The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It is dominated by the youth sides of professional teams, mostly from the Premier League, but attracts over 400 entrants from throughout the country.
At the end of the Second World War the FA organised a Youth Championship for County Associations considering it the best way to stimulate the game among those youngsters not yet old enough to play senior football. The matches did not attract large crowds but outstanding players were selected for Youth Internationals and thousands were given the chance to play in a national contest for the first time. In 1951 it was realised that a competition for clubs would probably have a wider appeal. The FA Youth Challenge Cup (1952–53 season) was restricted to the youth teams of clubs, both professional and amateur, who were members of the FA.[1]
The notion of a youth cup was thought of by Sir Joe Richards, the late President of the Football League. He initially put forward the idea to the league clubs but they were not enthused; Richards then took the idea to the Football Association, who liked the idea and created the competition in the same year.[2] The Youth Cup trophy itself was purchased by the Football League during World War II. However, they never found a use for it. Football League secretary Fred Howarth found the trophy in a cupboard at the Starkie Street office and handed it over to the Football Association.[2]
Manchester United are the competition's most successful club, winning it ten times. The current holders are Manchester City, who defeated Chelsea 3–2 in the 2020 final.
The tournament has served as a springboard into the professional game for many top British players. The likes of George Best, John Barnes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge, Jack Wilshere, and Gareth Bale had all won the tournament or played in the final. The 1991–92 FA Youth Cup famously spawned the rise of Fergie's Fledglings.
Finals
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Chelsea players celebrating winning the 2015–16 FA Youth Cup.
Main article: FA Youth Cup Finals
- ^ Prior 2018–19, the finals were played over two legs; the aggregate scores are listed.
Winners table
| Club | Wins | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
| Manchester United | 10 | 4 | 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2011 | 1982, 1986, 1993, 2007 |
| Chelsea | 9 | 4 | 1960, 1961, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 | 1958, 2008, 2013, 2020 |
| Arsenal | 7 | 2 | 1966, 1971, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2009 | 1965, 2018 |
| Liverpool | 4 | 3 | 1996, 2006, 2007, 2019 | 1963, 1972, 2009 |
| Manchester City | 3 | 8 | 1986, 2008, 2020 | 1979, 1980, 1989, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 |
| West Ham United | 3 | 4 | 1963, 1981, 1999 | 1957, 1959, 1975, 1996 |
| Everton | 3 | 4 | 1965, 1984, 1998 | 1961, 1977, 1983, 2002 |
| Aston Villa | 3 | 3 | 1972, 1980, 2002 | 1978, 2004, 2010 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 2 | 1970, 1974, 1990 | 1981, 1995 |
| Ipswich Town | 3 | 0 | 1973, 1975, 2005 | |
| Crystal Palace | 2 | 2 | 1977, 1978 | 1992, 1997 |
| Sunderland | 2 | 1 | 1967, 1969 | 1966 |
| Millwall | 2 | 1 | 1979, 1991 | 1994 |
| Watford | 2 | 1 | 1982, 1989 | 1985 |
| Newcastle United | 2 | 0 | 1962, 1985 | |
| Norwich City | 2 | 0 | 1983, 2013 | |
| Leeds United | 2 | 0 | 1993, 1997 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1 | 4 | 1958 | 1953, 1954, 1962, 1976 |
| Coventry City | 1 | 4 | 1987 | 1968, 1970, 1999, 2000 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 3 | 1959 | 1998, 2001, 2012 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1 | 2 | 1976 | 1955, 1969 |
| Middlesbrough | 1 | 2 | 2004 | 1990, 2003 |
| Burnley | 1 | 0 | 1968 | |
| Chesterfield | 0 | 1 | | 1956 |
| Preston North End | 0 | 1 | | 1960 |
| Swindon Town | 0 | 1 | | 1964 |
| Birmingham City | 0 | 1 | | 1967 |
| Cardiff City | 0 | 1 | | 1971 |
| Bristol City | 0 | 1 | | 1973 |
| Huddersfield Town | 0 | 1 | | 1974 |
| Stoke City | 0 | 1 | | 1984 |
| Charlton Athletic | 0 | 1 | | 1987 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 0 | 1 | | 1988 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 0 | 1 | | 1991 |
| Southampton | 0 | 1 | | 2005 |
| Sheffield United | 0 | 1 | | 2011 |
| Fulham | 0 | 1 | | 2014 |
Attendance record
The highest attendance at an FA Youth Cup match was 38,187 for the first leg of the Arsenal against Manchester United semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on 14 March 2007, which Arsenal won 1–0.[3]
International capped winners
- Tables are ordered by date of first cap.
