The Border Cup was an association football cup competition for clubs in the Scottish Borders. The competition was founded in 1890 and was last competed for in the 1955âÂÂ56 season.
The competition was a knock-out tournament contested by the member clubs of the Border Counties Football Association.
The Border Counties Association was founded in 1890, with Alexander Laing Brown MP as President. The first competition was held in 1890âÂÂ91, and was won by Selkirk, who beat Hawick Rangers 4âÂÂ3 in a thrilling game in which Rangers claimed (in vain) to have scored a late equalizer.
The competition was unfinished in 1928âÂÂ29 and 1948âÂÂ49. The latter abandonment was due to the Association not being able to arrange a second replay of the semi-final between Gala Fairydean and Peebles Rovers. The winner of the other semi-final, Berwick Rangers, was so put out by this that it withdrew from the Association. Berwick did at least have the biggest win in the final, 7âÂÂ0 against Coldstream in 1927âÂÂ28. It was something of a revenge as Coldstream's first triumph in the competition, in 1922âÂÂ23, had come after Rangers had beaten it in the semi-final, but Coldstream was re-instated after Rangers refused to travel to the final in Peebles without a ã25 gate guarantee.
The final competition, in 1955âÂÂ56, was won by Eyemouth United, reserve centre-forward Burns scoring twice in each half to secure an easy 4âÂÂ0 win over Gala Fairydean at Coldstream.
The only side to reach the final more than once without ever winning was Kelso, which was runner-up three times; the first time, in 1897âÂÂ98, it squandered a 3âÂÂ0 lead against Peebles Rovers to lose 4-3, and also missed a penalty.