 2–0 | Orkney | Sir George's Park, Thurso | |
| 2013–14 | Golspie Sutherland $^{[4]}$ | 2–1 | Thurso | Morrison Park, Halkirk | |
| 2012–13 | Golspie Sutherland $^{[3]}$ | 3–2 | Orkney | | |
| 2011–12 | Muir of Ord Rovers $^{[6]}$ | 3–0 | Halkirk United | | |
| 2010–11 | Muir of Ord Rovers $^{[5]}$ | 2–1 | Dingwall Thistle | | |
| 2009–10 | Dingwall Thistle $^{[4]}$ | 3–2 | Halkirk United | | |
| 2008–09 | Halkirk United | 2–0 | Golspie Sutherland | | |
| 2007–08 | Balintore $^{[5]}$ | 3–1 | Golspie Sutherland | | |
| 2006–07 | Inverness City | 3–2 | Golspie Sutherland | | |
| 2005–06 | Invergordon $^{[6]}$ | | | | |
| 2004–05 | Golspie Sutherland $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 2003–04 | Balintore $^{[4]}$ | | | | |
| 2002–03 | Thurso | 1–0 | Halkirk United | Sir George's Park, Thurso | |
| 2001–02 | Bunillidh Thistle $^{[2]}$ | 2–1 | Bonar Bridge | | |
| 2000–01 | Alness United | | | | |
| 1999–00 | Invergordon $^{[5]}$ | | | | |
| 1998–99 | Caledonian Thistle 'A' | | Golspie Sutherland | Alness | |
| 1997–98 | Balintore $^{[3]}$ | 2–1 | Alness United | Grant Park, Tain | |
| 1996–97 | Ross County 'A' $^{[8]}$ | | Clachnacuddin 'A' | | |
| 1995–96 | Ross County 'A' $^{[7]}$ | | Bunillidh Thistle | | |
| 1994–95 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[8]}$ | | | | |
| 1993–94 | Ross County 'A' $^{[6]}$ | | | | Played as a 7-a-side competition |
| 1992–93 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[7]}$ | 4–2 | Inverness Thistle 'A' | | After extra time |
| 1991–92 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[6]}$ | 4–2 | Balintore | Crawl Park, Alness | |
| 1990–91 | Invergordon $^{[4]}$ | 3–1 | Balintore | Victoria Park, Dingwall | |
| 1989–90 | Invergordon $^{[3]}$ | | Balintore | Crawl Park, Alness | After extra time and penalties |
| 1988–89 | Balintore $^{[2]}$ | 2–2 $^p$ | Invergordon | | After extra time Balintore won 7–6 on penalties |
| 1987–88 | Invergordon $^{[2]}$ | | Fearn Thistle | | |
| 1986–87 | Bunillidh Thistle | | | | |
| 1985–86 | Muir of Ord Rovers $^{[4]}$ | | | | |
| 1984–85 | Dingwall Thistle $^{[3]}$ | | | | |
| 1983–84 | Fort William | | | | |
| 1982–83 | Balintore | | | | |
| 1981–82 | Tain St Duthus $^{[2]}$ | 2–0 | Balintore | Fearn | |
| 1980–81 | Tain St Duthus | 3–0 | Wick Academy | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 1979–80 | Muir of Ord Rovers $^{[3]}$ | | | | |
| 1978–79 | Wick Academy $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1977–78 | Muir of Ord Rovers $^{[2]}$ | 2–2 $^p$ | Tain St Duthus | | Muir of Ord won on penalties |
| 1976–77 | | | | | |
| 1975–76 | Dingwall Thistle $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1974–75 | Invergordon | | | | |
| 1973–74 | Brora Rangers 'A' | | | | |
| 1972–73 | Wick Academy | | | | |
| 1971–72 | Dingwall Thistle | | | | |
| 1970–71 | Easter Ross | 2–0 | Caledonian 'A' | Grant Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1969–70 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[10]}$ | | | | |
| 1968–69 | Golspie Sutherland | | | | |
| 1967–68 | Black Rock Rovers | | | | |
| 1966–67 | Avoch Rovers | | | | |
| 1965–66 | | | | | |
| 1964–65 | Ross County 'A' $^{[5]}$ | | | | |
| 1963–64 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[9]}$ | | | | |
| 1962–63 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[5]}$ | | | | |
| 1961–62 | | | | | |
| 1960–61 | Ross County 'A' $^{[4]}$ | | Caledonian 'A' | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1959–60 | Inverness Thistle 'A' $^{[5]}$ | 2–1 | Caledonian 'A' | Grant Street Park, Inverness | Played on New Year's Day |
