Scottish Challenge Cup

Not to be confused with the Scottish Cup, or the Scottish League Cup.

Scottish Challenge Cup
Founded1990
Number of teams52 (2024–25)
Current championsAirdrieonians
Most successful club(s)Falkirk (4 titles)
Television broadcastersBBC Alba
Premier Sports
2024–25 Scottish Challenge Cup

The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,[1][2][3] commonly known as the Scottish League Challenge Cup[4][5] or Scottish Challenge Cup,[1][2] and currently known as the SPFL Trust Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an association football knock-out cup competition run by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It is recognised as the third most prestigious knockout trophy in Scottish football, after the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.

The competition was first held during the 1990–91 season as the B&Q Centenary Cup[1] to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Scottish Football League (SFL). It was intended to be a one-off competition but was continued due to its popularity. It was originally contested by SFL (SPFL since 2013) teams below the top level of the Scottish football league system; select teams from lower levels of the league system were added in 2011–12, and guest teams from outside Scotland in 2016–17. For the 2019–20 edition there were 58 teams: 30 from the SPFL; the twelve Under-21 teams of the Scottish Premiership clubs; four each from the Highland League and Lowland League; and two guest teams from each of the NIFL Premiership, Cymru Premier, English National League, and League of Ireland Premier Division up until the 2019–20 season.[6]

The first winner of the tournament was Dundee, who defeated Ayr United.[7][8] Falkirk are the most successful team in the tournament with four wins, most recently in 2012. The current holders are Airdrieonians, who defeated The New Saints in the 2024 Final.[9]

  1. ^ a b c The Scottish Football League Challenge Cup Final Results, scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b Preview Forfar Athletic Archived 1 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, dafc.co.uk. Dunfermline Athletic F.C. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  3. ^ Scottish Football League Challenge Cup, scottish-football-historical-archive.com. Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  4. ^ Fisher, Stewart. "Beginner's Guide to the Bell's Cup ...". The Sunday Herald. 4 August 2002.
  5. ^ League Challenge Cup, dundeeunitedfc.co.uk. Dundee United F.C. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Scottish Challenge Cup: Bray Wanderers and Sligo Wanderers 'relishing' trophy chance". BBC Sport. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  7. ^ Scottish League Challenge Cup, soccer.mistral.co.uk. 14 May 2001. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sunday_Times_Centenary_Cup was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Airdrieonians win SPFL Trust Trophy to thwart The New Saints record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2024.