Simpson Trophy

The Simpson Trophy was a competition held in Scotland from the 1930s to the 1950s.

History

It was originally a competition between representative Glasgow Select and Perth Select sides. James Simpson, for whom the competition is named after, donated the trophy to be competed for on a two-leg basis by the two squads. Glasgow won the first match 2-1 and drew the second 1-1 to claim the 1938 Simpson Trophy.

The Simpson Trophy became a Scottish-wide competition in 1939, but was still officially an inter-city competition, with one team representing each city. The Fife Flyers defeated the Dundee Tigers 7-6 on aggregate (5-3 in the first leg, 2-3 in the second) in the final to win the tournament.

In 1940 - the final season of hockey in Scotland before a six year interruption due to World War II - the Perth Panthers won the tournament by defeating the Dundee Tigers 12-5 in a two-game, total goals final.

The tournament resumed in 1946-47, this time utilizing a round-robin league format, where the team with the best goal differential was named champion. It was won by the Ayr Raiders.

It reverted back to the single-elimination format for 1947-48 and 1948-49. In 1948 Dunfermline beat Dundee 15-10 on aggregate over two games, while Perth claimed the 1949 edition 17-14 over Dundee, once again on aggregate. The Simpson Trophy was won by the Dundee Tigers in 1950-51.

The trophy was last competed for in 1955-56. It was a Perth-based tournament featuring the Scottish Amateur League clubs that year.

Champions

• 1938: Glasgow Select
• 1939: Fife Flyers
• 1940: Perth Panthers
• 1947: Ayr Raiders
• 1948: Dunfermline Vikings
• 1949: Perth Panthers
• 1951: Dundee Tigers

Sources

• Frozen in Time: The Lost History of Scottish Ice Hockey 1895-1940, William S. Marshall (2014).
• Glasgow Herald newspaper archives

Competitions in Scotland (1929-1956)

Major Competitions Scottish National League (1929-1954) - Points Competition (1929-1940) - Mitchell Trophy (1929-1939) - Scottish Canada Cup (1931-1954) - President's Pucks (1933-1939) - Coronation Cup (1937-1953) - Scottish Cup (1939-1955) - Anderson Trophy (1939-1954) - Scottish League Flag (1946-1947) - Scottish Autumn Cup (1947-1953) - Scottish Amateur League (1955-1956) Minor Competitions Airlie Trophy (1939-1953) - Alexander Trophy (1940-1951) - Association Cup (1949-1950) - Bairns Trophy (1939-1953) - Coronation Tournament (1937) - Fife Championship (1949-1951) - Silver Jubilee Cup (1948-1951) - Simpson Trophy (1938-1956) - West of Scotland Challenge Cup (1949-1955)