The Football Times Cup is an annual association football cup for competition between football clubs across the Highlands & Islands of Scotland.
The cup is a registered Scottish FA competition which runs under the auspices of the North Caledonian FA.
Origins The Football Times Cup was named after "The Football Times" – a Saturday evening football results and general news print newspaper produced by Highland News Ltd for distribution in Inverness and surrounding counties, from 1888 until the late 1960s. The title made a brief return in the 1990s as a supplement of Highland News Group publications, including the Highland News, North Star and Lochaber News, but was again fazed out and ceased to exist by the 2000s.
First introduced the 1923–24 season, the sterling silver Football Times Cup was donated by Highland News Ltd for competition between clubs connected to the North of Scotland Junior FA. During its first two seasons, it was competed for by members of the Highland Alliance, a reserve league consisting of the 2nd XIs of Highland League clubs.
Until the 1970s, the trophy was traditionally presented to the winning captain by the editor of the newspaper, or a representative from Highland News.
The Football Times Cup remains the second oldest cup competition to come under the auspices of the North of Scotland Junior FA (now known as the North Caledonian League), the oldest being the North Caledonian Cup.
History At the time of the Football Times Cup's introduction, the North of Scotland Junior FA's membership was made up in the majority by Highland Football League reserve sides, or 'A' combinations, from Inverness or Nairn, along with a select group of junior clubs, such as Nelson, Dingwall Victoria United (who later became Ross County) and Muir of Ord Rovers.
Highland League 'A' sides continued to dominate the competition until the 1960s when the league's presence grew across the Highlands and membership from clubs outside of the central Highlands increased.
During the 1993–94 season, with an unprecedented 16 teams holding membership and some clubs facing a campaign of over 40 games, the North Caledonian FA elected to play the Football Times Cup as a seven-a-side competition.
Although the format was popular with teams, it immediately returned to an 11-a-side competition the following season.
In 2019–20, the trophy was played for across a group format, split between the North and South of its competing members, along with guest club Lewis & Harris. After all group games were played, the winners of each group played in the final.
Past winners +SeasonWinnerScoreRunner-upVenueNotes2025–26Halkirk United 2–0Alness UnitedKing George V Park, Golspie2024–25Inverness Athletic3–1Alness UnitedDalmore Park, Alness2023–24Invergordon 3–2Inverness AthleticKing George V Park, Golspie2022–23Invergordon 3–1St DuthusKing George V Park, Golspie2021–22Thurso 2–2 pHalkirk UnitedHarmsworth Park, WickThurso won 3–2 on penalties2020–21Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak2019–20St Duthus 3–2Golspie SutherlandDudgeon Park, BroraNorth and South group stages as opposed to knockout format2018–19Alness United 3–2Golspie SutherlandCouper Park, Helmsdale2017–18Orkney 2–0Lewis & HarrisKing George V Park, GolspieFirst ever all-island final2016–17Invergordon 2–0ThursoCouper Park, Helmsdale2015–16Thurso 2–0Golspie SutherlandCouper Park, Helmsdale2014–15Golspie Sutherland 2–0OrkneySir George's Park, Thurso2013–14Golspie Sutherland 2–1ThursoMorrison Park, Halkirk2012–13Golspie Sutherland 3–2Orkney2011–12Muir of Ord Rovers 3–0Halkirk United2010–11Muir of Ord Rovers 2–1Dingwall Thistle2009–10Dingwall Thistle 3–2Halkirk United2008–09Halkirk United2–0Golspie Sutherland2007–08Balintore 3–1Golspie Sutherland2006–07Inverness City3–2Golspie Sutherland2005–06Invergordon 2004–05Golspie Sutherland 2003–04Balintore 2002–03Thurso1–0Halkirk UnitedSir George's Park, Thurso2001–02Bunillidh Thistle 2–1Bonar Bridge2000–01Alness United1999–00Invergordon 1998–99Caledonian Thistle 'A'Golspie SutherlandAlness1997–98Balintore 2–1Alness