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The British League Cup was a football competition that was set up in April 1902 to raise money for the disaster at Ibrox Stadium, in which 25 people were killed and 517 injured at an international match between Scotland and England at the start of that month. The four clubs that participated in this competition were the winners and runners-up of the Scottish and English football leagues. It was a predecessor to the Empire Exhibition Trophy, Coronation Cup and Anglo-Scottish Cup. It succeeded the old World Championship matches between English and Scottish top clubs, as football became more widespread in the world and England-Scotland club matches could no longer be billed as World Championships.
Summary
The competition took place in Glasgow, apart from one semi-final between Everton and Rangers played at Goodison Park in Liverpool, the replay for which took place at Celtic Park where Celtic had also played Sunderland. The final, played at the first Cathkin Park, was won 3–2 by Celtic against Rangers after extra time, with the winning goal coming so late that many newspapers reported that the result was a 2–2 draw. The event was held near to the accession date of King Edward VII and due to its Britain-wide scope was also referred to as the 'Coronation Cup' in some sources. The final was held six weeks after the semi-finals with the intention to play it as close as possible to the coronation ceremony event, but this was delayed until the August after Edward fell ill.
The trophy itself had first been won by Rangers the previous year as the Glasgow International Exhibition Cup. Despite its inscription still stating "Awarded to Rangers F.C." after Celtic won the British League Cup competition, they kept the trophy permanently.
There was a further 'Rangers Benefit Tournament' to raise funds at the start of the following season, held over a few weeks at various stadia, and with low attendances reported. Celtic also won that competition, defeating Morton 4–2 in the final at Ibrox after a 7–2 win over Rangers in the quarter-final.
Other uses of the name
In the 21st century, suggestions have been made (mostly from Scotland, although some calls from English managers) that a 'British League Cup' could be played involving the amalgamation of the English EFL Cup and the Scottish League Cup due to the perception of both competitions diminishing in appeal under their current formats, with no such changes implemented as of 2023.
See also
Football World Championship, similar cross-border format competition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Dubai Champions Cup, annual match in UAE between Scottish and English champions in late 1980s
Scottish Challenge Cup, lower-league Scottish cup competition with invitees from the top tiers of Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and the fifth tier of England
Celtic
Everton (runners-up in 1901–02 Football League)
