Lakenheath - Senior Cup 2020-21

Senior Cup

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Current Holders: Trimley Red Devils

The Suffolk County Football Association was formed in 1885 and purchased a cup for its members to play for in a knock-out competition. 

Originally called the Suffolk Football Association Challenge Cup, 15 clubs competed in the first season, with Woodbridge defeating Ipswich Town in the final 3-1, after two drawn games.

Entry into the Challenge Cup was optional and in 1888 only 14 teams entered the cup from around 36 clubs that were members.

Consequently in the 1889-90 season, the County FA started the Suffolk County Football Association Junior Cup  competition which immediately attracted 23 entries.

The Challenge Cup was renamed the Suffolk County Senior Cup.

This continued until 1907 when a split occurred in the governing body, the Football Association.

The original Suffolk County FA used the original Senior Cup trophy. The new FA-affiliated Suffolk County FA used a new Suffolk Senior Cup trophy presented to the association by the FA.

The situation continued with two Suffolk Senior cups for seven seasons.

Finally, in 1914 the differences between the two associations were resolved with the AFA affiliating to the FA. Incidentally, the AFA still exists as the Amateur Football Alliance. 

The First World War then broke out, bringing the process of reconciliation of the two Suffolk County FA's to a temporary halt.

It was 1919 before organised football in Suffolk began again, but now there was only one Suffolk County FA and that was affiliated to the Football Association.

They held a Senior Cup competition that year in which they presented the only Senior Cup they had, which was that presented to them by the FA. The team that won the trophy that season was Beccles Town.

The original trophy was still in the hands of the late committee of the AFA-affiliated Suffolk County FA but was handed over in 1921.

The FA-presented Senior Cup became the Minor Cup in 1924 and has been used as the trophy for that competition ever since.

The Suffolk Senior Cup competition continued with its original trophy with all Senior status clubs in Suffolk competing until 1957 (except for the World War Two years), although in the 1944-45 season the final was played over two legs with Bury Town beating Newmarket Town 4-2 on aggregate.

In 1956 a new competition for Suffolk clubs in the Eastern Counties League or above was introduced and so the Suffolk Premier Cup was born.

The Suffolk Senior Cup is now open to Suffolk teams in the Eastern Counties League Division One, the Senior Division of the Suffolk & Ipswich League, the Premier Division of the Cambridgeshire League and the Essex & Suffolk Border League and Premier and First Divisions of the Anglian Combination.

The most successful teams in the Senior Cup have been Ipswich Town (16 wins), Lowestoft Town (12 wins), Stowmarket Town (nine wins), Long Melford (eight wins), Grundisburgh (seven wins), and Whitton United (six wins).

The biggest win in the final was by Lakenheath , who defeated Ipswich Valley Rangers 7-0 in 2015.

The most goals in the final was 17 goals over two matches with a 2-2 draw being followed by a 7-6 win after extra time by Hadleigh United over Long Melford in 2004.

The highest-scoring draw was 4-4 in 1961 between Bungay Town and Orwell Works, with Bungay winning the replay 1-0.

The 2019-20 final was played earlier the following season due to the coronavirus pandemic, with landlords Ipswich Wanderers defeating tenants Coplestonians, who were playing in their first-ever final, 1-0 after both clubs asked for the match to be played at their Humber Doucy Lane ground.

Round Dates

Round Date
1st Round 10/11/21 to 27/11/21 Results
2nd Round 04/12/21 to 15/01/22 Results
Quarter-Final 15/01/22 to 22/01/22 Results
Semi-Final 19/03/22 to 22/03/22 Results
Final 13/05/22 Result