Southern Counties Cup

The Southern Counties Cup is an association football cup competition for clubs in the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Wigtownshire, and Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. The competition was founded in 1891.

Format
The competition was a knock-out tournament contested by the member clubs of the Southern Counties Football Association, which was formed at the end of the 1890–91 season, with J. J. Cook of the 5th K.R.V. as initial president. The competition soon became the most prestigious competition in the region, supplanting the Churchill Cup.

Initial entrants

 * 5th K.R.V.
 * Annan
 * Dalbeattie
 * Dumfries St John's
 * Garliestown
 * Gladstonians
 * Mid-Annandale
 * Moffat
 * Newton Stewart Athletic
 * Queen of the South Wanderers
 * Rising Thistle
 * St Cuthbert's Wanderers
 * Thornhill

History
The first competition, in 1891–92, was won by the 5th K.R.V., who beat Mid-Annandale 9–1 in the final. The score remains the highest margin of victory in the final. The two clubs had met in the final of the Churchill Cup two months before with the Mids winning 3–0; however, in the Southern Counties, one Mids player was sent off, three others walked off in sympathy, and the Volunteers scored three times from the penalty mark.

From 1898 to 1899 there was also a Consolation Cup, for clubs eliminated before the final of the main competition. The last edition was in 1926–27, replaced by the short-lived South of Scotland Cup.

The current (2023–24) holders are Caledonian Braves, who beat Dalbeattie Star 3–1 in the final at Galabank thanks to two late goals.

Wins by club
The most successful club in the Consolation Cup was the second Mid-Annandale club, with four wins between 1909–10 and 1922–23. The only other club which won the Consolation Cup without ever winning the Southern Counties Cup was Vale of Dryfe, which won the Consolation Cup in 1901–02 and 1902–03.