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 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 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 (season 1952-53) was restricted to the youth teams of clubs, both professional and amateur, who were members of the FA.[1]
The current champions are Manchester United who are also the most successful side with ten FA Youth Cup wins.
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, Adam Johnson 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.
[edit] Previous finals
- For squads see FA Youth Cup Finals.
- Finals were played over 2 legs; the aggregate scores are given below.
[edit] Winners table
| Club |
Wins |
Runners-up |
Winning years |
Runners-up years |
| Manchester United |
10 |
4 |
1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2011 |
1982, 1986, 1993, 2007 |
| Arsenal |
7 |
1 |
1966, 1971, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2009 |
1965 |
| West Ham United |
3 |
4 |
1963, 1981, 1999 |
1957, 1959, 1975, 1996 |
| Everton |
3 |
4 |
1965, 1984, 1998 |
1961, 1977, 1983, 2002 |
| Aston Villa |
3 |
3 |
1972, 1980, 2002 |
1978, 2004, 2010 |
| Liverpool |
3 |
3 |
1996, 2006, 2007 |
1963, 1972, 2009 |
| Chelsea |
3 |
2 |
1960, 1961, 2010 |
1958, 2008 |
| Tottenham Hotspur |
3 |
2 |
1970, 1974, 1990 |
1981, 1995 |
| Ipswich Town |
3 |
0 |
1973, 1975, 2005 |
|
| Manchester City |
2 |
4 |
1986, 2008 |
1979, 1980, 1989, 2006 |
| Crystal Palace |
2 |
2 |
1977, 1978 |
1992, 1997 |
| Sunderland |
2 |
1 |
1967, 1969 |
1966 |
| Millwall |
2 |
1 |
1979, 1991 |
1994 |
| Watford |
2 |
1 |
1982, 1989 |
1985 |
| Newcastle United |
2 |
0 |
1962, 1985 |
|
| Leeds United |
2 |
0 |
1993, 1997 |
|
| Wolverhampton Wanderers |
1 |
4 |
1958 |
1953, 1954, 1962, 1976 |
| Coventry City |
1 |
4 |
1987 |
1968, 1970, 1999, 2000 |
| Blackburn Rovers |
1 |
2 |
1959 |
1998, 2001 |
| West Bromwich Albion |
1 |
2 |
1976 |
1955, 1969 |
| Middlesbrough |
1 |
2 |
2004 |
1990, 2003 |
| Burnley |
1 |
0 |
1968 |
|
| Norwich City |
1 |
0 |
1983 |
|
| Chesterfield |
0 |
1 |
|
1956 |
| Preston North End |
0 |
1 |
|
1960 |
| Swindon Town |
0 |
1 |
|
1964 |
| Birmingham City |
0 |
1 |
|
1967 |
| Cardiff City |
0 |
1 |
|
1971 |
| Bristol City |
0 |
1 |
|
1973 |
| Huddersfield Town |
0 |
1 |
|
1974 |
| Stoke City |
0 |
1 |
|
1984 |
| Charlton Athletic |
0 |
1 |
|
1987 |
| Doncaster Rovers |
0 |
1 |
|
1988 |
| Sheffield Wednesday |
0 |
1 |
|
1991 |
| Southampton |
0 |
1 |
|
2005 |
| Sheffield United |
0 |
1 |
|
2011 |
[edit] FA Cup and FA Youth Cup double
Only five clubs have ever achieved the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup 'double'.
Chelsea and Arsenal won the top flight in their double cup years.
[edit] 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.[2]
[edit] International capped winners
- Table is ordered by date of first cap.
| Player |
Pos |
Club |
Year |
National team |
International debut |
Caps |
| Jay Bothroyd |
FW |
Arsenal |
2010 |
 England |
v  France, 13 November 2010 |
1 |
| Dedryck Boyata |
DF |
Manchester City |
2010 |
 Belgium |
v  Austria, 12 October 2010 |
1 |
| Jeffrey Bruma |
DF |
Chelsea |
2010 |
 Netherlands |
v  Ukraine, 12 August 2010 |
1 |
| Jack Wilshere |
MF |
Arsenal |
2010 |
England |
v  Hungary, 11 August 2010 |
2 |
| Vladimír Weiss |
MF |
Manchester City |
2008 |
 Slovakia |
v  Iceland, 12 August 2009 |
17 |
| Ryan McGivern |
DF |
Manchester City |
2008 |
 Northern Ireland |
v  Scotland, 20 August 2008 |
12 |
| James Morrison |
MF |
Middlesbrough |
2004 |
Scotland |
v  Czech Republic, 30 May 2008 |
5 |
| Paul McShane |
DF |
Manchester United |
2003 |
 Republic of Ireland |
v Czech Republic, 11 October 2006 |
16 |
| Wayne Henderson |
GK |
Aston Villa |
2002 |
Republic of Ireland |
v  Sweden, 1 March 2006 |
6 |
| Kieran Richardson |
MF |
Manchester United |
2003 |
England |
v  United States, 28 May 2005 |
8 |
| Steven Davis |
MF |
Aston Villa |
2002 |
Northern Ireland |
v  Canada 9 February 2005 |
37 |
| Graham Barrett |
FW |
Arsenal |
2000 |
Republic of Ireland |
v  Jamaica 3 June 2004 |
7 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
|
Reserve and youth football in England
|
|
| National teams |
|
|
| League competitions |
|
|
| Cup competitions |
|
|
England
Wales
2011–12 FA Youth Cup
France, 13 November 2010
Belgium
Austria, 12 October 2010
Netherlands
Ukraine, 12 August 2010
Hungary, 11 August 2010
Slovakia
Iceland, 12 August 2009
Northern Ireland
Scotland, 20 August 2008
Czech Republic, 30 May 2008
Republic of Ireland
Sweden, 1 March 2006
United States, 28 May 2005
Canada 9 February 2005
Jamaica 3 June 2004
Harry Kewell
Adam Newton
