The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an Englishfootball competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It is dominated by the youth sides of professional teams, mostly from the Premier League, but attracts over 400 entrants from throughout the country.
At the end of the Second World War the FA organised a Youth Championship for County Associations considering it the best way to stimulate the game among those youngsters not yet old enough to play senior football. The matches did not attract large crowds but outstanding players were selected for Youth Internationals and thousands were given the chance to play in a national contest for the first time. In 1951 it was realised that a competition for clubs would probably have a wider appeal. The FA Youth Challenge Cup (1952–53 season) was restricted to the youth teams of clubs, both professional and amateur, who were members of the FA.[1]
The notion of a youth cup was thought of by Sir Joe Richards, the late President of the Football League. He initially put forward the idea to the league clubs but they were not enthused; Richards then took the idea to the Football Association, who liked the idea and created the competition in the same year.[2] The Youth Cup trophy itself was purchased by the Football League during World War II. However, they never found a use for it. Football League secretary Fred Howarth found the trophy in a cupboard at the Starkie Street office and handed it over to the Football Association.[2]
Manchester United are the competition's most successful club, winning it eleven times. The current holders are Manchester City, who defeated Leeds United 4–0 in the 2024 final.
^Prior to 2018–19, finals were played over two legs; the aggregate scores are listed.
Performance by clubs
Hat-tricks
Including qualifying and preliminary round matches.
Multiple hat-tricks
Players who have scored multiple hat-tricks in the FA Youth Cup. As players are usually only eligible for the FA Youth Cup for one or two seasons (rather than indefinitely/their whole career), scoring multiple hat-tricks is an even more exceptional feat.
FA Girls' Youth Cup hat-tricks
The FA Girls' Youth Cup has been contested since at least 2012, and is the equivalent competition for under-17 women's association football teams. Of the known hat-tricks, all have been in scored in matches featuring Blackburn Rovers W.F.C.: two for Blackburn Rovers and one in the 2012–13 final against them.
^ a bInglis, Simon (1988). Football League and the men who made it. Harper Collins. p. 205. ISBN 978-0002182423.
^ a b c d"FA Youth Cup". Retrieved 1 August 2024.
^ a b c d e"1960 FA Youth Cup". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^ a b"Liverpool career stats for Michael Owen - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!". www.lfchistory.net. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^Classic Man Utd Videos and Clips (17 March 2021). Liverpool v Man Utd 1996 FA Youth Cup 5th Rd (Michael Owen Hat-Trick). Retrieved 20 June 2024 – via YouTube.
^"HAT-TRICK FOR LENNON". www.leedsunited.com. 3 December 2002. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^"Chelsea through in Youth Cup with win over Dartford". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^"Tammy's treble fires Chelsea through in FA Youth Cup". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^"Youth team score six in FA Youth Cup win over Southport". fc-utd.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^"Mpofu hat-trick fires Tamworth through in FA Youth Cup". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^ a b"YOUTH CUP REPORT: LUTON 4 DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE 3". www.lutontown.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
^"Ugbo fires Chelsea to Youth Cup Final". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^"U18 Report: Ballard hits hat-trick in dramatic FA Youth Cup tie". www.southamptonfc.com. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
^"U18S EASE INTO FA YOUTH CUP THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND". southend united fc. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
^"FA YOUTH CUP REPORT | Bury Town 1 Charlton 4 | Charlton Athletic Football Club". www.charltonafc.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
^FA Youth Cup | City 5-0 Fleetwood | Oboavwoduo's hat-trick helps power City into the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals! 🤩 | By Manchester CityFacebook. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via www.facebook.com.
^Oxford City FC (19 October 2023). Hat-Trick hero Phil Croker reflects on FA Youth Cup victory. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via YouTube.
^🗣️ We caught up with hat trick hero Elliott Wenham after our FA Youth Cup team beat Dartford 5 - 1 last night. | By Maidstone United (Official)Facebook. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via www.facebook.com.
^West Ham United FC (7 April 2023). West Ham 6-1 Southampton | Mubama Hat-Trick Seals Spot In Cup Final | FA Youth Cup Highlights. Retrieved 19 July 2024 – via YouTube.
^"Under-18s defeated in FA Youth Cup second round". South Shields FC. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
^"Consett hit Sunderland RCA for six to progress in FA Youth Cup". 17 August 2023.
^"Tomlinson Hat-trick In Youth Cup Charge – Mickleover Football Club". 5 September 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
^Squires, Theo; Killen, Stephen; MacDonald, Keifer (20 January 2024). "Liverpool U18 vs Arsenal highlights - Reds score seven in FA Youth Cup". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
^"WSL: Man City v Arsenal - Preview". WSL: Man City v Arsenal - Preview. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
^FC, Blackburn Rovers. "Walsh treble secures semi-final spot". Blackburn Rovers FC. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
^"FA Girls' Youth Cup: Man City and Teesside Sport win on pens". OneFootball. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
^Stone, Simon (11 May 2022). "Record crowd watch Man Utd win FA Youth Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.