Milne Cup


The Milne Cup is an annual challenge match played between the representative men's teams of the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands, each taking turns as host. Traditionally, if the match was drawn after extra time then the cup was retained by its holder, but 2019 saw the first penalty shootout in the history of the competition.

The trophy itself was donated by Bailie Milne, the first chairman of Aberdeen F.C. It was originally intended for competition between Lerwick and Scalloway, but instead the cup was first competed for in 1908 by teams representing Lerwick and Kirkwall. From 1913 onwards the teams represented Shetland and Orkney, although formally speaking the Shetland F.A. and the Orkney F.A. were not formed until 1919 and 1920 respectively. Prior to 1920 the Thorfinn club selected the Orkney team.

In the earliest years the prevalent code on the islands was rugby union, and indeed the first reported association football match in Shetland was played in July 1887 when the local rugby club Lerwick F.C. was challenged to an association match by a group of building contractors from Edinburgh; Lerwick led 2-1 when the match ended early due to the ball bursting. The first match (under association rules) between teams from the two archipelagos was on the 20th June 1901, when Lerwick beat Kirkwall 2-0. In May 1907 a Lerwick team selected from the Viking and Thistle clubs played in Orkney, drawing 1-1 with Thorfinn at Kirkwall and beating Stromness 3-0. The latter visit appears to have led directly to the annual representative matches beginning in 1908.

Since 1908 the Milne Cup match has been played annually, apart from interruptions due to war, a postponement in 1971 (two matches were played in 1972), and a disagreement in 1975 when the two sides could not decide upon a suitable date. The Milne Cup matches for 1968, 1969, 1971 (held 1972), and 1972 also formed part of the North Atlantic Cup, a triangular tournament including the Faroe Islands.

From 2006 to 2014 an analogous match for women's representative teams, the Mitchell Shield, was also played.



 No.  Year ( Date )        Home       Score   Away        Notes
   1  1908 (May  7)        Lerwick     5-1    Kirkwall
   2  1909 (May 19)        Kirkwall    4-3    Lerwick     AET
   3  1910 (May 23)        Lerwick     2-0    Kirkwall
   4  1911 (May 10)        Kirkwall    3-2    Lerwick
   5  1912 (Apr 15)        Lerwick     0-0    Kirkwall    AET; Kirkwall retained the cup

   6  1913 (May  7)        Orkney      3-2    Shetland
   7  1914 (Apr 27)        Shetland    0-1    Orkney
   -  1915-18                not played (war)
   8  1919 (Jun 11)        Orkney      2-3    Shetland
   9  1920 (May 24)        Shetland    3-0    Orkney
  10  1921 (May 14)        Orkney      2-1    Shetland

  11  1922 (May 29)        Shetland    7-1    Orkney
  12  1923 (May 11)        Orkney      1-2    Shetland    AET
  13  1924 (May 19)        Shetland    2-1    Orkney
  14  1925 (May 29)        Orkney      2-3    Shetland
  15  1926 (May 24)        Shetland    2-0    Orkney

  16  1927 (May  6)        Orkney      5-1    Shetland
  17  1928 (May 21)        Shetland    2-3    Orkney
  18  1929 (May 24)        Orkney      1-3    Shetland
  19  1930 (May 26)        Shetland    1-3    Orkney
  20  1931 (May 29)        Orkney      5-2    Shetland

  21  1932 (May 23)        Shetland    6-0    Orkney
  22  1933 (May 19)        Orkney      1-0    Shetland
  23  1934 (May 28)        Shetland    4-0    Orkney
  24  1935 (May 31)        Orkney      3-1    Shetland
  25  1936 (May 18)        Shetland    0-1    Orkney

  26  1937 (May 21)        Orkney      4-1    Shetland
  27  1938 (May 30)        Shetland    7-4    Orkney
  28  1939 (Jun 2)         Orkney      2-0    Shetland
   -  1940-45                not played (war)
  29  1946 (Aug 22)        Shetland    3-5    Orkney
  30  1947 (Aug 22)        Orkney      2-2    Shetland    AET; Orkney retained the cup

  31  1948 (Jun 3)         Shetland    2-1    Orkney      AET
  32  1949 (Aug 26)        Orkney      6-1    Shetland
  33  1950 (Aug 31)        Shetland    1-2    Orkney
  34  1951 (Aug 24)        Orkney      4-0    Shetland
  35  1952 (Aug 21)        Shetland    2-5    Orkney

  36  1953 (Aug 28)        Orkney      1-3    Shetland
  37  1954 (Aug 19)        Shetland    3-1    Orkney      AET
  38  1955 (Aug 5)         Orkney      3-2    Shetland
  39  1956 (Aug 16)        Shetland    1-6    Orkney
  40  1957 (Aug 2)         Orkney      2-4    Shetland

  41  1958 (Aug 21)        Shetland    0-2    Orkney
  42  1959 (Aug 14)        Orkney      4-2    Shetland
  43  1960 (Aug 18)        Shetland    0-2    Orkney
  44  1961 (Aug 4)         Orkney      6-4    Shetland
  45  1962 (Aug 16)        Shetland    4-5    Orkney      AET

  46  1963 (Aug 2)         Orkney      7-9    Shetland    AET
  47  1964 (Aug 20)        Shetland    3-3    Orkney      AET; Shetland retained the cup
  48  1965 (Aug 6)         Orkney      2-1    Shetland
  49  1966 (Aug 18)        Shetland    1-6    Orkney
  50  1967 (Aug 3)         Orkney      1-2    Shetland

