Celtic Cup (football)
Encyclopedia
The Nations Cup is a biennial international association football tournament involving the national teams of Northern Ireland
, Republic of Ireland
, Scotland
and Wales
.
in 2006. On 18 September 2008, the national football associations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland announced plans to hold an international tournament in 2011. It was announced on 12 August 2010 that the tournament will be sponsored by brewing company Carling
, and known for sponsorship reasons as the Carling Nations Cup.
The inaugural tournament was played at the Aviva Stadium
in Dublin in February and May 2011, and won by the Republic of Ireland
. The 2013 edition
is scheduled to take place in Wales.
, along with England.
The tournament was due to start in 2009, but was delayed until 2011 due to 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures already being in place. Matches are played in February and May, with the location due to rotate on a tournament-by-tournament basis. The first tournament featuring the four teams began in February 2011 at the Aviva Stadium
in Dublin. The Republic of Ireland won the inaugural tournament after winning all three of their matches, culminating with a 1–0 win over Scotland on the final matchday.
The Football Association of Wales
believes that England
may join at a later date if they can be convinced that there are "practical solutions" to problems like fixture congestion. In early 2011, it was reported by BBC Sport
that the British Home Championship
may be revived in 2013. Later indications suggested that England may compete in a one-off tournament in 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of The Football Association
.
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
.
History
The tournament was initially proposed by then Northern Ireland manager Lawrie SanchezLawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip "Lawrie" Sanchez is a former Northern Irish football manager, and a former player. He is currently the manager of League Two side Barnet...
in 2006. On 18 September 2008, the national football associations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland announced plans to hold an international tournament in 2011. It was announced on 12 August 2010 that the tournament will be sponsored by brewing company Carling
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
, and known for sponsorship reasons as the Carling Nations Cup.
The inaugural tournament was played at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...
in Dublin in February and May 2011, and won by the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. The 2013 edition
2013 Nations Cup
The 2013 Nations Cup is provisionally scheduled to be the second edition of a round-robin football tournament between the national teams of Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales - to be held in Cardiff...
is scheduled to take place in Wales.
Format
The Nations Cup is structured as a round robin, with each team playing each of the others once, resulting in a total of six games in each season of the competition. Three of the teams involved (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) formerly competed in the now defunct British Home ChampionshipBritish Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
, along with England.
The tournament was due to start in 2009, but was delayed until 2011 due to 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures already being in place. Matches are played in February and May, with the location due to rotate on a tournament-by-tournament basis. The first tournament featuring the four teams began in February 2011 at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...
in Dublin. The Republic of Ireland won the inaugural tournament after winning all three of their matches, culminating with a 1–0 win over Scotland on the final matchday.
The Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
believes that England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
may join at a later date if they can be convinced that there are "practical solutions" to problems like fixture congestion. In early 2011, it was reported by BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
that the British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
may be revived in 2013. Later indications suggested that England may compete in a one-off tournament in 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
.
Results
| Year | Hosts | Champions | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 |  Republic of Ireland |
Top goalscorers
| Year | Top scorer | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Robbie Keane Robbie Keane Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team.... |
3 |