The NFA Hillier Senior Cup is a football knockout tournament involving teams from Northamptonshire, England and the surrounding area. It is a County Cup competition of the Northamptonshire Football Association and involves senior non-league teams. It has been contested annually since 1883. Kettering Town have won the cup the most times, lifting the trophy on 31 occasions. The current champions are Wellingborough Town under 21s, who beat Peterborough Sports F.C., Northampton Town Under 21s, Corby Town and Peterborough United Under 23s on their route to the trophy.
History Initially named the NFA Senior Cup, the tournament was renamed in 1981. It was first held in 1883, and was won by Newport Pagnell Town. The trophy has since been lifted by 24 different sides (not including reserve teams). The winner of the competition now contests the Maunsell Cup against one of Peterborough or Northampton.
In 1988, The tournament went through a re-structure with the English Football League clubs, Peterborough United and Northampton Town being withdrawn from the cup, after the Northamptonshire FA decided to make the competition an all non-league affair. Since then, the competition has been contested by the 14 highest ranked non-league teams from the previous season, within Northamptonshire. The only exception to this rule was when Rushden & Diamonds competed in the competition between 2001-2006, whilst they were in League Two. They were allowed to take part however, after agreeing to field an Under-21s team in the cup during this period.
Since 1998, the final has been held at Sixfields Stadium. In 2022, The Under 18 teams of both Peterborough United and Northampton Town were eligible to enter the competition, marking the first time teams entered from both clubs since 1988. Recent Finals
YearWinnersRunner-up Attendance2005 Rothwell Town Raunds Town 2232006 Northampton SpencerCorby Town 5272007 Rushden & DiamondsWoodford United 1,2562008 Rushden & DiamondsBrackley Town 1,7472009 Long BuckbyBrackley Town 2482010 Corby TownDaventry Town 5842011 Brackley TownCorby Town 7672012 Brackley TownCorby Town 7802013 Corby TownDaventry Town 6862014 Daventry TownCogenhoe United 3142015 Brackley TownPeterborough Sports 6082016 AFC Rushden & DiamondsKettering Town 9452017 Kettering TownCorby Town 8952018 Kettering TownBrackley Town 8732019 AFC Rushden and DiamondsBrackley Town 1,0972022 Peterborough Sports AFC Rushden and Diamonds 691 2023 Peterborough SportsCogenhoe United 2682024 AFC Rushden and Diamonds Kettering Town 1,0252025 Northampton Town Under 21s Corby Town 6372026 Wellingborough Town Peterborough United Under 21s 408
All Time Winners PosWinnersTotalMost Recent Win Notes 1 Kettering Town 31 2018 2 Northampton Town 22 1987 Stopped Competing in 1988 3 Peterborough United 21 1988 Stopped Competing in 1988 4 Brackley Town 12 2015 5 Corby Town 11 2013 6 Northampton Spencer 7 2006 Dissolved in 2019 Daventry Town 2014 8 Newport Pagnell Town 5 1963 Wellingborough Town 2026 9 Desborough Town 4 1954 Rushden & Diamonds 2008 Dissolved in 2011 Long Buckby 2009 12 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 3 2024 13 Peterborough Sports 2 2023 14 Rushden Town 1 1924 Merged in 1992 with Irthlingborough Diamonds James King Blisworth F.C. 1927 Moulton F.C. 1935 Rothwell Corinthians 1957 Irthlingborough Diamonds 1962 Merged in 1992 with Rushden Town Northampton Sileby Rangers 1976 Wellingborough Whitworth 1978 Raunds Town 1997 Cogenhoe United 2004 Rothwell Town 2005 Northampton Town Under 21s 2025
References
External links NFA Hillier Cup page