Football tournament season
1880–81 Scottish Cup The Scottish Cup trophy
Country Scotland Teams 135 Defending champions Queen's Park Champions Queen's Park(fifth title) Runner-up Dumbarton Matches played 121 Goals scored 554 (4.58 per match)
The 1880–81 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the eighth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Defending champions Queen's Park retained the cup and won the competition for the fifth time after they beat Dumbarton 3–1 in a replayed final which saw Dr John Smith score the first Scottish Cup final hat-trick on 9 April 1881.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
As with the previous competitions, the eighth edition of the Scottish Cup took on the format of a traditional knockout tournament.[ 3] For the earlier rounds, the names of competing teams were placed into lots according to their districts and drawn into pairs. The home team for each tie was determined by the toss of a coin unless it was mutually agreed or only one of the two clubs drawn against one another had a private ground. In the event of a draw, the team who lost the toss would have the choice of ground for the replay. A similar procedure was used for subsequent rounds, except that any club which had received a bye in the previous round would first be drawn against one of the winners of the previous round. The names of winning teams were placed into one lot for later rounds. The choice of venue for the final matches was reserved to the Scottish Football Association .[ 4]
Round First match date Fixtures Clubs Original Byes Replays First Round 4 September 1880 65 6 3 136 → 71 Second Round 2 October 1880 33 5 5 71 → 38 Third Round 23 October 1880 17 4 1 38 → 21 Fourth Round 13 November 1880 10 1 1 21 → 11 Fifth Round 4 December 1880 5 1 0 11 → 6 Quarter-finals 25 December 1880 3 0 0 6 → 3 Semi-finals 5 February 1881 1 1 0 3 → 2 Final 26 March 1881 1 0 1 2 → 1
Both Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities were given byes to the third round. All 136 teams entered the competition in the first round.
Notes ^ I -There is no record of a club called Airdrie Bluebell that existed in the 1880s. It is believed it was erroneously included in the hat alongside a number of clubs which had disbanded before the first round draw as a result of confusion with Plains Blue Bell - the latter club had been referred to as an Airdrie side in the 1879–80 Minute Book.
Glasgow and Suburbs [ edit ] Possil Bluebell received a bye to the second round. Glasgow University received a bye to the third round.
Petershill v Cowlairs
Queen's Park v John Elder
Athole v Whitefield
Northern v 3rd Lanark RV
Jordanhill v Windsor
Oxford v Maxwell
Pollokshields Athletic v Partick
South Western v Ingram
Rangers v Govan
Caledonian v Clyde
Pilgrims v Lancefield
Alexandra Athletic v Kelvinbank
Dennistoun v Partick Thistle
Possilpark v High School
City v 19th Lanark RV
Ailsa v Harmonic
Clydesdale v Shawlands Athletic
Renfrewshire district [ edit ] Arthurlie v Johnstone
St Mirren v Johnstone Athletic
Pollok v Johnstone Rovers
Glenkilloch v Morton
Cartside v Kennishead
Thornliebank v Renfrew
Abercorn v Barrhead
17th Renfrew RV v Wellington Park
Cartvale v Levern
Renfrew Ramblers v Yoker
Netherlee v Oakfield
Rankinston v Maybole
Beith v Irvine
Catrine v Ayr
Kilmarnock Portland v Coylton Coila
Auchinleck Boswell v Cumnock
Kilbirnie v Lanemark
Girvan v Kilmarnock Athletic
Hurlford v Ayr Thistle
Kilmarnock v Stewarton Cunninghame
Mauchline v Dean
Lanarkshire district [ edit ] Glengowan received a bye to the second round.
Clarkston v Plains Blue Bell
Bellshill v Airdrie
Excelsior v Drumpellier
Tollcross Athletic v Thistle
Uddingston v Royal Albert
Shotts v Lanark
Airdriehill v Airdrie Bluebell
Cambuslang v Upper Clydesdale
Stonelaw v Hamilton Academical
Dunbartonshire district [ edit ] Vale of Leven received a bye to the second round.
Lennox v Helensburgh
Dumbarton v Victoria
Jamestown v Alclutha
Star of Leven v Kirkintilloch Athletic
Renton v Kilmaronock Thistle
Stirlingshire district [ edit ] Grasshoppers v Milton of Campsie
King's Park v Strathblane
Central v Bridge of Allan
Lenzie v Thistle Athletic
Falkirk v Campsie Athletic
Perthshire and Forfarshire district [ edit ] Rob Roy v Dundee Our Boys
Coupar Angus v Strathmore
St Clement's v Dunkeld
Vale of Teith v Arbroath
Edinburghshire and Fifeshire [ edit ] Hibernian received a bye to the second round. Edinburgh University received a bye to the third round.
Heart of Midlothian v Brunswick
Hanover v Dunfermline
Wigtownshire and Dumfriesshire district [ edit ] Stranraer v Queen of the South Wanderers
5th Kirkcudbrightshire RV v Cree Rovers
Glasgow and Suburbs [ edit ] Whitefield v Athole
Maybole v Rankinston
Lanarkshire district [ edit ] Royal Albert v Uddingston
Dunbartonshire district [ edit ] Helensburgh v Lennox
Notes ^ A -Replays were ordered for both the Lennox–Dumbarton and Athole–Whitefield ties after the original match was declared null and void owing to an irregularity in the appointment of a referee.