  51  1968 (Aug 15)        Shetland    3-2    Orkney      AET; first 90 minutes (score 2-2) also part of the North Atlantic Cup
  52  1969 (Aug 11)        Orkney      0-3    Shetland    part of the North Atlantic Cup
  53  1970 (Aug 20)        Shetland    1-1    Orkney      AET; Shetland retained the cup
  54  1971 (1972 Aug 14)   Orkney      3-1    Shetland    postponed from 1971 (Aug 2) due to fog; part of the North Atlantic Cup
  55  1972 (Jul 8)         Shetland    1-7    Orkney      part of the North Atlantic Cup

  56  1973 (Aug 3)         Orkney      3-2    Shetland
  57  1974 (Aug 3)         Shetland    2-1    Orkney
   -  1975                   not played (no date could be agreed)
  58  1976 (Jul 30)        Orkney      2-1    Shetland
  59  1977 (Jul 29)        Shetland    1-0    Orkney
  60  1978 (Jul 28)        Orkney      1-2    Shetland

  61  1979 (Jul 28)        Shetland    2-0    Orkney      AET
  62  1980 (Jul 25)        Orkney      0-1    Shetland
  63  1981 (Jul 25)        Shetland    0-1    Orkney
  64  1982 (Jul 30)        Orkney      0-1    Shetland
  65  1983 (Jul 30)        Shetland    1-0    Orkney

  66  1984 (Jul 27)        Orkney      0-1    Shetland
  67  1985 (Jul 26)        Shetland    6-1    Orkney
  68  1986 (Jul 25)        Orkney      0-1    Shetland
  69  1987 (Jul 24)        Shetland    2-0    Orkney
  70  1988 (Jul 29)        Orkney      1-0    Shetland

  71  1989 (Jul 28)        Shetland    4-1    Orkney
  72  1990 (Sep 1)         Orkney      1-0    Shetland    postponed from July 27 due to fog
  73  1991 (Jul 26)        Shetland    4-2    Orkney
  74  1992 (Aug 1)         Orkney      0-2    Shetland
  75  1993 (Jul 30)        Shetland    3-0    Orkney

  76  1994 (Jul 30)        Orkney      0-0    Shetland    AET; Shetland retained the cup
  77  1995 (Sep 1)         Shetland    2-0    Orkney      postponed from July 28 due to fog
  78  1996 (Jul 27)        Orkney      0-4    Shetland
  79  1997 (Jul 25)        Shetland    5-0    Orkney
  80  1998 (Jul 18)        Orkney      2-3    Shetland

  81  1999 (Jul 31)        Shetland    4-1    Orkney
  82  2000 (Jul 29)        Orkney      0-7    Shetland
  83  2001 (Aug 24)        Shetland    2-1    Orkney      postponed from July 27 due to fog
  84  2002 (Jul 27)        Orkney      1-3    Shetland
  85  2003 (Jul 25)        Shetland    3-1    Orkney      AET

  86  2004 (Jul 31)        Orkney      5-4    Shetland    AET
  87  2005 (Jul 29)        Shetland    3-0    Orkney
  88  2006 (Jul 29)        Orkney      0-4    Shetland
  89  2007 (Jul 27)        Shetland    4-1    Orkney
  90  2008 (Jul 26)        Orkney      1-2    Shetland

  91  2009 (Jul 25)        Shetland    1-0    Orkney      AET
  92  2010 (Jul 31)        Orkney      0-2    Shetland
  93  2011 (Jul 30)        Shetland    1-0    Orkney
  94  2012 (Jul 28)        Orkney      3-1    Shetland
  95  2013 (Jul 27)        Shetland    4-1    Orkney

  96  2014 (Jul 12)        Orkney      2-3    Shetland    AET
  97  2015 (Aug  1)        Shetland    6-0    Orkney
  98  2016 (Jul 30)        Orkney      3-2    Shetland
  99  2017 (Jul 29)        Shetland    2-0    Orkney
 100  2018 (Jul 28)        Orkney      5-1    Shetland

 101  2019 (Jul 27)        Shetland    1-1    Orkney      AET; 5-4 pen
 102  2020 (Oct 17)        Orkney      0-1    Shetland    postponed from July 25 due to COVID-19 pandemic
 103  2021 (Jul 31)        Shetland    1-2    Orkney      AET
 104  2022 (Jul 30)        Orkney      0-8    Shetland
 105  2023 (Sep 16)        Shetland    6-1    Orkney


Total number of cup wins
Shetland (including Lerwick)   63  (3 retained after draw, 1 won on penalties after draw)
Orkney (including Kirkwall)    42  (2 retained after draw)

Total number of match wins
Shetland (including Lerwick)   59
Orkney (including Kirkwall)    40
Draw                            6

Longest unbeaten run
Shetland     13 years     1991-2003 (one match drawn)

Greatest winning margin
2022 Orkney  0-8  Shetland

Most goals in a match
1963 Orkney  7-9  Shetland    [AET]



About this document

Sources: historical archives of the following local newspapers: "Shetland Times," "Shetland News," "Orkney Herald," "Orcadian."

Prepared and maintained by Mark Cruickshank and Neil Morrison for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Authors: Mark Cruickshank and Neil Morrison
Last updated: 20 Sep 2023

(C) Copyright Mark Cruickshank, Neil Morrison, and RSSSF 2007/23
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.