Challenge Trophy


The Challenge Trophy is a national amateur soccer cup in Canada contested by the champions of individual provincial soccer competitions. It is one of the oldest soccer competitions in Canada, being held since 1913. It is run by the Canadian Soccer Association.

History

An unofficial Dominion championship for a trophy donated by The People newspaper of London, named the Peoples Shield, was contested from 1906–1912. Teams from all provinces did not enter the competition in each year, and it was contested by Western Canada in its last years.
On May 24, 1912, the Amateur Athletic Union met in Toronto to determine a competition to crown a Canadian national champion. That year, the executive of the Dominion of Canada Football Association invited the Duke of Connaught to become the Patron of the Association. The Duke donated the Connaught Cup to the FA, which became the championship of Canadian soccer. In 1926, the English FA donated a new trophy to replace it as the national championship named the Challenge Trophy.
The inaugural competition in 1913 and the 1914 edition both featured four teams in a league format; both were won by Manitoba side Norwood Wanderers. From 1915 to 1955, the final was generally played as a best-of-three series between the champions of the west and the champions of the east. The single-game final used today was first implemented in 1956.
In 1927, the previously amateur-only tournament opened to professional teams. Prior to 1940, fifteen finals were played at Carruthers Park in Winnipeg, five in Toronto and one each in Vancouver and Montreal.
From 1954 to 1961, the trophy was replaced by the Carling Cup. The original Challenge Trophy is now retired and on display at Canada Soccer House in Ottawa, Ontario.
The tournament acted as a men's national championship at the highest level in Canadian soccer in its early years, however, professional and semi-professional tournaments have taken on more importance in recent decades, including the Canadian Championship.

Qualifying competitions and participants

Provincial championships determine the teams competing in The Challenge Trophy:

1970 and beyond

Most titles

;By provincial association
RankProvinceTitles
1British Columbia40
2Ontario18
3Quebec12
4Manitoba11
5Alberta8
6Nova Scotia2
7Saskatchewan1
7New Brunswick1
7Newfoundland and Labrador1
7Prince Edward Island1

;By club
RankClubChampionsRunners-up
1Westminster Royals82
2Vancouver Columbus42
2Calgary Callies 42
2Vancouver Firefighters41
2Victoria West Soccer Club4
6Toronto Scottish31
6Toronto Ulster United3
8Vancouver North Shore23
8St. Lawrence Lauretians2
8Edmonton Ital Canadians2
8Lucania Soccer Club2
8Nanaimo Wanderers2
8Norwood Wanderers2
8United Weston2
8Vancouver Hale-Co FC 2
8Norvan ANAF2
8Winnipeg Scottish2
8Montreal Concordia 2
8London Marconi2