FA Youth Cup


The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It is dominated by the youth sides of professional teams, mostly from the Premier League, but attracts over 400 entrants from throughout the country.
At the end of the Second World War the FA organised 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 did not 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 FA Youth Challenge Cup was restricted to the youth teams of clubs, both professional and amateur, who were members of the FA.
The notion of a youth cup was thought of by Sir Joe Richards, the late President of the Football League. He initially put forward the idea to the league clubs but they were not enthused, Richards then took the idea to the Football Association, who liked the idea and created the competition in the same year. The Youth Cup trophy itself was purchased by the Football League during World War II. However, they never found a use for it. Football League secretary Fred Howarth found the trophy in a cupboard at the Starkie Street office and handed it over to the Football Association.
Manchester United are the competition's most successful club, winning it ten times. The current holders are Liverpool.
The tournament has served as a springboard into the professional game for many top British players. The likes of George Best, John Barnes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge, Jack Wilshere, and Gareth Bale had all won the tournament or played in the final. The 1991–92 FA Youth Cup famously spawned the rise of Fergie's Fledglings.

Finals

YearWinnersScoreRunners–upNotes
1952–53Manchester United9–3Wolverhampton Wanderers
1953–54Manchester United5–4Wolverhampton Wanderers
1954–55Manchester United7–1West Bromwich Albion
1955–56Manchester United4–3Chesterfield
1956–57Manchester United8–2West Ham United
1957–58Wolverhampton Wanderers7–6Chelsea
1958–59Blackburn Rovers2–1West Ham United
1959–60Chelsea5–2Preston North End
1960–61Chelsea5–3Everton
1961–62Newcastle United2–1Wolverhampton Wanderers
1962–63West Ham United6–5Liverpool
1963–64Manchester United5–2Swindon Town
1964–65Everton3–2Arsenal
1965–66Arsenal5–3Sunderland
1966–67Sunderland2–0Birmingham City
1967–68Burnley3–2Coventry City
1968–69Sunderland6–3West Bromwich Albion
1969–70Tottenham Hotspur1–1Coventry Cityreplay 2–2, 2nd replay 1–0
1970–71Arsenal2–0Cardiff City
1971–72Aston Villa5–2Liverpool
1972–73Ipswich Town4–1Bristol City
1973–74Tottenham Hotspur2–1Huddersfield Town
1974–75Ipswich Town5–1West Ham United
1975–76West Bromwich Albion5–0Wolverhampton Wanderers
1976–77Crystal Palace1–0Everton
1977–78Crystal Palace1–0Aston Villa
1978–79Millwall2–0Manchester City
1979–80Aston Villa3–2Manchester City
1980–81West Ham United2–1Tottenham Hotspur
1981–82Watford7–6Manchester United
1982–83Norwich City6–5EvertonAggregated extra time
1983–84Everton4–2Stoke City
1984–85Newcastle United4–1Watford
1985–86Manchester City3–1Manchester United
1986–87Coventry City2–1Charlton Athletic
1987–88Arsenal6–1Doncaster Rovers
1988–89Watford2–1Manchester CityAggregated extra time
1989–90Tottenham Hotspur3–2Middlesbrough
1990–91Millwall3–0Sheffield Wednesday
1991–92Manchester United6–3Crystal Palace
1992–93Leeds United4–1Manchester United
1993–94Arsenal5–3Millwall
1994–95Manchester United2–2Tottenham HotspurAggregated ; 4–3 on penalty shoot-out
1995–96Liverpool4–1West Ham United
1996–97Leeds United3–1Crystal Palace
1997–98Everton5–3Blackburn Rovers
1998–99West Ham United9–0Coventry City
1999–2000Arsenal5–1Coventry City
2000–01Arsenal6–3Blackburn Rovers
2001–02Aston Villa4–2Everton
2002–03Manchester United3–1Middlesbrough
2003–04Middlesbrough4–0Aston Villa
2004–05Ipswich Town3–2SouthamptonAggregated extra time
2005–06Liverpool3–2Manchester City
2006–07Liverpool2–2Manchester UnitedAggregated extra time; 4–3 on penalty shoot-out
2007–08Manchester City4–2Chelsea
2008–09Arsenal6–2Liverpool
2009–10Chelsea3–2Aston Villa
2010–11Manchester United6–3Sheffield United
2011–12Chelsea4–1Blackburn Rovers
2012–13Norwich City4–2Chelsea
2013–14Chelsea7–6Fulham
2014–15Chelsea5–2Manchester City
2015–16Chelsea4–2Manchester City
2016–17Chelsea6–2Manchester City
2017–18Chelsea7–1Arsenal
2018–19Liverpool1–1Manchester CityAfter extra time; 5–3 on penalty shoot-out

