Up for the Cup in 2026!

The L&C will be running it's three main internal cup knock-out competitions this season:

1 The Rhodes Cup for teams in the Premier Division and Division One,

2 The Wray Cup for teams in Division Two and Division Three and

3 The Whitehead Cup for teams in Division A and Division B.

The Preliminary Rounds will be played in late January, and all cups will finish in April and May with semi-finals played on neutral grounds and the finals at non-league grounds, supporting the League's charity partners.

Several of our teams are still involved in County Cup competitions so the L&C’s ever-busy Fixture Secretary Malc Kershaw (Pictured) will have to adjust his schedule around these.

Rhodes Cup Preliminary Round Rushford Park v Richmond Rovers Rochdalians v Oldham Hulmeians Trafford United v Mellor East Manchester Galaxy v Stretford Paddock Ams Withington Wanderers v AFC Stockport Sats Didsbury FC v Abacus Media.

Through to Round One with byes: AFC Oldham, Village Manchester, Chadderton Cott, Bollington United, Bedians, Manchester South End, Manchester Rose, Santos, Grappenhall, Boothstown.

Wray Cup Preliminary Round

Stoconians v Bury Amateur

Trafford United 2nd v Altrincham Hale 3rd

Abacus Media Res v Old Strets Gregs

Moston Brook 3rd v AFC Stockport Warriors

Timperley Villa v Moorside

Elton Fold v Fitton Hill All-Stars

Tintwistle Athletic Res v Saddleworth 3Ds

South Manchester v AFC Oldham Res

Waterhead AFC v Manchester Saints Athletic

Through to Round One with byes: Konger, Spurley Hey; Didsbury reserves, Old Alts thirds, Heywood St James reserves, Moston Brook reserves, Manchester Rovers.

Whitehead Cup Preliminary Round

Prestwich Marauders v Stoconians Res

AFC Urmston Meadowside v AFC Oldham 'A'

AFC Stockport Titans v Village Manchester 2nd

Heyside v Cavaliers

Santos U23 v Richmond Rovers Res

Manchester Victoria v Moston Brook 4th

Didsbury FC 3rd v Bury Amateur 'B'

Through to Round One: Signol Athletic, AFC Salford; Waterhead AFC Res, Silver Birch, Cheadle and Gatley, Saddleworth 3Ds Res, Newton Vikings, Oldham Hulmeians Res, Rushford Park Res.

Outside Cup competitions:

Manchester FA Amateur Cup Round Four

Moorside v Heywood St James Development

Rochdale Sacred Heart Res v East Manchester Galaxy

Lancashire FA Amateur Cup Round Four

Moston Brook Res v Bamber Bridge Res

We have formed two additional Cup competitions this season - Geoff Garnett Invitational Cup for Premier, 1st and 2nd Division teams. Keith Marsden Invitational Cup for Divisions 3, A and B.

There are twenty-two teams in the Geoff Garnett and twenty-three teams in the Keith Marsden Cups making a total of forty-five teams out of a total seventy-one that fall within our criteria. That criteria being teams that have eleven or less games to play, plus sufficient home slots, at the start of 2026 qualify.

With the demise of the NWILC and smaller Divisions this season, we have looked at the whole League's widely contrasting number of games played.

The complete wild card is, as always, the weather as we look at ways of keeping everyone playing whilstn trying to avoid mid week fixtures. Hopefully, these additional Cups will prove successful and provide a blueprint for the future.