• Home
  • Scotland
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Scotland Squads
      • Scotland Men's A
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • SWNT
        • News
        • SWNT Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • Men's Under-21s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-21 Squad
      • Men's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-19 Squad
      • Men's Under-18s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-23s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Women's Under-19 Squad
      • Women's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
    • Supporters & Tickets
      • News
      • Scotland Tickets
      • Ticket Information
        • Hampden Park Ticket App
        • SSC Ticket Info
      • Scotland Supporters Club Membership
        • SSC FAQs
        • SSC Loyalty Points
        • SSC Benefits
      • Hampden Hospitality
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Matchday Information
        • Supporters Buses
        • Code of Conduct
    • Shop
    • Official Scotland Podcast
    • Big Screen Messages
    • Competition | Scotland Golf Accessories
    • 50 Greatest Internationals
    • Roll of Honour
  • Scottish Cup
    • Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Scottish Cup 360
      • Scottish Cup Predictor powered by Scottish Gas
        • Register
        • Predictions
        • Leaderboards
        • My Account
      • Archive
        • Scottish Cup History
    • Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup Final Tickets
      • Women's Scottish Cup Past Winners
    • Youth Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Youth Cup Past Winners
    • Hampden Hospitality
    • Scottish Gas Hub
      • Cups
      • Camps
        • Scottish Gas Para Festivals
    • Big Screen Messages
  • Performance
    • News
    • JD Performance Schools
      • Braidhurst High School Motherwell
      • Broughton High School Edinburgh
      • Graeme High School Falkirk
      • Grange Academy Kilmarnock
      • Hazlehead Academy Aberdeen
      • Holyrood Secondary Glasgow
      • St John's High School Dundee
      • Applications
    • Club Academy Scotland
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Club Academy Scotland League Tables
    • Next Gen
      • Fixtures & Results
  • Football Development
    • News
    • Participation
      • Children's & Youth Football
        • Player Journey
        • Mini-Kickers
        • Cashback for Communitites
        • McDonald's Fun Football
        • Heading Guidelines
      • Adult (18 years+) Football
        • Futsal
        • Walking Football
        • Heading Guidance
      • Girls' & Women's Football
        • KDM Group Soccer Centres
        • SPAR Future Stars Football Cup
        • UEFA Disney Playmakers
      • Para-Football
    • Attractive Game
      • Facilities
      • Grassroots Awards
        • Award Categories
        • Winners
      • Discrimination Reporting Form
    • Coaching
      • News
      • Become a Coach
      • Find a Course
      • Coaching Pathway
        • Main (Youth/Adult) Pathway
        • Goalkeeping Pathway
        • Children's Pathway
        • Futsal Pathway
        • Degree & Specialist Courses
        • Talent ID Pathway
      • Coaching Development
        • Coaching CPD
        • Continuous Coach Development (CCD)
        • Scottish Football Coaching Podcast
      • Coach Education Newsletter
      • Chase Coaching Programme
        • Chase Coaching Programme Application
    • Club Services
      • Developing Your Club
        • Club Resources
        • Club Stories
        • Scottish Football Marketing Podcast
        • Howdens Game Changer Programme
      • Teamworks
      • Club Accreditation
        • Quality Mark Criteria
        • Quality Mark Club Opt-In
        • Quality Mark Club Sign Up
        • Club Resources
      • Scottish FA Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Case Studies
        • Netherdale Arena
        • Station Park
        • Gussie Park
      • Scottish FA Extra Time Programme
    • Regions
      • News
      • North Region
      • Central Region
      • East Region
      • West Region
      • South East Region
      • South West Region
    • Value of Football
    • Activity Hub
      • Physical Activities
        • Develop Your Skills
        • Challenge Yourself
        • Fun Activities
      • SPAR Fun At Home
    • Scottish Football Facilities Fund
  • Scottish FA
    • News
    • Referees
      • News
      • Referee Appointments
      • Become A Referee
        • Referee Structure & Pathway
        • Female Referee Recruitment
      • Referees' Associations
        • Aberdeen
        • Angus & Perthshire
        • Ayrshire
        • Edinburgh
        • Fife
        • Glasgow
        • Lanarkshire
        • Moray & Banff
        • North of Scotland
        • Renfrewshire
        • South of Scotland
        • Stirlingshire
        • Referee Association Training Days
      • Referee Education
        • Referee Courses
        • Laws of the Game
        • SQA Awards & Login
      • Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy
      • Key Match Incident Review Panel Outcomes
    • Football Governance
      • Scottish FA Handbook
