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Quickies

Did you know …

that the first Old Firm final in the Scottish Cup was played in 1894 and saw Rangers defeat Celtic 3–1?

Who won the first Welsh Cup?

The first Welsh Cup was played in 1878, with Wrexham FC defeating Ruabon Druids in the final 1–0. Founded in 1872, Wrexham is the oldest professional club in Wales and holds the record for most Welsh Cup wins, with 23.

Quickies

Did you know …

that the record for consecutive Irish League championship titles is six, held jointly by Belfast Celtic FC (1935–40 and 1947–48) and Linfield FC (1981–87)?

Why are Wales’ three historically strongest teams now barred from competing for the Welsh Cup?

Wrexham, Cardiff City, and Swansea City are teams in a kind of limbo. Professional teams from northern Wales, all three have been playing within the English Football League since before the formation in 1992 of the League of Wales by the Football Association of Wales. Prior to 1992, any FAW member team could compete for the Welsh Cup, and Wrexham, Cardiff, and Swansea had collectively garnered 55 championships since the cup’s founding in 1878. But with the formation of the new Welsh league, English-league teams were excluded from Welsh Cup competition, leaving Wrexham, Cardiff City, and Swansea City out in the cold.