The Bedfordshire Senior Challenge Cup, also known as the Beds Senior Cup is the county cup of Bedfordshire. According to the current rules of the competition, it is open to all clubs whose affiliation is with the Bedfordshire County FA (BCFA). The current holders are Biggleswade F.C. who won the competition when it was last contested in the 2023–24 season in a 1–0 victory over A.F.C. Dunstable in the final.[1]
| Founded | 1894 |
|---|---|
| Region | Bedfordshire |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Current champions | Biggleswade F.C. (1) |
| Most successful club(s) | Dunstable Town (12) |
History
editThe BCFA covers the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire. The Senior Challenge Cup was first contested in 1894 and was won by Luton Montrose FC.[2]
Winners
edit| Season | Winners | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 1894–95 | Luton Montrose | |
| 1895–96 | Dunstable Town | |
| 1896–97 | Luton Town | |
| 1897–98 | Luton Falcons | |
| 1898–99 | Luton Town | |
| 1899–1900 | Bedford Montrose | |
| 1900–01 | Luton Town | |
| 1901–02 | Luton Town | |
| 1902–03 | Biggleswade & District | |
| 1903–04 | Luton Town | |
| 1904–05 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1905–06 | Luton Town | |
| 1906–07 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1907–08 | Biggleswade & District | |
| 1908–09 | Kempston Rovers | |
| 1909–10 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1910–11 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1911–12 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1912–13 | Luton Crusaders | |
| 1913–14 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1914–19 | No Competition | |
| 1919–20 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1920–21 | Luton Clarence | |
| 1921–22 | RAF Henlow | |
| 1922–23 | Luton Amateur | |
| 1923–24 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1924–25 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1925–26 | Leagrave & District | |
| 1926–27 | Leighton United | |
| 1927–28 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1928–29 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1929–30 | RAF Henlow | |
| 1930–31 | RAF Henlow | |
| 1931–32 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1932–33 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1933–34 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1934–35 | RAF Henlow | |
| 1935–36 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1936–37 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1937–38 | Kempston Rovers | |
| 1938–39 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1939–40 | Waterlows (Dunstable) | |
| 1940–41 | Queens Park Rangers Bedford | |
| 1941–42 | Bedford St Cuthberts | |
| 1942–43 | Queens Park Rangers Bedford | |
| 1943–44 | Luton Town Colts | |
| 1944–45 | No Competition | |
| 1945–46 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1946–47 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 1947–48 | Potton United | |
| 1948–49 | Potton United | |
| 1949–50 | Shefford Town | |
| 1950–51 | Bedford Corinthians | |
| 1951–52 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 1952–53 | Shefford Town | |
| 1953–54 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1954–55 | Shefford Town | |
| 1955–56 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1956–57 | Dunstable Town | |
| 1957–58 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1958–59 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1959–60 | Dunstable Town | |
| 1960–61 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1961–62 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 1962–63 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 1963–64 | Potton United | |
| 1964–65 | Stotfold | |
| 1965–66 | Arlesey Town | |
| 1966–67 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 1967–68 | Leighton Town | |
| 1968–69 | Leighton Town | |
| 1969–70 | Leighton Town | |
| 1970–71 | Wootton Blue Cross | |
| 1971–72 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1972–73 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1973–74 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 1974–75 | Vauxhall Motors | |
| 1975–76 | Potton United | |