Winners table

Attendance record

The highest attendance at an FA Youth Cup match was 38,187 for the first leg of the Arsenal against Manchester United semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on 14 March 2007, which Arsenal won 1–0.

International capped winners

1950s

PlayerPosClubYearNational teamInternational debut
Keith NewtonDFBlackburn Rovers1959v 23 February 1966
Shay BrennanFWManchester United1955v 5 May 1965
Fred PickeringDFBlackburn Rovers1959v 27 May 1964
Mike EnglandDFBlackburn Rovers1959v 11 April 1962
Phil KellyDFWolverhampton Wanderers1958v 28 September 1960
Joe CarolanMFManchester United1956v 1 November 1959
Wilf McGuinnessMFManchester United1954, 1955, 1956v 4 October 1958
Bobby CharltonFWManchester United1954, 1955, 1956v 19 April 1958
David PeggFWManchester United1953, 1954v 19 May 1957
Billy WhelanFWManchester United1953v 10 May 1956
Duncan EdwardsMF, FWManchester United1953, 1954, 1955v 2 April 1955

1960s

PlayerPosClubYearNational teamInternational debut
Jimmy RimmerGKManchester United1964v 28 May 1976
Billy HughesFWSunderland1967v 16 April 1975
Dave ThomasFWBurnley1968v 30 October 1974
Dennis YaagerMFEverton1965v 4 November 1970
Sammy NelsonFWArsenal1966v 21 April 1970
Pat RiceDFArsenal1966v 10 September 1968
Bobby MoncurFWNewcastle United1962v 30 May 1968
David SadlerFWManchester United1964v 22 November 1967
Peter BonettiGKChelsea1960v 3 July 1966
Terry VenablesMFChelsea1960, 1961v 21 October 1964
George BestFWManchester United1964v 15 April 1964
Bobby TamblingFWChelsea1960v 21 November 1962

1970s

PlayerPosClubYearNational teamInternational debut
Terry FenwickDFCrystal Palace1977, 1978v 2 May 1984
Derek StathamDFWest Bromwich Albion1976v 23 February 1983
Steve LovellFWCrystal Palace1978v 18 November 1981
Kevin O'CallaghanMFMillwall1979v 29 April 1981
Noel BrotherstonMFTottenham Hotspur1974v 16 May 1980
Jerry MurphyMFCrystal Palace1977, 1978v 11 September 1979
Kenny SansomDFCrystal Palace1977v 23 May 1979
Peter NicholasMFCrystal Palace1978v 19 May 1979
John WarkMFIpswich Town1975v 19 May 1979
John GidmanDFAston Villa1972v 30 March 1977
Brian LittleFWAston Villa1972v 21 May 1975
Graeme SounessMFTottenham Hotspur1970v 30 October 1974

1980s

PlayerPosClubYearNational teamInternational debut
David JamesGKWatford1989v 29 March 1997
Andy HinchcliffeDFManchester City1986v 1 September 1996
David WhiteMFManchester City1986v 9 September 1992
Mark WaltersMFAston Villa1980v 3 June 1991
Jeremy GossMFNorwich City1983v May 1, 1991
Steve MorrowDFArsenal1988v 19 May 1990
Pat ScullyDFArsenal1988v 19 October 1988
Paul GascoigneMFNewcastle United1985v 14 September 1988
Tony ReesFWAston Villa1980v 6 June 1984

1990s

2000s

2010s