| 1958–59 | Ross County 'A' $^{[3]}$ | | Caledonian 'A' | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1957–58 | Nairn County 'A' | | Inverness Thistle 'A' | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1956–57 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[4]}$ | 4–0 | Invergordon | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1955–56 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[3]}$ | | | | |
| 1954–55 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[8]}$ | | | | |
| 1953–54 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[7]}$ | | | | |
| 1952–53 | Inverness Thistle 'A' $^{[4]}$ | | | | |
| 1951–52 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[6]}$ | | | | |
| 1950–51 | Clachnacuddin 'A' $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1949–50 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[5]}$ | | | | |
| 1948–49 | Ross County 'A' $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1947–48 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[4]}$ | | | | |
| 1946–47 | Ross County 'A' | | | | |
| 1938–39 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[3]}$ | | | | |
| 1937–38 | 1st Battalion Highlanders | | | | |
| 1936–37 | Nelson (Inverness) $^{[4]}$ | | | | |
| 1935–36 | Caledonian 'A' $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1934–35 | Inverness Thistle 'A' $^{[3]}$ | 3–1 | Highland Light Infantry | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1933–34 | Nelson (Inverness) $^{[3]}$ | 2–0 | Inverness Thistle 'A' | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1932–33 | Muir of Ord Rovers | 2–0 | Clachnacuddin 'A' | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1931–32 | Clachnacuddin 'A' | | | | |
| 1930–31 | Inverness District Asylum | | | | |
| 1929–30 | Caledonian 'A' | | | | |
| 1928–29 | Nelson (Inverness) $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1927–28 | Dingwall Victoria United | | | | |
| 1926–27 | Nelson (Inverness) | | | | First non-Highland League side to win the cup. |
| 1925–26 | Inverness Thistle 'A' $^{[2]}$ | | | | |
| 1924–25 | Inverness Thistle 'A' | | | | |
| 1923–24 | Inverness Citadel 'A' | | | | |

## Performance by club

| Club | Wins | Years |
| Caledonian 'A' | 10 | 1929–30, 1935–36, 1938–39, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1969–70 |
| Invergordon | 9 | 1974–75, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1999–00, 2005–06, 2016–17, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Ross County 'A' | 8 | 1946–47, 1948–49, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97 |
| Clachnacuddin 'A' | 8 | 1931–32, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1962–63, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95 |
| Muir of Ord Rovers | 6 | 1932–33, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1985–86, 2010–11, 2011–12 |
| Golspie Sutherland | 5 | 1968–69, 2004–05, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 |
| Balintore | 5 | 1982–83, 1988–89, 1997–98, 2003–04, 2007–08 |
| Inverness Thistle 'A' | 5 | 1924–25, 1925–26, 1934–35, 1952–53, 1959–60 |
| Dingwall Thistle | 4 | 1971–72, 1975–76, 1984–85, 2009–10 |
| Nelson (Inverness) | 4 | 1926–27, 1928–29, 1933–34, 1936–37 |
| Thurso | 3 | 2002–03, 2015–16, 2021–22 |
| St Duthus | 3 | 1980–81, 1981–82, 2019–20 |
| Orkney | 2 | 2014–15, 2017–18 |
| Alness United | 2 | 2000–01, 2018–19 |
| Bunillidh Thistle | 2 | 1986–87, 2001–02 |
| Wick Academy | 2 | 1972–73, 1978–79 |
| Inverness Athletic | 1 | 2024–25 |
| Halkirk United | 1 | 2007–08 |
| Inverness City | 1 | 2006–07 |
| Caledonian Thistle 'A' | 1 | 1998–99 |
| Fort William | 1 | 1983–84 |
| Brora Rangers 'A' | 1 | 1973–74 |
| Easter Ross | 1 | 1970–71 |
| Black Rock Rovers | 1 | 1967–68 |
| Avoch Rovers | 1 | 1966–67 |
| Nairn County 'A' | 1 | 1957–58 |
| 1st Battalion Highlanders | 1 | 1937–38 |
| Inverness District Asylum | 1 | 1930–31 |
| Dingwall Victoria United | 1 | 1927–28 |
| Inverness Citadel 'A' | 1 | 1923–24 |