| 1976–77 | Kempston Rovers | |
| 1977–78 | Potton United | |
| 1978–79 | Arlesey Town | |
| 1979–80 | Dunstable | |
| 1980–81 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1981–82 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1982–83 | Dunstable | |
| 1983–84 | 61FC (Luton) | |
| 1984–85 | Eaton Bray United | |
| 1985–86 | Dunstable | |
| 1986–87 | Dunstable | |
| 1987–88 | Dunstable | |
| 1988–89 | Dunstable | |
| 1989–90 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1990–91 | Electrolux | |
| 1991–92 | Kempston Rovers | |
| 1992–93 | Leighton Town | |
| 1993–94 | Stotfold | [3] |
| 1994–95 | Bedford Town | |
| 1995–96 | Bedford Town | |
| 1996–97 | Arlesey Town | |
| 1997–98 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1998–99 | Barton Rovers | |
| 1999–2000 | Stotfold | |
| 2000–01 | Wootton Blue Cross | |
| 2001–02 | Biggleswade United | |
| 2002–03 | Dunstable Town '98 | |
| 2003–04 | Arlesey Town | |
| 2004–05 | Bedford Town | |
| 2005–06 | Biggleswade United | |
| 2006–07 | Dunstable Town | |
| 2007–08 | Stotfold | |
| 2008–09 | Dunstable Town | |
| 2009–10 | Arlesey Town | |
| 2010–11 | Arlesey Town | |
| 2011–12 | Luton Town | |
| 2012–13 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 2013–14 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 2014–15 | Barton Rovers | |
| 2015–16 | Barton Rovers | |
| 2016–17 | AFC Dunstable | |
| 2017–18 | Luton Town | |
| 2018–19 | Biggleswade Town | |
| 2019–20 | Not completed | |
| 2020–21 | Not held | |
| 2021–22 | Leighton Town | |
| 2022–23 | Luton Town | |
| 2023–24 | Biggleswade F.C. |
Recent Finals
edit| Biggleswade Town F.C. | 3 – 0 | Barton Rovers F.C. |
|---|---|---|
The New Eyrie, Bedford
| Leighton Town F.C. | 2 – 2 | Bedford Town F.C. |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | ||
| 5 – 3 | ||
Attendance: 1,080
| Luton Town F.C. | 6 – 2 | Biggleswade F.C. |
|---|---|---|
Attendance: 751
| Biggleswade F.C. | 1 – 0 | A.F.C. Dunstable |
|---|---|---|
Attendance: 902
Results by Team
edit| Club | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Dunstable Town[6] | 12 | 1896, 1957, 1960, 1980, 1983, 1986–89, 2003, 2007, 2009 |
| Biggleswade Town[7] | 11 | 1903, 1908, 1947, 1952, 1962–63, 1967, 1974, 2013–14, 2019 |
| Luton Town | 10 | 1897, 1899, 1901–02, 1904, 1906, 1944, 2012, 2018, 2023 |
| Waterlows (Dunstable) | 10 | 1924–25, 1928–29, 1932–34, 1936, 1939–40 |
| Barton Rovers | 9 | 1972–73, 1981–82, 1990, 1998–99, 2015–16 |
| Luton Clarence | 8 | 1905, 1907, 1910–12, 1914, 1920–21 |
| Vauxhall Motors | 8 | 1937, 1946, 1954, 1956, 1958–59, 1961, 1975 |
| Arlesey Town | 6 | 1966, 1979, 1997, 2004, 2010-11 |
| Leighton Town[8] | 6 | 1927, 1968–70, 1993, 2022 |
| Potton United | 5 | 1948–49, 1964, 1976, 1978 |
| Kempston Rovers | 4 | 1909, 1938, 1977, 1992 |
| RAF Henlow | 4 | 1922, 1930–31, 1935 |
| Stotfold | 4 | 1965, 1994, 2000, 2008 |
| Bedford Town | 3 | 1995–96, 2005 |
| Shefford Town | 3 | 1950, 1953, 1955 |
| Biggleswade United | 2 | 2002, 2006 |
| Queens Park Rangers Bedford | 2 | 1941, 1943 |
| Wootton Blue Cross | 2 | 1971, 2001 |
Clubs with one win – AFC Dunstable, Bedford Corinthians, Bedford Montrose, Bedford St Cuthberts, Biggleswade F.C., Eaton Bray United, Electrolux, Leagrave & District, Luton Amateur, Luton Crusaders, Luton Falcons, Luton Montrose, 61FC (Luton).
References
edit- ^ "AFC DUNSTABLE 0 - 1 BIGGLESWADE FC". Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Bedfordshire County FA Handbook 2012-13. Bedfordshire County FA Ltd. p. 106.
- ^ The Bedfordshire County FA Official Programme for the 1993-94 Final which Stotfold won 2-1 versus Potton United, lists all the winners noted above.
- ^ This final was due to be played on 17 March 2020 but was postponed because of Covid-19. Potton United and Biggleswade Town were the finalists having both lost in the semi-finals, but their opponents were removed for ineligible players.
- ^ The competition was not held during the 2020/21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Includes all versions of the club, Dunstable FC, Dunstable Town and Dunstable Town 98, which they claim on their website at https://www.dunstabletownfc.co.uk/honours.
- ^ Including two as Biggleswade & District.
- ^ Including one as Leighton United.