1950s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
| Keith Newton | DF | Blackburn Rovers | 1959 |  England | v  West Germany, 23 February 1966 |
| Shay Brennan | FW | Manchester United | 1955 |  Republic of Ireland | v  Spain, 5 May 1965 |
| Fred Pickering | DF | Blackburn Rovers | 1959 | England | v  United States, 27 May 1964 |
| Mike England | DF | Blackburn Rovers | 1959 | .svg.jpg) Wales | v  Northern Ireland, 11 April 1962 |
| Phil Kelly | DF | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1958 | Republic of Ireland | v Wales, 28 September 1960 |
| Joe Carolan | MF | Manchester United | 1956 | Republic of Ireland | v  Sweden, 1 November 1959 |
| Wilf McGuinness | MF | Manchester United | 1954, 1955, 1956 | England | v Northern Ireland, 4 October 1958 |
| Bobby Charlton | FW | Manchester United | 1954, 1955, 1956 | England | v  Scotland, 19 April 1958 |
| David Pegg | FW | Manchester United | 1953, 1954 | England | v Republic of Ireland, 19 May 1957 |
| Billy Whelan | FW | Manchester United | 1953 | Republic of Ireland | v  Netherlands, 10 May 1956 |
| Duncan Edwards | MF, FW | Manchester United | 1953, 1954, 1955 | England | v Scotland, 2 April 1955 |
1960s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
| Jimmy Rimmer | GK | Manchester United | 1964 | England | v  Italy, 28 May 1976 |
| Billy Hughes | FW | Sunderland | 1967 | Scotland | v Sweden, 16 April 1975 |
| Dave Thomas | FW | Burnley | 1968 | England | v  Czechoslovakia, 30 October 1974 |
| Dennis Yaager | MF | Everton | 1965 | .svg.png) Australia | v  Iran, 4 November 1970 |
| Sammy Nelson | FW | Arsenal | 1966 | Northern Ireland | v England, 21 April 1970 |
| Pat Rice | DF | Arsenal | 1966 | Northern Ireland | v  Israel, 10 September 1968 |
| Bobby Moncur | FW | Newcastle United | 1962 | Scotland | v Netherlands, 30 May 1968 |
| David Sadler | FW | Manchester United | 1964 | England | v Northern Ireland, 22 November 1967 |
| Peter Bonetti | GK | Chelsea | 1960 | England | v  Denmark, 3 July 1966 |
| Terry Venables | MF | Chelsea | 1960, 1961 | England | v .svg.png) Belgium, 21 October 1964 |
| George Best | FW | Manchester United | 1964 | Northern Ireland | v Wales, 15 April 1964 |
| Bobby Tambling | FW | Chelsea | 1960 | England | v Wales, 21 November 1962 |
1970s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
| Terry Fenwick | DF | Crystal Palace | 1977, 1978 | England | v Wales, 2 May 1984 |
| Derek Statham | DF | West Bromwich Albion | 1976 | England | v Wales, 23 February 1983 |
| Steve Lovell | FW | Crystal Palace | 1978 | Wales | v  Soviet Union, 18 November 1981 |
| Kevin O'Callaghan | MF | Millwall | 1979 | Republic of Ireland | v Czechoslovakia, 29 April 1981 |
| Noel Brotherston | MF | Tottenham Hotspur | 1974 | Northern Ireland | v Scotland, 16 May 1980 |
| Jerry Murphy | MF | Crystal Palace | 1977, 1978 | Republic of Ireland | v Wales, 11 September 1979 |