      • Judicial Panel Protocol
      • Disciplinary
        • Disciplinary Updates
        • Player Suspensions
      • Club Licensing
      • Registrations
      • Anti-Doping
        • Staying Clean
        • Anti-Doping Testing
        • Anti-doping Resources
        • Summary of Anti-Doping Activities 2021/22
      • Security & Integrity
    • Wellbeing & Protection
      • Information for Children and Young People
      • Information for Parents and Carers
      • Information for Clubs
      • Wellbeing and Protection Resources
      • Adult Survivors of Abuse
      • Independent Wellbeing and Protection Advisory Board
      • How to Report a Concern
    • Organisation
      • News
      • Strategy & Structure
        • Who We Are
        • Affiliated National Associations
      • Hampden Park
      • Diversity & Inclusion
        • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board
        • Resources
        • Football Unites
      • Youth Ambassadors of Change
        • Apply to be an Ambassador
        • Meet the Team
        • Case Studies
      • Charities
      • Business Club
      • Media
        • Media Guidelines
      • Contact Us
      • Our Partners
        • Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
    • Power of Football
  • Pitching In
Scottish FA
  • Tickets
  • Shop
  • Newsletter
  • Careers
  • Supporters Club
  • Login
  • Hampden Park
  • Scotland
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Scotland Squads
      • Scotland Men's A
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • SWNT
        • News
        • SWNT Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • Men's Under-21s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-21 Squad
      • Men's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-19 Squad
      • Men's Under-18s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-23s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Women's Under-19 Squad
      • Women's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
    • Supporters & Tickets
      • News
      • Scotland Tickets
      • Ticket Information
        • Hampden Park Ticket App
        • SSC Ticket Info
      • Scotland Supporters Club Membership
        • SSC FAQs
        • SSC Loyalty Points
        • SSC Benefits
      • Hampden Hospitality
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Matchday Information
        • Supporters Buses
        • Code of Conduct
    • Shop
    • Official Scotland Podcast
    • Big Screen Messages
    • Competition | Scotland Golf Accessories
    • 50 Greatest Internationals
    • Roll of Honour
  • Scottish Cup
    • Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Scottish Cup 360
      • Scottish Cup Predictor powered by Scottish Gas
        • Register
        • Predictions
        • Leaderboards
        • My Account
      • Archive
        • Scottish Cup History
          • The History of the Cup
          • Scottish Cup Winners
    • Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup Final Tickets
      • Women's Scottish Cup Past Winners
    • Youth Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Youth Cup Past Winners
    • Hampden Hospitality
    • Scottish Gas Hub
      • Cups
      • Camps
        • Scottish Gas Para Festivals
    • Big Screen Messages
  • Performance
    • News
    • JD Performance Schools
      • Braidhurst High School Motherwell
      • Broughton High School Edinburgh
      • Graeme High School Falkirk
      • Grange Academy Kilmarnock
      • Hazlehead Academy Aberdeen
      • Holyrood Secondary Glasgow
      • St John's High School Dundee
      • Applications
    • Club Academy Scotland
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Club Academy Scotland League Tables
    • Next Gen
      • Fixtures & Results
  • Football Development
    • News
    • Participation
      • Children's & Youth Football
        • Player Journey
        • Mini-Kickers
        • Cashback for Communitites
        • McDonald's Fun Football
        • Heading Guidelines
      • Adult (18 years+) Football
        • Futsal
        • Walking Football
        • Heading Guidance
      • Girls' & Women's Football
        • KDM Group Soccer Centres
          • North Region
          • Central Region
          • West Region
          • East Region
          • South West Region
          • South East Region
        • SPAR Future Stars Football Cup
        • UEFA Disney Playmakers
      • Para-Football
    • Attractive Game
      • Facilities
      • Grassroots Awards
        • Award Categories
          • Best Volunteer in Youth Football
          • Best Volunteer in Girls' & Women's Football
          • Best Volunteer in Adult Football
          • Best Para-Football Activity, Project or Person
          • Best Community Football For All Project
          • Best Young Volunteer
          • Best Community Football Club
          • Best Fun Football Centre/Activity/Coach
          • Best Grassroots Referee
        • Winners
      • Discrimination Reporting Form
    • Coaching
      • News
      • Become a Coach
      • Find a Course
      • Coaching Pathway
        • Main (Youth/Adult) Pathway
          • UEFA B Licence
          • C Licence
          • UEFA Youth B Licence
        • Goalkeeping Pathway
