FAI Cup

Current season or competition: FAI Cup 2009
FAI Cup
Sport	Football
Founded	1922
No. of teams	44
Country(ies)	Ireland
Most recent champion(s)	Sporting Fingal FC

The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup^[1](FAI Cup), known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry City from Northern Ireland). Organised by the FAI (Football Association of Ireland), it is of similar format to the FA Cup played in England and the Scottish Cup in Scotland. The competition is currently sponsored by the car manufacturer, Ford. It was known as the Free State Cup from 1923 to 1936. Shamrock Rovers hold the record of most wins with 24.

The current holders are Sporting Fingal who beat Sligo Rovers in Tallaght Stadium on November 22nd 2009. The full time score ended 2-1 to Sporting Fingal, they came back from 1-0 down to score 2 late goals to win their first FAI Cup.

[edit] Venues

Since the early 1920s, all but a handful of FAI Cup finals were held at Dalymount Park, Dublin. However, since 1990, due to the lack of development of Dalymount, the final has been played at a number of different venues. From 1990 until 1997 it was played at Landsdowne Road, stadium, from 1997-1999, back at Dalymount, from 1999 to 2002 at Tolka Park and from 2003 to 2006 back at Landsdowne Road. Due to the redevelopment of Landsdowne, the 2007 and 2008 finals were played at the RDS Arena. The 2009 final will take place in the Tallaght Stadium. Finals from 2010 onwards will take place in the Aviva Stadium.

[edit] History

After two defeats in Cup Finals in the 1970s, Drogheda United finally reached the summit in 2005. Goals from Gavin Whelan (whose father, Paul, captained Bohemians to the 1992 cup and whose grandfather, Ronnie, won 2 cups with St. Patrick's Athletic) and captain Declan O'Brien helped "the Drogs" to a 2-0 win over Cork City.

Shelbourne , Bohemians and Derry City are the only clubs to win both the (Northern) Irish Cup and the FAI Cup, although Shelbourne and Bohemians only won it before partition, while Derry City remained in the Northern Irish league system until 1973, entering the League of Ireland in 1985.

The last ever soccer game to be played at the old Lansdowne Road was the 2006 final, contested between St. Patrick's Athletic and Derry City, who ran out eventual 4-3 winners after extra-time. The original FAI Cup was also retired after the game with a brand new version of the trophy to be used in the following seasons.

Athlone Town A.F.C. in 1924, Dundalk F.C. in 1958 and Shamrock Rovers F.C. in 1968 are the only three sides to ever win the Cup without conceding a goal.

Since 2003, Irish domestic football has moved from the traditional European August-May season to a summer set-up, as favoured in Scandinavia. As an "interim" season was played in the second half of 2002, two FAI Cup Finals took place that year - Dundalk winning April's Cup, Derry City lifting the trophy in November.

[edit] FAI Cup Final results

[edit] Performance By Club

[edit] Notes

• ^ Includes Cork United
• ^ Includes Waterford
• ^ Includes Limerick United
• ^ Includes Drogheda
• ^ Since 1985 when Derry joined league

[edit] Resources

• Ireland - List of Cup Finals
• Ireland - FA of Ireland Cup 1921/22-1993/94
• Ford named as new FAI Cup sponsors until 2010

1. ^ http://dynimg.rte.ie/0000ff2b10dr.jpg