| Kenny Sansom | DF | Crystal Palace | 1977 | England | v Wales, 23 May 1979 |
| Peter Nicholas | MF | Crystal Palace | 1978 | Wales | v Scotland, 19 May 1979 |
| John Wark | MF | Ipswich Town | 1975 | Scotland | v Wales, 19 May 1979 |
| John Gidman | DF | Aston Villa | 1972 | England | v  Luxembourg, 30 March 1977 |
| Brian Little | FW | Aston Villa | 1972 | England | v Wales, 21 May 1975 |
| Graeme Souness | MF | Tottenham Hotspur | 1970 | Scotland | v  East Germany, 30 October 1974 |
1980s
1990s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
| Leon Osman | MF | Everton | 1998 | England | v Sweden, 14 November 2012 |
| Richard Garcia | FW | West Ham United | 1999 | Australia | v  South Africa, 19 August 2008 |
| Adam Newton | DF | West Ham United | 1999 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | v  Barbados, 13 June 2004 |
| Francis Jeffers | FW | Everton | 1998 | England | v Australia, 12 February 2003 |
| Paul Robinson | GK | Leeds United | 1997 | England | v Australia, 12 February 2003 |
| Michael Carrick | MF | West Ham United | 1999 | England | v  Mexico, 25 May 2001 |
| Joe Cole | MF | West Ham United | 1999 | England | v Mexico, 25 May 2001 |
| Alan Smith | FW | Leeds United | 1997 | England | v Mexico, 25 May 2001 |
| Stephen McPhail | MF | Leeds United | 1997 | Republic of Ireland | v Scotland, 30 May 2000 |
| Richard Dunne | DF | Everton | 1998 | Republic of Ireland | v  Greece, 26 April 2000 |
| Gareth Roberts | DF | Liverpool | 1996 | Wales | v  Finland, 29 March 2000 |
| Matt Jones | MF | Leeds United | 1997 | Wales | v  Switzerland, 9 October 1999 |
| Jonathan Woodgate | DF | Leeds United | 1997 | England | v  Bulgaria, 9 June 1999 |
| Jamie Carragher | DF | Liverpool | 1996 | England | v  Hungary, 29 April 1999 |
| David Johnson | FW | Manchester United | 1995 |  Jamaica | v  Trinidad and Tobago, 28 March 1999 |
| Alan Maybury | DF | Leeds United | 1997 | Republic of Ireland | v Czech Republic, 25 March 1998 |
| Michael Owen | FW | Liverpool | 1996 | England | v  Chile, 11 February 1998 |
| Nicky Butt | MF | Manchester United | 1992 | England | v Mexico, 29 March 1997 |
| Philip Mulryne | MF | Manchester United | 1995 | Northern Ireland | v Belgium, 11 February 1997 |
| David Beckham | MF | Manchester United | 1992 | England | v  Moldova, 1 September 1996 |
| Phil Neville | DF | Manchester United | 1995 | England | v  China PR, 23 May 1996 |
| Simon Davies | MF | Manchester United | 1992 | Wales | v Switzerland, 24 April 1996 |
| Harry Kewell | MF | Leeds United | 1997 | Australia | v Chile, 24 April 1996 |
| Robbie Savage | FW | Manchester United | 1992 | Wales | v  Albania, 15 November 1995 |
| Gary Neville | DF | Manchester United | 1992 | England | v  Japan, 3 June 1995 |
| Keith Gillespie | MF | Manchester United | 1992 | Northern Ireland | v  Portugal, 7 September 1994 |