          • UEFA Goalkeeping A Licence
          • UEFA Goalkeeping B Licence
          • Goalkeeping Coaching Award
          • Goalkeeping Coaching Certificate
        • Children's Pathway
          • Advanced Children's Coaching Licence
          • UEFA C Licence (Children's Pathway)
        • Futsal Pathway
        • Degree & Specialist Courses
          • BSc (Hons) Football Coaching, Performance & Development
          • Football Fitness Licence
          • First Aid E-Learning
          • Coach Educator Award
          • Football Unites E-Learning
          • Early Years
          • Performance Analysis
          • Continuous Coach Development
          • Continuous Professional Development
        • Talent ID Pathway
          • Introduction to Talent ID
          • Talent ID Certificate
          • Talent ID Award
          • Talent ID Licence
      • Coaching Development
        • Coaching CPD
        • Continuous Coach Development (CCD)
        • Scottish Football Coaching Podcast
      • Coach Education Newsletter
      • Chase Coaching Programme
        • Chase Coaching Programme Application
    • Club Services
      • Developing Your Club
        • Club Resources
        • Club Stories
          • Annan Athletic Case Study
          • Blairgowrie & Rattray
          • Bonnyrigg Rose Case Study
          • Cumbernauld Colts
          • Cumnock Juniors & Ayr United
          • Jeanfield Swifts Case Study
          • Jimmy Johnstone Academy
          • Musselburgh Windsor
          • Turriff Community Football Club
          • Broxburn United Case Study
          • East Kilbride United Community Sports Club Case Study
          • Sauchie Juniors Academy Case Study
          • Hermes Bridge of Don YFC Case Study
        • Scottish Football Marketing Podcast
        • Howdens Game Changer Programme
      • Teamworks
      • Club Accreditation
        • Quality Mark Criteria
        • Quality Mark Club Opt-In
        • Quality Mark Club Sign Up
        • Club Resources
      • Scottish FA Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Case Studies
        • Netherdale Arena
        • Station Park
        • Gussie Park
      • Scottish FA Extra Time Programme
    • Regions
      • News
      • North Region
      • Central Region
      • East Region
      • West Region
      • South East Region
      • South West Region
    • Value of Football
    • Activity Hub
      • Physical Activities
        • Develop Your Skills
        • Challenge Yourself
        • Fun Activities
      • SPAR Fun At Home
    • Scottish Football Facilities Fund
  • Scottish FA
    • News
    • Referees
      • News
      • Referee Appointments
      • Become A Referee
        • Referee Structure & Pathway
          • Category One Referee
          • Specialist Assistant Referee
          • Category Two Referee
          • Category Three Referee
          • Category Three Development Referee
          • Category Four Referee
          • Category Four Development Referee
          • Category Five Referee
          • Category Six Referee
          • Category Seven Referee
          • Category Seven A Referee
          • Category Seven B Referee
          • Category Eight Referee
          • Senior Associate Referee
        • Female Referee Recruitment
      • Referees' Associations
        • Aberdeen
        • Angus & Perthshire
        • Ayrshire
        • Edinburgh
        • Fife
        • Glasgow
        • Lanarkshire
        • Moray & Banff
        • North of Scotland
        • Renfrewshire
        • South of Scotland
        • Stirlingshire
        • Referee Association Training Days
      • Referee Education
        • Referee Courses
        • Laws of the Game
        • SQA Awards & Login
      • Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy
      • Key Match Incident Review Panel Outcomes
    • Football Governance
      • Scottish FA Handbook
      • Judicial Panel Protocol
      • Disciplinary
        • Disciplinary Updates
        • Player Suspensions
      • Club Licensing
      • Registrations
      • Anti-Doping
        • Staying Clean
        • Anti-Doping Testing
        • Anti-doping Resources
        • Summary of Anti-Doping Activities 2021/22
      • Security & Integrity
    • Wellbeing & Protection
      • Information for Children and Young People
      • Information for Parents and Carers
      • Information for Clubs
      • Wellbeing and Protection Resources
      • Adult Survivors of Abuse
      • Independent Wellbeing and Protection Advisory Board
      • How to Report a Concern
    • Organisation
      • News
      • Strategy & Structure
        • Who We Are
          • Board & Committees
          • Congress
          • Our Strategy & Values
        • Affiliated National Associations
      • Hampden Park
      • Diversity & Inclusion
        • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board
        • Resources
        • Football Unites
      • Youth Ambassadors of Change
        • Apply to be an Ambassador
        • Meet the Team
        • Case Studies
      • Charities
      • Business Club
      • Media
        • Media Guidelines
      • Contact Us
      • Our Partners
        • Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
    • Power of Football
  • Pitching In
Scottish FA
Menu

