The 1880–81 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the eighth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Defending champions Queen's Park retained the cup and won the competition for the fifth time after they beat Dumbarton 3–1 in a replayed final which saw Dr John Smith score the first Scottish Cup final hat-trick on 9 April 1881.
Calendar
As with the previous competitions, the eighth edition of the Scottish Cup took on the format of a traditional knockout tournament. For the earlier rounds, the names of competing teams were placed into lots according to their districts and drawn into pairs. The home team for each tie was determined by the toss of a coin unless it was mutually agreed or only one of the two clubs drawn against one another had a private ground. In the event of a draw, the team who lost the toss would have the choice of ground for the replay. A similar procedure was used for subsequent rounds, except that any club which had received a bye in the previous round would first be drawn against one of the winners of the previous round. The names of winning teams were placed into one lot for later rounds. The choice of venue for the final matches was reserved to the Scottish Football Association.
RoundFirst match dateFixturesClubsOriginalByesReplaysFirst Round4 September 18806563136 → 71Second Round2 October 1880335571 → 38Third Round23 October 1880174138 → 21Fourth Round13 November 1880101121 → 11Fifth Round4 December 188051011 → 6Quarter-finals25 December 18803006 → 3Semi-finals5 February 18811103 → 2Final26 March 18811012 → 1
Both Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities were given byes to the third round.
Teams All 136 teams entered the competition in the first round. AyrshireGlasgow and SuburbsLanarkshireRenfrewshireAuchinleck Boswell Ayr Ayr Thistle Beith Catrine Coylton Coila Cumnock Dean Girvan Hurlford Irvine Kilbirnie Kilmarnock Kilmarnock Athletic Kilmarnock Portland Lanemark Mauchline Maybole Rankinston Stewarton CunninghameAilsa Alexandra Athletic Athole Caledonian City Clyde Clydesdale Cowlairs Dennistoun Glasgow University Govan Harmonic High School Ingram John Elder Jordanhill Kelvinbank LancefieldMaxwell Northern Oxford Partick Partick Thistle Petershill Pilgrims Pollokshields Athletic Possil Bluebell Possilpark Queen's Park Rangers Shawlands Athletic South Western Whitefield Windsor 3rd Lanark RV 19th Lanark RVAirdrie Airdrie Bluebell Airdriehill Bellshill Cambuslang Clarkston Drumpellier Excelsior Glengowan Hamilton Academical Lanark Plains Blue Bell Royal Albert Shotts Stonelaw Thistle Tollcross Athletic Uddingston Upper ClydesdaleAbercorn Arthurlie Barrhead Cartside Cartvale Glenkilloch Johnstone Johnstone Athletic Johnstone Rovers Kennishead Levern Morton Netherlee Oakfield Pollok Renfrew Renfrew Ramblers St Mirren Thornliebank Wellington Park Yoker 17th Renfrew RVDunbartonshireEdinburghshire and FifeshirePerthshire and ForfarshireStirlingshireWigtownshire and DumfriesshireAlclutha Dumbarton Helensburgh Jamestown Kilmaronock Thistle Kirkintilloch Athletic Lennox Renton Star of Leven Vale of Leven VictoriaBrunswick Dunfermline Edinburgh University Hanover Heart of Midlothian HibernianArbroath Coupar Angus Dunkeld Dundee Our Boys Rob Roy St Clement's Strathmore Vale of TeithBridge of Allan Campsie Athletic Central Falkirk Grasshoppers King's Park Lenzie Milton of Campsie Strathblane Thistle AthleticCree Rovers Queen of the South Wanderers Stranraer 5th Kirkcudbrightshire RV
Notes
First round Matches Glasgow and Suburbs Possil Bluebell received a bye to the second round. Glasgow University received a bye to the third round.
Renfrewshire district
Ayrshire district
Lanarkshire district Glengowan received a bye to the second round.
Dunbartonshire district Vale of Leven received a bye to the second round.
Stirlingshire district
Perthshire and Forfarshire district
Edinburghshire and Fifeshire Hibernian received a bye to the second round. Edinburgh University received a bye to the third round.
Wigtownshire and Dumfriesshire district
Replays Glasgow and Suburbs
Ayrshire district
Lanarkshire district
Dunbartonshire district
Notes
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Second round Matches Glasgow and Suburbs
Renfrewshire district Cartside received a bye to the third round.
Ayrshire district
Lanarkshire district
Dunbartonshire
Stirlingshire district Lenzie received a bye to the third round.
Perthshire and Forfarshire district
Edinburgh district Heart of Midlothian received a bye to the third round.
Kirkcudbrughtshire and Wigtownshire district
Replays Glasgow and Suburbs
Renfrewshire district
Ayrshire district
Lanarkshire district
Stirlingshire district
Notes
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Third round Matches Glasgow and Suburbs Glasgow University and South Western received a bye to the fourth round.
Renfrewshire district
Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire district
Lanarkshire district Clarkston received a bye to the fourth round.
Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire district
Perthshire, Forfarshire and Edinburgh district Edinburgh University received a bye to the fourth round.
Replays Glasgow and Suburbs
Renfrewshire district
Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire district
Second replays Renfrewshire district
Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire district
Notes
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Fourth round Thistle received a bye to the fifth round.
Matches
Replay
Notes
Sources:
Fifth round Central received a bye to the quarter-finals.
Matches
Sources:
Quarter-finals
Matches
Sources:
Semi-finals Queen's Park received a bye to the final.
Match
Sources:
Final
Original match
Replay
See also 1880–81 in Scottish football
References
External links Season 1880-81 Queen’s Park [results list], The Beautiful Dribbling Game