FA Youth Cup
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The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. It is dominated by the youth sides of professional teams, mostly from the Premier League, but attracts over 300 entrants from throughout the country. Manchester United have won the Youth Cup nine times, more than any other club.
At the end of the Second World War the FA had decided to organise a 'Youth Championship' for County Associations considering it the best way to stimulate the game among those youngsters not yet old enough to play senior football. The matches didn't attract large crowds but outstanding players were selected for Youth Internationals and thousands were given the chance to play in a national contest for the first time. In 1951 it was realised that a competition for clubs would probably have a wider appeal. The 'The FA Youth Challenge Cup' (season 1952-53) was restricted to the youth teams of clubs, both professional and amateur, who were members of the FA. [1]
Many of today’s stars featured in the competition. In the 1993 competition, Leeds United defeated Manchester United 4-1 on aggregate. Manchester United had players like Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Keith Gillespie, Robbie Savage and Paul Scholes in the side. On the other hand the most successful player from Leeds United was Noel Whelan proving that success on the youth scene does not always translate. [2]
Liverpool’s Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher graced the 1996 cup winning side that beat West Ham United (featuring Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand) to the title. [3]
The 1996-97 Cup was won, for the second time in their history, by Leeds United 3-1 on aggregate against Crystal Palace. The Leeds United team featured players such as Paul Robinson, Jonathan Woodgate, Harry Kewell, Alan Smith and Stephen McPhail.
The 1998-99 season was won by West Ham United with a team featuring Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, having crushed Coventry City 9-0 on aggregate to lift The FA Youth Cup. In the first leg of the Final at Highfield Road three goals in eight minutes in the second half gave them a 3-0 win. The second leg saw West Ham putting in 6 goals past a hapless Coventry City promising young 'keeper, Chris Kirkland. [4]
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[edit] Previous Finals
Finals are played over 2 legs; the aggregate score is given below.
[edit] Teams to have won the Youth Cup on more than one occasion
1.Manchester United: Nine Wins (1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1964,1992,1995,2003) Runners-up (1982,1986,1993)
2.Arsenal: Six Wins (1966,1971,1988,1994,2000,2001) Runners-up (1965)
3=Everton: Three Wins (1965,1984,1998) Runners-up (1961,1977,1983,2002)
3=West Ham United: Three Wins (1963,1981,1999) Runners-up (1957,1959,1975,1996)
5.Aston Villa: Three Wins (1972,1980,2002) Runners-up (1978, 2004)
6.Ipswich Town: Three Wins (1973,1975,2005)
7=Crystal Palace: Two Wins (1977,1978) Runners-up (1992,1997)
7=Tottenham Hotspur: Two Wins (1970,1990) Runners-up (1981,1995)
9=Liverpool: Two Wins (1996,2006) Runners-up (1963, 1972)
9=Millwall: Two Wins (1979,1991) Runners-up (1994)
9=Sunderland: Two Wins (1967,1969) Runners-up (1966)
9=Watford: Two Wins (1982,1989) Runners-up (1985)
13.Leeds United: Two Wins (1993,1997)
[edit] Teams to have won the FA Youth Cup & FA Cup in the same season
Only four clubs have ever achieved the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup 'double'.
- Arsenal (1971)
- Coventry City (1987)
- Manchester United (1999)
- Liverpool (2006)