The History of the Cup

  • ...
  • Scottish Cup
  • Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup
  • Archive
  • Scottish Cup History
  • The History of the Cup
  • Archive
  • History of the Cup
  • Scottish Cup Winners

The beginning

In March 1873, eight clubs - Queen's Park, Clydesdale, Vale of Leven, Dumbreck, Third Lanark, Eastern Granville and Kilmarnock - came together to form the Scottish Football Association. It was decided that there should be a knockout competition open to all member clubs and the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup was formed. Following the FA Cup, it is the second oldest competition in association football.

The Scottish FA imposed new rules for these competitive games, helping to raise standards and putting the foundations in place for the professional game in Scotland.

The first tournament began in October 1873 and a total of 16 teams entered the competition. The final was held on 21 March 1874 at the original Hampden Park with Queen’s Park emerging victorious against Clydesdale. It was a tournament that Queen’s Park would dominate during that early period.

The trophy

The trophy stands at two-feet high and is primarily made from silver. Costing 56 pounds and 13 shillings at the time, the commission was given to Glasgow gold and silversmiths George Edward & Sons.

Although the Scottish Cup may be the second competition formed in the history of association football, the trophy itself is the oldest in the game and is recognised as such by Guinness World Records. The FA Cup is the oldest tournament but their trophy has been replaced on more than one occasion while the Scottish Cup has retained the same silverware since its launch in the 19th century.

Queen’s Park Captain, JJ Thompson was the first to lift the trophy when his team triumphed at the old Hampden. Since that day, every winning captain has held the cup aloft, adding to the legacy but also experiencing a connection to its rich past. The team don’t get to keep the trophy for long though. To protect this precious item, as soon as the team complete their victory lap, it’s returned to its custodians with a replica given to the club to display in their trophy cabinet.

You can see the Scottish Cup at the Scottish Football Museum in Hampden Park.

The arena

Hampden is synonymous with the Scottish Cup with the finals having been played at Scotland’s National Stadium on a regular basis since 1925 and on many occasions before that. The current Hampden is the third football ground to bear the name but the legacy remains intact.

The first Hampden Park gained its name from its location, built between Queen's Park Recreation Ground and Hampden Terrace. It was home to Queen’s Park for a decade from 1873 and hosted the first ever Scottish Cup Final in 1874 with 2,500 spectators in attendance. The final visited various grounds including Hamilton Crescent, Kinning Park and Cathkin Park with Hampden hosting again on several occasions.

Queen’s Park were forced to move following  developments around the ground and the second Hampden Park first hosted the tournament in 1885 and would be the venue for the final on a further 10 occasions until 1899.

