Birmingham Junior Cup

The Birmingham Junior Cup was a tournament for non-league clubs who were members of the Birmingham Football Association.

Early years

The competition was set up by the Birmingham Junior Football Association, which grew to 50 member clubs by 1885.[1] In its first season the competition was known as the Foresters Cup or Foresters Challenge Cup.[2]

From 1883–84, second XIs of Birmingham Football Association members were allowed to enter, and the competition changed its name to the Birmingham Junior Cup. A decision in 1886 to allow former players from the "national cup" to take part in the Junior Cup opened up entries to stronger sides, although the second XIs were now excluded.[3] This lasted until the 1892–93 season, when the Junior Association set up its own league, and as a result closed the competition off from many clubs (such as Singers) from equivalent leagues.

Later incarnations

By 1969, the competition was known as the Saturday Junior Cup, and later became known as the Saturday Amateur Cup, restricted to clubs outside the football pyramid.

List of 19th century winners

Season Winners Result Runner-up Notes Ref(s)
1882–83Aston Morning Star4–0Nechells VillaAt Aston Villa's Wellington Road ground[4]
1883–84West Bromwich Albion reserves10–1SpeedwellAt the Lyndon Recreation Ground, West Bromwich; Speedwell was ahead at half-time but played the second half a man short through injury[5]
1884–85West Bromwich Albion reserves1–0Walsall Swifts reservesAt Wednesbury Old Athletic's Wood Green Oval[6]
1885–86Perry Barr2–1Walsall Town reservesAt Birmingham Excelsior's Fentham Road ground before a "meagre" crowd[7]
1886–87Langley Green Victoria3–1Unity GasAt the Smethwick Carriage Works ground at Brasshouse Lane[8]
1887–88Aston Victoria2–0Unity GasAt Wellington Road[9]
1888–89Aston Victoria2–0Wolverhampton DruidsAt Wellington Road; after two 2–2 draws[10]
1889–90Smethwick Carriage Works2–0PackingtonAt the Coventry Cricket Ground[11]
1890–91Singers1–0Willenhall PickwickSingers now known as Coventry City; at Wellington Road[12]
1891–92Singers2–1Willenhall PickwickAt Wellington Road
1892–93Lozells3–2Park MillsAt the Aston Lower Grounds in front of a crowd of 3,500[13]
1893–94Willenhall Pickwick4–1LozellsAt Molineux; after a 2–2 draw at the Lower Grounds[14]
1894–95Walsall Unity1–0Windsor Street GasAt Wellington Road in front of 6,000 spectators; updates from the 1895 FA Cup final (received by telegram) were paraded around the pitch during the match, albeit most updates turned out to be erroneous[15]
1895–96Bilston United2–1LozellsAt Wellington Road[16]
1896–97Rudge Whitworth3–0Warwick UnitedAt the Aston Lower Grounds; the final game to take place at the venue[17]
1897–98Darlaston4–2Hoobrook OlympicAt Villa Park; Darlaston came back from 2–0 down[18]
1898–99Coombs Wood3–2BournbrookReplay at Small Heath's Coventry Road ground after a 1–1 draw at West Brom's Stoney Lane ground; Bournbrook was 2–0 up deep in the second half when reduced to 10 men through injury[19]
1899–1900Bloxwich Strollers2–1Bournville AthleticAt Darlaston's City Ground in front of 4,000 spectators[20][21]
Source:[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Football Association". Midland Athlete -: 597. 20 September 1886.
  2. ↑ "Saturday's football". Birmingham Mail: 3. 12 March 1883.
  3. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Football Association". Birmingham Mail: 4. 6 October 1886.
  4. ↑ "Football notes". Midland Athlete: 352. 18 April 1883.
  5. ↑ "Junior Cup. -Final Tie". Smethwick Telephone: 8. 10 May 1884.
  6. ↑ "Football notes". Magpie: 11. 2 May 1885.
  7. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Cup - Final tie". Athletic News: 7. 18 May 1886.
  8. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Cup Final Tie". Birmingham Post: 7. 9 May 1887.
  9. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Cup Tie - Final". Birmingham Daily Times -: 3. 24 March 1888.
  10. ↑ "The Junior Cup final". Athletic News: 2. 29 April 1889.
  11. ↑ "Football shots". Coventry Reporter: 3. 12 April 1890.
  12. ↑ "The Singers story". Sky Blue Archive. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Cup - Final". Birmingham Gazette: 6. 17 April 1893.
  14. ↑ Davis, Horace; Davis, Peter. "The Picks The story of Willenhall Pickwicks Football Club". Willenhall History. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Walsall Unity v Windsor Street Gas". Walsall Advertiser: 6. 27 April 1895.
  16. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Cup - Final". Lichfield Mercury: 6. 24 April 1896.
  17. ↑ "Football notes - association". Coleshill Chronicle: 2. 17 April 1897.
  18. ↑ "Wednesbury & District". Sports Argus: 4. 23 April 1898.
  19. ↑ "Birmingham Junior Cup - final". Sports Argus: 4. 23 April 1898.
  20. ↑ "Bournville Athletic v Bloxwich Strollers". Sports Argus: 5. 21 April 1900.
  21. ↑ "Bloxwich Strollers". Sports Argus: 2. 25 August 1900.
  22. ↑ "BIRMINGHAM COUNTY FA CUP COMPETITIONS Previous Winners". Football Association. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
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