FAI Cup

The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, short FAI Cup ( after the official sponsors also " FAI Ford Cup ") is since 1922 the biggest cup competition in the Irish football. The competition is organized annually by the Football Association of Ireland ( FAI) and is named after the Irish Cup the second most important national title in club football.

In addition to the associations from the Republic of Ireland takes to the Derry City, a team from the belonging to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland on game operation part. The winner of the FAI Cup is determined according to the knockout system.

Current title holder is Derry City. Record winner is the Shamrock Rovers with 24 titles.

Game operation

The FAI Cup is directed since 2003 as in Scandinavia following the calendar year. This occurred during the transitional period 2002 to two title winners - the end of April Dundalk won the FAI Cup, Derry City won the trophy in November.

In addition to the clubs from the League of Ireland, also play several clubs from the Leinster Senior League, Munster Senior League and Ulster Senior League. All clubs from the League of Ireland will only apply from the second round of a competition. The ties will be drawn and discharged in the knockout system. The final will be played at the end of the year ( either late November or early December).

The winner of the FAI Cup qualifies for participation in the UEFA Europa League; if the cup winner is also a master, beaten finalists in the UEFA Europa League replaces. Also, take the winning team or, if this is qualified by the league, the loser of the final match at the all-Ireland Setanta Sports Cup part.

History

The FAI Cup was from 1922 to 1937 as the Free State Cup, after the Irish Free State was established, called.

In the 1970 Drogheda United was never able to win a victory in two finals. 2005 Drogheda United was back in the finals - this time against Cork City. Goals from Gavin Whelan (his father, Paul Whelan, led Bohemians 1992 victory of the FAI Cup and his grandfather, Sir Ronnie Whelan, won twice with St Patrick's Athletic the title ) and Declan O'Brien helped for the first FAI Cup title for the Drogheda United.

Shelbourne, Bohemian FC and Derry City are the only clubs that have both the Irish Cup and won the FAI Cup. Shelbourne and Bohemian won the Irish Cup before the partition of Ireland, while Derry City to 1972 remained in the Northern Irish League and was admitted to the League of Ireland in 1985.

Athlone Town AFC (1924 ) Dundalk FC ( 1958) and Shamrock Rovers (1968 ) are the only clubs that the FAI Cup - have won without conceding a goal - and therefore each game.

Venues

Since the founding of the FAI Cup finals are generally always be held in Dublin. Most finals were held in Dalymount Park instead (1922 - 1989 & 1996 - 1998, and 2000). Because of the then ailing state of the Dalymount Park alternated since the 1990s the venues. From 1990 to 1996, and from 2003 to 2006 the finals were played at Lansdowne Road. In Tolka Park the playoffs were discharged from 1999 to 2002. The finals in 2007 and 2008 were played in the RDS Arena and 2009 in Tallaght Stadium. 2010 Stadium was the final place in the Aviva.

The finals at a glance

* The game mode has been aligned to the calendar year, so in 2002 there were two cup competitions and the finals in April and in November.

Rank list of winners and finalists

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