UnitedGrant Park, Tain1996–97Ross County 'A' Clachnacuddin 'A'1995–96Ross County 'A' Bunillidh Thistle1994–95Clachnacuddin 'A' 1993–94Ross County 'A' Played as a 7-a-side competition1992–93Clachnacuddin 'A' 4–2Inverness Thistle 'A'After extra time1991–92Clachnacuddin 'A' 4–2BalintoreCrawl Park, Alness1990–91Invergordon 3–1BalintoreVictoria Park, Dingwall1989–90Invergordon BalintoreCrawl Park, AlnessAfter extra time and penalties1988–89Balintore 2–2 pInvergordonAfter extra time Balintore won 7–6 on penalties1987–88Invergordon Fearn Thistle1986–87Bunillidh Thistle1985–86Muir of Ord Rovers 1984–85Dingwall Thistle 1983–84Fort William1982–83Balintore1981–82Tain St Duthus 2–0BalintoreFearn1980–81Tain St Duthus3–0Wick AcademyDudgeon Park, Brora1979–80Muir of Ord Rovers 1978–79Wick Academy 1977–78Muir of Ord Rovers 2–2 pTain St DuthusMuir of Ord won on penalties1976–771975–76Dingwall Thistle 1974–75Invergordon1973–74Brora Rangers 'A'1972–73Wick Academy1971–72Dingwall Thistle1970–71Easter Ross2–0Caledonian 'A'Grant Street Park, Inverness1969–70Caledonian 'A' 1968–69Golspie Sutherland1967–68Black Rock Rovers1966–67Avoch Rovers1965–661964–65Ross County 'A' 1963–64Caledonian 'A' 1962–63Clachnacuddin 'A' 1961–621960–61Ross County 'A' Caledonian 'A'Telford Street Park, Inverness1959–60Inverness Thistle 'A' 2–1Caledonian 'A'Grant Street Park, InvernessPlayed on New Year's Day1958–59Ross County 'A' Caledonian 'A'Telford Street Park, Inverness1957–58Nairn County 'A'Inverness Thistle 'A'Telford Street Park, Inverness1956–57Clachnacuddin 'A' 4–0InvergordonTelford Street Park, Inverness1955–56Clachnacuddin 'A' 1954–55Caledonian 'A' 1953–54Caledonian 'A' 1952–53Inverness Thistle 'A' 1951–52Caledonian 'A' 1950–51Clachnacuddin 'A' 1949–50Caledonian 'A' 1948–49Ross County 'A' 1947–48Caledonian 'A' 1946–47Ross County 'A'1938–39Caledonian 'A' 1937–38Highland Light Infantry4–2Muir of Ord RoversKingsmills Park, Inverness1936–37Nelson (Inverness) 1935–36Caledonian 'A' 1934–35Inverness Thistle 'A' 3–1Highland Light InfantryKingsmills Park, Inverness1933–34Nelson (Inverness) 2–0Inverness Thistle 'A'Telford Street Park, Inverness1932–33Muir of Ord Rovers2–0Clachnacuddin 'A'Telford Street Park, Inverness1931–32Clachnacuddin 'A'Nelson (Inverness)Replayed at the beginning of the 1932–33 season after tie ended 2–2 at end of season.1930–31Inverness District Asylum1929–30Caledonian 'A'1928–29Nelson (Inverness) 1927–28Dingwall Victoria United1926–27Nelson (Inverness)First non-Highland League side to win the cup.1925–26Inverness Thistle 'A' 1924–25Inverness Thistle 'A'1923–24Inverness Citadel 'A'
Performance by club +ClubWinsYearsCaledonian 'A'101929–30, 1935–36, 1938–39, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1969–70Invergordon91974–75, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1999–00, 2005–06, 2016–17, 2022–23, 2023–24Ross County 'A'81946–47, 1948–49, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97Clachnacuddin 'A'81931–32, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1962–63, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95Muir of Ord Rovers61932–33, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1985–86, 2010–11, 2011–12Golspie Sutherland51968–69, 2004–05, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15Balintore51982–83, 1988–89, 1997–98, 2003–04, 2007–08Inverness Thistle 'A'51924–25, 1925–26, 1934–35, 1952–53, 1959–60Dingwall Thistle41971–72, 1975–76, 1984–85, 2009–10Nelson (Inverness)41926–27, 1928–29, 1933–34, 1936–37Thurso32002–03, 2015–16, 2021–22St Duthus31980–81, 1981–82, 2019–20Halkirk United22007–08, 2025–26Alness United22000–01, 2018–19Orkney22014–15, 2017–18Bunillidh Thistle21986–87, 2001–02Wick Academy21972–73, 1978–79Inverness Athletic12024–25Inverness City12006–07Caledonian Thistle 'A'11998–99Fort William11983–84Brora Rangers 'A'11973–74Easter Ross11970–71Black Rock Rovers11967–68Avoch Rovers11966–67Nairn County 'A'11957–581st Battalion Highlanders11937–38Inverness District Asylum11930–31Dingwall Victoria United11927–28Inverness Citadel 'A'11923–24
References