The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992.
The competition was created after the Heysel Stadium disaster, when English clubs were banned from European competition, as an additional competition for clubs in the top two divisions (but not the teams that would have qualified for Europe in 1985–86, as these played in the Super Cup instead). It was named as such because these clubs were Full Members of the Football League, with full voting rights; teams from the lower two divisions were Associate Members and were eligible for the Football League Trophy (then known as the Associate Members Cup). However, it was cancelled after seven seasons, when the Premier League arose from the old Football League First Division and reduced the Football League to three divisions.
Seven finals took place between 1986 and 1992. Blackburn Rovers and Reading were the only Second Division teams to win the Cup. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest won the trophy twice.
Read more about Full Members Cup: Participants
Famous quotes containing the words full, members and/or cup:
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—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“I rejoice that horses and steers have to be broken before they can be made the slaves of men, and that men themselves have some wild oats still left to sow before they become submissive members of society. Undoubtedly, all men are not equally fit subjects for civilization; and because the majority, like dogs and sheep, are tame by inherited disposition, this is no reason why the others should have their natures broken that they may be reduced to the same level.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I worked as a waitress till I was fired because I dumped a cup of hot coffee in the lap of a half-drunk guy who was pinching my butt.”
—Juli Loesch (b. c. 1953)