^ B -A protest from Maybole that the ground was not "roped in" was upheld and a replay was ordered.
Sources:[ 16]
Glasgow and Suburbs [ edit ] Northern v Rangers
Alexandra Athletic v Athole
Jordanhill v Partick Thistle
Queen's Park v Possilpark
Harmonic v Clyde
South Western v Partick
Pilgrims v City
Cowlairs v Oxford
Possil Bluebell v Shawlands Athletic
Renfrewshire district [ edit ] Cartside received a bye to the third round.
Netherlee v Yoker
St Mirren v 17th Renfrew RV
Abercorn v Morton
Arthurlie v Cartvale
Pollok v Thornliebank
Hurlford v Cumnock
Kilbirnie v Kilmarnock Athletic
Kilmarnock Portland v Beith
Kilmarnock v Ayr
Mauchline v Maybole
Lanarkshire district [ edit ] Glengowan v Thistle
Excelsior v Airdrie
Clarkston v Airdriehill
Royal Albert v Shotts
Hamilton Academical v Cambuslang
Dumbarton v Jamestown
Helensburgh v Star of Leven
Renton v Vale of Leven
Stirlingshire district [ edit ] Lenzie received a bye to the third round.
Falkirk v King's Park
Central v Milton of Campsie
Perthshire and Forfarshire district [ edit ] Dunkeld v Rob Roy
Coupar Angus v Arbroath
Heart of Midlothian received a bye to the third round.
Hibernian v Dunfermline
Kirkcudbrughtshire and Wigtownshire district [ edit ] 5th Kirkcudbrightshire RV v Stranraer
Glasgow and Suburbs [ edit ] Clyde v Harmonic
Renfrewshire district [ edit ] Cartvale v Arthurlie
Kilbirnie v Kilmarnock Athletic
Lanarkshire district [ edit ] Thistle v Glengowan
Stirlingshire district [ edit ] Milton of Campsie v Central
Notes ^ C -Abandoned after 55 minutes when Kilmarnock Athletic left the field in protest at a disallowed goal. The match was declared null and void and a replay was ordered.
Sources:[ 16]
Glasgow and Suburbs [ edit ] Glasgow University and South Western received a bye to the fourth round.
Cowlairs v Alexandra Athletic
Rangers v Partick Thistle
Clyde v Shawlands Athletic
Queen's Park v Pilgrims
Renfrewshire district [ edit ] Cartside v Yoker
Abercorn v St Mirren
Arthurlie v Pollok
Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire district [ edit ] Beith v 5th Kirkcudbrightshire RV
Mauchline v Kilmarnock
Kilbirnie v Hurlford
Lanarkshire district [ edit ] Clarkston received a bye to the fourth round.
Royal Albert v Cambuslang
Thistle v Airdrie
Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire district [ edit ] Helensburgh v Vale of Leven
Falkirk v Dumbarton
Central v Lenzie
Perthshire, Forfarshire and Edinburgh district[ edit ] Edinburgh University received a bye to the fourth round.
Arbroath v Rob Roy
Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian
Glasgow and Suburbs [ edit ] Cowlairs v Alexandra Athletic
Renfrewshire district [ edit ] Yoker v Cartside
Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire district [ edit ] Mauchline v Kilmarnock
Renfrewshire district [ edit ] Cartside v Yoker
Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire district [ edit ] Kilmarnock v Mauchline
Notes ^ D -A protest by Alexandra Athletic that Cowlairs had fielded an ineligible player was upheld and a replay was ordered.
^ E -Match declared as a draw following a protest by Yoker and a replay was ordered.
^ F -A protest by Kilmarnock was upheld and a replay was ordered.
^ G -Abandoned after 60 minutes due to darkness.
Sources:[ 16]
Thistle received a bye to the fifth round.
Heart of Midlothian v Cambuslang
Edinburgh University v Central
Arthurlie v South Western
Dumbarton v Glasgow University
Rangers v Clyde
Queen's Park v Beith
St Mirren v Cowlairs
Cartside v Hurlford
Mauchline v Clarkston
Vale of Leven v Arbroath
Arthurlie v South Western
Notes ^ H -A protest by South Western was upheld and a replay was ordered.
Sources:[ 16]
Central received a bye to the quarter-finals.
Vale of Leven v Thistle
St Mirren v Dumbarton
Arthurlie v Heart of Midlothian
Mauchline v Queen's Park
Hurlford v Rangers
Sources:[ 16]
Central v Queen's Park
Rangers v Dumbarton
Arthurlie v Vale of Leven
Sources:[ 16]
Queen's Park received a bye to the final.
Vale of Leven v Dumbarton
Sources:[ 16]
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Domestic cups Non-Scottish competitions Related to national team Club seasons