HISTORY OF THE CUP
The Weald of Kent Charity Cup Competition was established over 100 years ago in 1909. The Competition was open to any football club within a 200 mile radius of Tenterden Post Office and initially was contested by local clubs from the Weald of Kent and Romney Marsh. The Trophy Shield was donated and presented at the first Cup Final by Sir Thomas Dewar and was one of 50 shields given to Sports Organisations by Dewar’s Whisky Distillers.
In 1965 the Shield was given a face-lift with the generosity of the descendants of Sir Thomas Dewar and that year the Trophy was presented by Mr Richard Neame, the great nephew of the original donor, to the victorious North Willesborough Rovers team together with medallions and half a bottle of whisky for each team member. The losing finalists, Cranbrook, each received a consolation prize of a quarter bottle of whisky for their efforts!
As the Competition grew it embraced clubs throughout Kent and from East Sussex. In 1993 a separate Junior Section was added to the Competition to provide competition for teams from a range of different league levels and today the two sections of the Competition include representatives from The Kent Invicta League, the Kent County League, The Sussex County League , the East Sussex Football League and local leagues from Ashford, Maidstone and Canterbury.
The Competition has been held every year since it’s inception in 1909 with the sole exception of the two World Wars and celebrated it’s centenary in 2009/10 with the Final being played at the Competition’s spiritual home in Tenterden and on it’s traditional date of Good Friday.
Until recently the Senior Section Final was held at Homelands in Ashford, the home of Ashford United Football club and the Junior Section Final continued to be held at Lindsey Field in Lydd, the home of Lydd Town Football Club.
For the 2017/18 season the two separate Senior and Junior sections of the Competition will no longer continue and will be merged into one single Competition open to teams from local grassroots leagues and from Divisions 2 and 3 only of the Kent County League.
Over the years funds generated by the Competition have been donated to over a dozen worthwhile charitable causes. The principal beneficiary has been the Kent Air Ambulance Trust which operates two Air Ambulances covering the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey and which relies almost entirely on charitable and public donations to maintain it’s commendable services. In 2014 Donations were made by the Competition to the Kent Air Ambulance Trust and the Pilgrims Hospices of East Kent.
DONATIONS TO CHARITIES SINCE 1990 AS FOLLOWS:
The Weald of Kent Charity Cup Competition was established over 100 years ago in 1909. The Competition was open to any football club within a 200 mile radius of Tenterden Post Office and initially was contested by local clubs from the Weald of Kent and Romney Marsh. The Trophy Shield was donated and presented at the first Cup Final by Sir Thomas Dewar and was one of 50 shields given to Sports Organisations by Dewar’s Whisky Distillers.
In 1965 the Shield was given a face-lift with the generosity of the descendants of Sir Thomas Dewar and that year the Trophy was presented by Mr Richard Neame, the great nephew of the original donor, to the victorious North Willesborough Rovers team together with medallions and half a bottle of whisky for each team member. The losing finalists, Cranbrook, each received a consolation prize of a quarter bottle of whisky for their efforts!
As the Competition grew it embraced clubs throughout Kent and from East Sussex. In 1993 a separate Junior Section was added to the Competition to provide competition for teams from a range of different league levels and today the two sections of the Competition include representatives from The Kent Invicta League, the Kent County League, The Sussex County League , the East Sussex Football League and local leagues from Ashford, Maidstone and Canterbury.
The Competition has been held every year since it’s inception in 1909 with the sole exception of the two World Wars and celebrated it’s centenary in 2009/10 with the Final being played at the Competition’s spiritual home in Tenterden and on it’s traditional date of Good Friday.
Until recently the Senior Section Final was held at Homelands in Ashford, the home of Ashford United Football club and the Junior Section Final continued to be held at Lindsey Field in Lydd, the home of Lydd Town Football Club.
For the 2017/18 season the two separate Senior and Junior sections of the Competition will no longer continue and will be merged into one single Competition open to teams from local grassroots leagues and from Divisions 2 and 3 only of the Kent County League.
Over the years funds generated by the Competition have been donated to over a dozen worthwhile charitable causes. The principal beneficiary has been the Kent Air Ambulance Trust which operates two Air Ambulances covering the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey and which relies almost entirely on charitable and public donations to maintain it’s commendable services. In 2014 Donations were made by the Competition to the Kent Air Ambulance Trust and the Pilgrims Hospices of East Kent.
DONATIONS TO CHARITIES SINCE 1990 AS FOLLOWS:
Kent Air Ambulance: £9,780
K.C.F.A. Benevolent Fund: £400
Pilgrims Hospice: £1,105
S.C.F.A. Benevolent Fund: £240
Alzheimer’s Appeal: £157
Tenterden Day Care Centre: £150
St Johns Ambulance: £150
Cancer Unit – William Harvey Hospital: £120
Adam Evans Fund: £100
T.A.D.P.O.L.E.S.: £100
West View Hospital: £80
Weald Club for the Disabled: £70
Age Concern on the Marsh: £50
Kent Association for the Blind: £30
Maidstone Hospice: £30
Lydd Community Hall: £20
K.C.F.A. Benevolent Fund: £400
Pilgrims Hospice: £1,105
S.C.F.A. Benevolent Fund: £240
Alzheimer’s Appeal: £157
Tenterden Day Care Centre: £150
St Johns Ambulance: £150
Cancer Unit – William Harvey Hospital: £120
Adam Evans Fund: £100
T.A.D.P.O.L.E.S.: £100
West View Hospital: £80
Weald Club for the Disabled: £70
Age Concern on the Marsh: £50
Kent Association for the Blind: £30
Maidstone Hospice: £30
Lydd Community Hall: £20
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