| Ryan Giggs | FW | Manchester United | 1992 | Wales | v Germany, 16 October 1991 |
2000s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
| Gilles Sunu | FW | Arsenal | 2009 |  Togo | v  Gambia, 12 October 2018 |
| Tom Heaton | GK | Manchester United | 2003 | England | v Australia, 27 May 2016 |
| Abdisalam Ibrahim | MF | Manchester City | 2008 |  Norway | v Moldova, 15 January 2014 |
| Oğuzhan Özyakup | MF | Arsenal | 2009 |  Turkey | v  Latvia, 28 May 2013 |
| Emmanuel Frimpong | MF | Arsenal | 2009 |  Ghana | v  Sudan, 24 March 2013 |
| Daniel Sturridge | FW | Manchester City | 2008 | England | v Sweden, 15 November 2011 |
| Jay Bothroyd | FW | Arsenal | 2000 | England | v  France, 13 November 2010 |
| Dedryck Boyata | DF | Manchester City | 2008 | Belgium | v  Austria, 12 October 2010 |
| Phil Bardsley | DF | Manchester United | 2003 | Scotland | v Spain, 11 October 2010 |
| Jack Wilshere | MF | Arsenal | 2009 | England | v Hungary, 11 August 2010 |
| Adam Johnson | MF | Middlesbrough | 2004 | England | v Mexico, 24 May 2010 |
| Vladimír Weiss | MF | Manchester City | 2008 |  Slovakia | v  Iceland, 12 August 2009 |
| Ryan McGivern | DF | Manchester City | 2008 | Northern Ireland | v Scotland, 20 August 2008 |
| James Morrison | MF | Middlesbrough | 2003, 2004 | Scotland | v Czech Republic, 30 May 2008 |
| Paul McShane | DF | Manchester United | 2003 | Republic of Ireland | v Czech Republic, 11 October 2006 |
| Wayne Henderson | GK | Aston Villa | 2002 | Republic of Ireland | v Sweden, 1 March 2006 |
| Kieran Richardson | MF | Manchester United | 2003 | England | v United States, 28 May 2005 |
| Steven Davis | MF | Aston Villa | 2002 | Northern Ireland | v .svg.png) Canada, 9 February 2005 |
| Chris Brunt | MF | Middlesbrough | 2003, 2004 | Northern Ireland | v Switzerland, 18 August 2004 |
| Graham Barrett | FW | Arsenal | 2000 | Republic of Ireland | v Jamaica, 3 June 2004 |
2010s
| Player | Pos | Club | Year | National team | International debut |
| Reece James | DF | Chelsea | 2017, 2018 | England | v Wales, 8 October 2020 |
| Neco Williams | DF | Liverpool | 2019 | Wales | v Finland, 3 September 2020 |
| Fikayo Tomori | DF | Chelsea | 2015, 2016 | England | v  Kosovo, 17 November 2019 |
| Mason Mount | MF | Chelsea | 2016, 2017 | England | v Bulgaria, 7 September 2019 |
| Callum Hudson-Odoi | MF | Chelsea | 2017, 2018 | England | v Czech Republic, 22 March 2019 |
| Nathaniel Chalobah | MF | Chelsea | 2012 | England | v Spain, 15 October 2018 |
| Dominic Solanke | FW | Chelsea | 2014, 2015 | England | v  Brazil, 14 November 2017 |
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek | MF | Chelsea | 2012, 2014 | England | v Germany, 10 November 2017 |
| Tammy Abraham | FW | Chelsea | 2015, 2016 | England | v Germany, 10 November 2017 |
| Mukhtar Ali | MF | Chelsea | 2015 |  Saudi Arabia | v Jamaica, 7 October 2017 |
