Mainland Cup

{{Infobox football tournament

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| founded = 1909 (as Mainland Challenge Trophy)

| abolished = 1952

| region = Canada (CONCACAF)

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The Mainland Cup was a knock-out cup competition for soccer clubs in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The tournament served as the de facto championship for clubs in the province from 1909 to 1952.{{cite news |last=Mackie |first=John |date=July 29, 2018 |title=Long-lost B.C. soccer trophy found, in a garage |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/long-lost-b-c-soccer-trophy-found-in-a-garage |work=Vancouver Sun |accessdate=July 29, 2018}}

History

The Mainland Challenge Cup was founded in 1909 and was contested by clubs in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland region. The Mainland Cup trophy was donated in 1914 by Vancouver legislator William Bowser, who would go on to serve as Premier from 1915 to 1916. The trophy later disappeared, but was recovered and is displayed at the BC Sports Hall of Fame; at one point during its disappearance, the trophy had been used as a garden planter.

The cup was originally played by four teams from the B.C. First Division,{{cite news |last=Gough |first=Frank |date=January 18, 1915 |title=Lonsdale, Cottagers and Coquitlam in semi-finals |page=8 |work=The Vancouver Daily World |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22325932/mainland_cup_semifinalists_1915/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=July 29, 2018}} {{free access}} but was later expanded to include extra rounds and teams from the Second Division.{{cite news |date=December 29, 1916 |title=Mainland Cup draws are made |page=9 |work=The Vancouver Daily World |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22326574/mainland_cup_1917_draw/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=July 29, 2018}} {{free access}}

The 1933 edition of the cup was won by a team of Chinese students over the University of British Columbia, sparking celebrations in the Chinese community.{{cite news |last=Mickleburgh |first=Rod |date=January 11, 2011 |title=Nearly 70 years on, an act of inclusion for Chinese Students Soccer team |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/nearly-70-years-on-an-act-of-inclusion-for-chinese-students-soccer-team/article561242/ |work=The Globe and Mail |accessdate=July 29, 2018}}

In October 1952, the Pacific Coast Soccer League announced that it would have its teams compete in a new tournament that would replace the Mainland Cup.{{cite news |date=October 10, 1952 |title=New Competition Will Replace Mainland Cup |page=1 |work=Nanaimo Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22326454/mainland_cup_replaced/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=July 29, 2018}} {{free access}}

List of finals

:(R) indicates a final that was played as a replay

class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Mainland Cup winners

!scope="col"|Season

!scope="col"|Winners{{cite web |last=Jose |first=Colin |title=British Columbia: Mainland Cup |url=http://www.canadiansoccerhistory.com/BC/Mainland%20Cup.html |publisher=Canadian Soccer History |accessdate=July 29, 2018}}

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Runners–up

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Attendance

align=center|1915

!scope=row|Coquitlam Ranchers

|align=center|3–0 (R)

|B.C. Electric

|

|align=center|

References