Jock Stein Friendship Cup
| Founded | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Abolished | 2019 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Last champions | Celtic |
| Most successful club(s) | Celtic (9) |
Jock Stein Friendship Cup was an exhibition football match held in Cliftonhill Stadium, Coatbridge, Scotland.
This competition was started to recognise the contribution of Jock Stein to both contestants, Albion Rovers and Celtic[1] Stein began his senior footballing career with Albion Rovers in 1942,[2] and in the 1950s played for several years with Celtic, captaining the side to a league & cup double in 1954.[3] He is most famous for his managerial career later on at Celtic.[2]
While the principal aim of the Jock Stein Friendship Cup was to honour Stein's memory, the annual challenge match was also one of several initiatives aimed at raising awareness of Albion Rovers in the club's home town of Coatbridge. The club and the Albion Rovers Supporters Trust engaged with Coatbridge youths and families in various ways; notably through summer coaching sessions and a Christmas Party for local children, and the promotion of awareness-raising initiatives such as the Kick-Out Bigotry campaign.[2]
Celtic usually played its XI team, often composed mainly of reserves or U19 players, and won each of the nine challenge matches, although two finals were drawn at full-time and went to penalty kicks.
Winners
| Year | Champions | Runner-up | Score | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 3–2 | [4] |
| 2007 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 1–1 4–2 (ps) |
[5] |
| 2008 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 4–1 | [6] |
| 2009 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 0–0 5–4 (ps) |
[7] |
| 2010 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 3–3 5–4 (ps) |
[2] |
| 2016 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 1–0 | [8] |
| 2017 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 7–0 | [9] |
| 2018 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 8–0 | [10] |
| 2019 | Celtic | Albion Rovers | 3–0 | [11] |
References
- ^ McKay, Kenny. "Rovers welcome Celtic for the Jock Stein Friendship Cup". STV Coatbridge. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Friendship cup is more than just football". STV News. 14 September 2010. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ MacPherson, Archie (2007). Jock Stein: The Definitive Biography. Highdown. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-905156-37-5.
- ^ "Jock Stein Friendship Cup – Albion Rovers 2 Glasgow Celtic select 3". Celtic Football Programmes Online. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Jock Stein Friendship Cup – Albion Rovers 2 Glasgow Celtic 1". Celtic Football Programmes Online. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Jock Stein Friendship Cup – Albion Rovers 1 Celtic XI 4". Celtic Football Programmes Online. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Jock Stein Friendship Cup – Albion Rovers 0 Celtic XI 0". Celtic Football Programmes Online. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ Dalziel, Martin (9 August 2016). "Johnston strike seals Jock Stein Friendship Cup win for Celtic". Celtic FC. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Magnificent Seven as Celtic win Jock Stein Friendship Cup". Celtic FC. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ "Emilio Izaguirre's homecoming, almost time for Church". The Celtic Star. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ Jackson, Rory (2 October 2019). "Celtic youngster Jonathan Afolabi shines alongside Karamoko Dembele as young Hoops retain Friendship Cup". Evening Times. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
