George Wilson Cup

George Wilson Cup
Organising body	Irish Football Association
Founded	1953
Abolished	2019
Region	Northern Ireland
Last champions	Knockbreda Reserves (2018–19)
Most successful club(s)	Glentoran II (11 titles)

The George Wilson Memorial Cup is a competition open to the reserve football teams of member clubs of the NIFL Premiership. Initially it was open to all members of the B Division, both "attached and unattached" (i.e. reserve sides and independent intermediate clubs), but since 1977–78 it has been limited to reserve sides only. It has not been played since 2019.

History

Founded in the 1952–53 season in memory of Crusaders official, George Wilson the final has been traditionally held at Crusaders' home ground Seaview (with a few exceptions when matches have been held at Taylor's Avenue (Carrickfergus), Ballymena Showgrounds and Mourneview Park). Appropriately, the first winners were Crusaders Reserves.

The format has varied over the years between league format, straight knockout and group format.

Past winners

1952–53 Crusaders Reserves
1953–54 Linfield Swifts
1954–55 Coleraine Reserves
1955–56 Ballyclare Comrades
1956–57 Distillery II
1957–58 Ards II
1958–59 Larne
1959–60 Larne
1960–61 Ballyclare Comrades
1961–62 Linfield Swifts
1962–63 Ballyclare Comrades
1963–64 Glenavon Reserves
1964–65 Dundela
1965–66 Glentoran II
1966–67 Glentoran II
1967–68 Dundela
1968–69 Larne
1969–70 not played
1970–71 Larne
1971–72 Dundela
1972–73 Brantwood
1973–74 Dungannon Swifts
1974–75 Dundela
1975–76 Limavady United
1976–77 Banbridge Town F.C.
1977–78 Larne Olympic
1978–79 Larne Olympic
1979–80 Glentoran II
1980–81 Linfield Swifts
1981–82 Distillery II
1982–83 Ards II
1983–84 Linfield Swifts
1984–85 Linfield Swifts
1985–86 Coleraine Reserves
1986–87 Glentoran II
1987–88 Distillery II
1988–89 Linfield Swifts
1989–90 Ballymena United Reserves
1990–91 Ballymena United Reserves
1991–92 Coleraine Reserves
1992–93 Bangor Reserves
1993–94 Ballyclare Comrades Reserves
1994–95 Bangor Reserves
1995–96 Coleraine Reserves
1996–97 Portadown Reserves
1997–98 Bangor Reserves
1998–99 Linfield Swifts
1999–00 Cliftonville Olympic
2000–01 Glentoran II
2001–02 Glentoran II
2002–03 Glentoran II
2003–04 Dungannon Swifts Reserves
2004–05 Glentoran II
2005–06 Dungannon Swifts Reserves
2006–07 Crusaders Reserves
2007–08 Cliftonville Olympic
2008–09 Linfield Swifts
2009–10 Glentoran II
2010–11 Linfield Swifts
2011–12 Glentoran II^[1]
2012–13 Cliftonville Olympic^[2]
2013–14 Glentoran II^[3]
2014–15 Crusaders Reserves^[4]
2015–16 Cliftonville Olympic^[5]
2016–17 Cliftonville Olympic^[6]
2017–18 Harland & Wolff Welders U20^[7]
2018–19 Knockbreda Reserves^[8]
2019–20 not played due to coronavirus pandemic

Performance by club

Team	No. of wins	Winning years
Glentoran II	11	1965–66, 1966–67, 1979–80, 1986–87, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14
Linfield Swifts	10	1953–54, 1961–62, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1998–99, 2008–09, 2010–11
Cliftonville Olympic	5	1999–00, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17
Coleraine Reserves	4	1954–55, 1985–86, 1991–92, 1995–96
Dundela	4	1964–65, 1967–68, 1971–72, 1974–75
Larne	4	1958–59, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1970–71
Ballyclare Comrades	3	1955–56, 1960–61, 1962–63
Bangor Reserves	3	1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98
Crusaders Reserves	3	1952–53, 2006–07, 2014–15
Distillery II	3	1956–57, 1981–82, 1987–88
Ards II	2	1957–58, 1982–83
Ballymena United Reserves	2	1989–90, 1990–91
Dungannon Swifts Reserves	2	2003–04, 2005–06
Larne Olympic	2	1977–78, 1978–79
Ballyclare Comrades Reserves	1	1993–94
Brantwood	1	1972–73
Dungannon Swifts	1	1973–74
Glenavon Reserves	1	1963–64
Harland & Wolff Welders U20	1	2017–18
Knockbreda Reserves	1	2018–19
Limavady United	1	1975–76
Portadown Reserves	1	1996–97

References

Daily Mirror Northern Ireland Soccer Yearbook 2008-09 (Ed. Malcolm Brodie) Page 79
1996/97 George Wilson Cup Final Programme (Glenavon Reserves vs Portadown Reserves) Page 4

History

Past winners

Performance by club

References

See also