THE EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS CUP
Staged for the first time in season 1960-61, the Cup Winners Cup is the
youngest of the three European tournaments but in prestige it stands second
to the Champions Cup.
The enormous success of the Champions Cup clearly indicated scope for
another European Competition and in 1959 the organizers of the Mitropa Cup
succeeded in their campaign to launch a knock-out competition for National
Cup winners. It started the following year with only ten entries. By the third
season the competition was being taken more seriously and had 24 entries and
now there is a regular entry of at least 32 clubs. After the first final in which
Florentina triumphed for Italy by beating Glasgow Rangers over 2 legs UEFA
took over the competition and one of their first decisions was to do away with
two legged finals.
English Clubs are the most successful winning 5 finals. Spurs were the first
English winners in 1963 with a still record 5-1 final win over Athletico Madrid.
In 1965 West Ham won it 2-0 at Wembley against Munich 1860 and Man City
won in 1969 against Gornik Zabrzr of Poland. Chelsea beat Real Madrid the
following year after a 1-1 draw and ex Dundalk manger John Dempsey scored
one of the goals. So Chelsea won there first European prize but slipped up badly
in their attempt to retain the Cup winners Cup. In the first round Chelsea
smashed the European scoring record beating Luxembourg Cup holders Jeunene
Hatcouraye 21-0 on aggregate 8-0 away and 13-0 at home. In the next round
Chelsea were paried with Swedish part timers Atuidaberg and to everyone's
disbelief they were beaten on away goals. The next English win was in 1985 when
Everton beat Rapid Vienna 3-1. In fact it was the last European triumph by any
English club before the European ban imposed after they Hysel Stadium nots.
On their way to the 1985 final Everton met U.C.D. and the students give a great
account of themselves only losing 1-0 on aggregate St. Patrick's Athletic were
the first team to represent the League of Ireland in 1962. They went out to
Dunfirmline 1-8 on aggregate. One of the best performances by an Irish team
was in 1966-67. Shamrock Rovers had beaten Sporu of Luxembourg 8-1 on agg
in the first round were paired with mighty Bayern Munich in the second round
who boasted Gerd Muller, Fraz zBeckenbauer and Sepp Maier in their team.
After drawing 1-1 at home little was expected of Rovers but with only 6 minutes
remaining in the away leg they were drawing 2-2 and poised to go through on
the away goals rule until Bayern scored in the dying seconds. The last Irish team
to win a Cup Winners Cup tie was in fact Dundalk who beat Farm Reykjavik
4-0 at Oriel Park in 1982.
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