The current Hampden opened in 1903 and hosted its first Scottish Cup Final in April 1904 where Rangers and Celtic played a five-goal thriller in front of 64,472, the largest crowd ever seen at a Scottish Cup Final up to that point. While the Scottish Cup Final would wander between Ibrox, Celtic Park and Hampden throughout the early 20th century, eventually it settled in 1925. As demand increased, so did the capacity and an incredible 147,365 strong crowd turned out for the 1937 final featuring Celtic and Aberdeen.

As times have changed, so has Hampden with the final phase of its modernisation completed in 1999 to make it an all-seater stadium with leading edge facilities and  a capacity of 51,866. It may have taken many forms over the years, but the magic of the Scottish Cup can still be witnessed every season, and the atmosphere on those great occasions remains unmatched by any other venue.

The winners

Queen’s Park dominated the early years of the cup, winning the first three tournaments.  They would win 10 Scottish Cup titles in total with their last coming in 1893.

Celtic have won the trophy more times than any other club with 41 titles to their name, the last coming in 2023. Their Glasgow rivals Rangers are not far behind with 34 Scottish Cup triumphs, the last coming in 2022.

In total, 25 teams have won the Scottish Cup but many of the names engraved on the trophy are no longer part of Scottish Football. Renton FC, Third Lanark and St Bernard’s may have long since disappeared but their names live on through their triumphs.

The Cup can still produce surprises with each club competing fiercely in the knowledge that a win will turn them into legends. In 2014, St Johnstone reached their first ever Scottish Cup Final in their 130-year history and won the match 2-0 against Dundee United.  The following year, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, a club formed in 1994, were victorious against Falkirk. Results like this enrich the history of the Cup and they mean that each new season, fans and players from every club dare to dream.

Unforgettable moments, like David Gray heading home a late winner for Hibernian in 2016, Tom Rogic scoring a last minute winner for Celtic to secure their treble in 2017 or St Johnstone securing an incredible Cup-double in 2021 continue to show the magic of this great competition.

Women's Scottish Cup

In 2022, ahead of the 150th anniversary of the national game, and the 50th anniversary of the first-ever official Scotland Women's National Team match, against England, the Scottish FA launched a new national women’s cup competition – the Women's Scottish Cup. For the first time, both semi-finals and the final of the competition would take place at Scotland's National Stadium, Hampden Park, and Celtic would become the first side to lift the brand new trophy, with a 2-0 win over Glasgow rivals Rangers in May 2023.

SCOTTISH CUP ARCHIVE

Delve into the Scottish Cup archives to look back at previous seasons of the Scottish Cup competition.

FORMAT & RULES

Find out about the rules and regulations of the 2024-25 Scottish Cup.

Scottish Gas logo
IMG
Premier Sports
  • Scotland
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Scotland Squads
    • Supporters & Tickets
    • Shop
    • Official Scotland Podcast
    • Big Screen Messages
    • Competition | Scotland Golf Accessories
    • 50 Greatest Internationals
    • Roll of Honour
  • Scottish Cup
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Format & Rules
    • Scottish Cup 360
    • Scottish Cup Predictor powered by Scottish Gas
    • Archive
  • Performance
    • News
    • JD Performance Schools
    • Club Academy Scotland
    • Next Gen
  • Football Development
    • News
    • Participation
    • Attractive Game
    • Coaching
    • Club Services
    • Regions
    • Value of Football
    • Activity Hub
    • Scottish Football Facilities Fund
  • Scottish FA
    • News
    • Referees
    • Football Governance
    • Wellbeing & Protection
    • Organisation
    • Power of Football

Social

Scotland National Team Scottish Cup
Scotland National Team Scottish Cup Scottish FA
Scotland National Team Scottish Cup
Scotland National Team Scottish Cup Scottish FA
Scottish FA
The Scottish Football Association Ltd, Hampden Park, Glasgow G42 9AY | T: +44 (0) 141 616 6000

Want to advertise on this site? Email for further details.
© The Scottish Football Association 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ticket Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Newsletter Sign-up
  • SSC Member Login