The Cooper Smith Challenge Cup

Soon after the formation of the MID – CHESHIRE LEAGUE, and following protracted negotiation between Jack Parker, of the Mid Cheshire League, and Bill Weight, of the West Cheshire League, the commencement of an Inter-League Representative game for the Cooper Smith Challenge Cup began. The cup had originally been a charity trophy named after a former member of the Wirral District Football Association, and played for by West Cheshire League Clubs.

The first match between the two leagues was held on Saturday 11^th October 1952 in front of a crowd of 1,500 at Northwich Victoria’s Drill Field.  The Mid-Cheshire League winning the inaugural fixture 3-2.  This started a bond of friendship that was well observed by Walter Cox, the Mid–Cheshire League Assistant Secretary, following his League’s 6-3 defeat some four years later.  In his annual report he said, “I am sorry to report that we were well beaten by six goals to three, but the friendship formed on these occasions is far more important than the result of the game.”

Since then our paths have crossed thirty-eight times with the both leagues winning fourteen times each with ten draws.  In these games their have been one hundred and twenty eight goals scored with the biggest winning margin coming at Cammell Lairds in 1972-73  and at Trafford in 2001/02 when the Mid-Cheshire League won both games 4-0.  The former came during a period when the “Mid” ruled the roost, winning or sharing the trophy on five of the six occasions that the fixture was played before a break of some ten seasons.

Since then the balance of power has switched firmly to the West Cheshire League and a 2-1 win at Vauxhall Motors in 1994 saw them record the first outright hat-trick of wins in the cups history.  Only a Rick Hinchcliffe goal in the following season at Barton Stadium saw the Mid-Cheshire winning or sharing the last four games.  The West Cheshire won the trophy in the 1996/97 season when Jimmy Kelly, Nicky Dillon and Simon Lewis were on target in a 3-1 away success.  Since then there have been 3 draws and 3 victories by the Mid-Cheshire league.  The 0-0 draw at Ashville in season 2002/03 was only the second in the history of the competition, the other being in 1957/58 season at Middlewich.

The rivalry between the two leagues has always been keen but friendly and several times our clubs have crossed paths in the Cheshire Amateur Cup.  In this competition there have been noticeable wins for Linotype in the 1986 final, Bollington, then of the Mid-Cheshire Division Two, reaching the semi-final and Barton have twice reached the final only to lose out to Poulton Victoria and BICC Helsby.  In season 2001/02 Barnton carried the Mid-Cheshire League Banner into the final and overcame Newton to win the trophy.