| Ola Aina | DF | Chelsea | 2014, 2015 |  Nigeria | v  Zambia, 7 October 2017 |
| George Saville | MF | Chelsea | 2010 | Northern Ireland | v Germany, 5 October 2017 |
| Jérémie Boga | FW | Chelsea | 2014, 2015 |  Ivory Coast | v  Guinea, 4 June 2017 |
| Nathan Aké | DF | Chelsea | 2012 | Netherlands | v  Morocco, 31 May 2017 |
| Michael Keane | DF | Manchester United | 2011 | England | v Germany, 22 March 2017 |
| Jesse Lingard | FW | Manchester United | 2011 | England | v  Malta, 8 October 2016 |
| Tom Lawrence | MF | Manchester United | 2011 | Wales | v  Andorra, 13 October 2015 |
| Aziz Deen-Conteh | DF | Chelsea | 2010 |  Sierra Leone | v  Malawi, 7 October 2015 |
| Andreas Christensen | DF | Chelsea | 2014 | Denmark | v  Montenegro, 8 June 2015 |
| Aliu Djaló | MF | Chelsea | 2010 |  Guinea-Bissau | v Zambia, 4 June 2016 |
| Paul Pogba | MF | Manchester United | 2011 | France | v  Georgia, 22 March 2013 |
| Gökhan Töre | MF | Chelsea | 2010 | Turkey | v  Estonia, 10 August 2011 |
| Jeffrey Bruma | DF | Chelsea | 2010 | Netherlands | v  Ukraine, 12 August 2010 |
See also
- FA Youth Cup Finals
- FA Cup
- U21 Premier League Cup
- Professional Development League
- Football League Youth Alliance
References
External links
.jpg'))
England.svg.jpg){kind=small}
Wales_(26605635752).jpg'))
West Germany, 23 February 1966 
Republic of Ireland 
Spain, 5 May 1965 
United States, 27 May 1964 
Northern Ireland, 11 April 1962 
Sweden, 1 November 1959 
Scotland, 19 April 1958 
Netherlands, 10 May 1956 
Italy, 28 May 1976 
Czechoslovakia, 30 October 1974 .svg.png){kind=small}
Australia 
Iran, 4 November 1970 
Israel, 10 September 1968 
Denmark, 3 July 1966 .svg.png){kind=small}
Belgium, 21 October 1964 
Soviet Union, 18 November 1981 
Luxembourg, 30 March 1977 
East Germany, 30 October 1974 
Mexico, 29 March 1997 
Moldova, 1 September 1996 
New Zealand, 3 June 1991 
Iceland, 1 May 1991 
Uruguay, 19 May 1990 
Tunisia, 19 October 1988 
Norway, 6 June 1984 
South Africa, 19 August 2008 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 
Barbados, 13 June 2004 
Greece, 26 April 2000 
Finland, 29 March 2000 
Switzerland, 9 October 1999 
Bulgaria, 9 June 1999 
Hungary, 29 April 1999 
Jamaica 
Trinidad and Tobago, 28 March 1999 
Chile, 11 February 1998 
China PR, 23 May 1996 
Albania, 15 November 1995 
Japan, 3 June 1995 
Portugal, 7 September 1994 
Togo 
Gambia, 12 October 2018 
Turkey 
Latvia, 28 May 2013 
Ghana 
Sudan, 24 March 2013 
France, 13 November 2010 
Austria, 12 October 2010 
Slovakia .svg.png){kind=small}
Canada, 9 February 2005 
Kosovo, 17 November 2019 
Brazil, 14 November 2017 
Saudi Arabia 
Nigeria 
Zambia, 7 October 2017 
Ivory Coast 
Guinea, 4 June 2017 
Morocco, 31 May 2017 
Malta, 8 October 2016 
Andorra, 13 October 2015 
Sierra Leone 
Malawi, 7 October 2015 
Montenegro, 8 June 2015 
Guinea-Bissau 
Georgia, 22 March 2013 
Estonia, 10 August 2011 
Ukraine, 12 August 2010