1946 Victory Cup

The Victory Cup was a one-off Scottish football competition held in 1946 to celebrate the end of World War II. It is an unofficial competition in statistical terms, taking place at the end of the 1945–46 season just before official competitions such as the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Cup resumed.

The winners of the Victory Cup were Rangers who defeated Hibernian 3–1 in the final at Hampden Park in Glasgow.[1][2][3]

Summary

The format was a straight knockout tournament open to clubs from across Scotland, with the first round being played over two legs, subsequent rounds in a single match with replays as necessary and the semi-finals and final at neutral venues.[1] A preliminary tournament took place between September 1945 and January 1946, with Clachnacuddin and East Stirlingshire (who won the final held between them in a second replay) qualifying to make up 32 participants for the final tournament which was held between April and June 1946.

The trophy itself had been used throughout the war for the Southern League Cup which was contested five times on a regional basis, four of these being won by Rangers. Its last edition was played on a nationwide basis (acting as a forerunner to the Scottish League Cup) and was won by Aberdeen. However, the Scottish Football Association asked for the trophy to be returned for use in the Victory Cup, and Rangers' win meant it stayed in their possession permanently.[4][5]

A similar wartime competition was held at the end of World War I, won by St Mirren.[1][6]

A separate Victory In Europe Cup had been held in May 1945, in the form of a single match at Hampden between Celtic and Queen's Park arranged by the organisers of the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup; Celtic won that trophy by having won one more corner kick, following a 1–1 result.[7]

Results

First round
Leg 1 Team 1 Aggregate Team 2 Leg 2
2–0Aberdeen4–0Hamilton Academical2–0
4–0Airdrieonians5–1Dumbarton1–1
3–1Alloa Athletic3–6Heart of Midlothian0–5
3–4Arbroath4–7Raith Rovers1–3
1–3Ayr United3–7Morton2–4
2–2Clachnacuddin3–9Partick Thistle1–7
4–2Clyde6–3Albion Rovers2–1
0–0Cowdenbeath5–3Queen's Park5–3
2–1Dundee United3–4Queen of the South1–3
2–0East Fife2–3Kilmarnock0–3
2–1Falkirk6–3Motherwell4–2
3–0Hibernian3–2Dundee0–2
2–8St Johnstone2–13Celtic0–5
3–1St Mirren5–3East Stirlingshire2–2
1–4Stenhousemuir2–8Rangers1–4
1–2Third Lanark3–2Dunfermline Athletic2–0

Second round
Team 1 Aggregate Team 2
Aberdeen1–1Kilmarnock
Airdrieonians0–4Rangers
Celtic3–0Queen of the South
Clyde0–0Morton
Cowdenbeath1–1Partick Thistle
Falkirk3–2Third Lanark
Hibernian3–1[8]Heart of Midlothian
Raith Rovers2–1St Mirren

Replays
Team 1 Aggregate Team 2
Kilmarnock0–3Aberdeen
Morton0–2Clyde
Partick Thistle2–1Cowdenbeath

Quarter-finals
Team 1 Aggregate Team 2
Clyde4–2Aberdeen
Falkirk1–1Rangers
Partick Thistle1–1Hibernian
Raith Rovers0–2Celtic

Replays
Team 1 Aggregate Team 2
Rangers2–0Falkirk
Hibernian2–0Partick Thistle

Semi-finals
Team 1 Aggregate Team 2 Venue
Hibernian2–1ClydeTynecastle Park
Rangers0–0CelticHampden Park

Replay
Team 1 Aggregate Team 2 Venue
Celtic0–2[9][10]RangersHampden Park

Final
Rangers3–1Hibernian
Gillick
Duncanson 		Aitkenhead
Attendance: 100,000[3]
Referee: J. M. Martin[2]
Rangers:[3]
GKBobby Brown
FBSammy Cox
FBJock Shaw
RHCharlie Watkins
CHGeorge Young
LHScot Symon
RWWillie Waddell
IFTorrance Gillick
CFWillie Thornton
IFJimmy Duncanson
LWJimmy Caskie
Manager:
Bill Struth
Hibernian:[2]
GK1Jimmy Kerr
DF2Jock Govan
DF3Davie Shaw
MF4Hugh Howie
MF5Peter Aird
MF6Willie Finnigan
FW7Gordon Smith
FW8Willie Peat
FW9Arthur Milne
FW10Johnny Aitkenhead
FW11Bobby Nutley
Manager:
Willie McCartney

References
  1. "Victory Cup". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  2. "Match details, Victory Cup 15/06/1946 [Hibernian team]". FitbaStats. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  3. "Match details, Victory Cup 15/06/1946 [Rangers team]". FitbaStats. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  4. "WWII Victory Cup". QPFC. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  5. Kevin Stirling (27 January 2014). "League Cup History 1946". Aberdeen F.C. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  6. "Victory Cup". StMirren.info. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. "Victory In Europe Cup". The Celtic Wiki. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  8. "Sat 04 May 1946; Hearts 1 Hibernian 3". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  9. "Rangers in Victory Cup Final". Glasgow Herald. 6 June 1946. Retrieved 1 October 2018 – via The Celtic Wiki.
  10. Tales of Jimmy Mallan, Charles Buchan’s Football Weekly, September 1955, via Not The View, January 2019
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