Sælmesterskabet

The Sæløsk Cup (Havvinger Cup for sponsorship reasons), commonly referred to by its historic name Sælmesterskabet, is the principal knockout cup competition in Sæløsk football. It is administered by the Sæløernes Boldspil-Sammenslutning (SBS).

First contested in 1918, it is the oldest football competition in Sæløerne.

History

The Sælmesterskabet was originally established as an island-wide championship. Before the creation of a unified national league, it brought together leading clubs from the six regional competitions and was used to determine the overall Sæløsk champion.

The competition served as the principal national championship until 1941. Following the establishment of the SBS and the creation of the Mesterrækken in 1942, the league replaced the Sælmesterskabet as the competition used to determine the national champion.

The Sælmesterskabet was not contested between 1942 and 1956. It was revived by the SBS in 1957 as the national knockout cup, allowing the historic name to continue under a new competitive role.

As part of the change, the SBS retroactively reclassified the pre-1942 Sælmesterskabet titles as cup championships rather than league championships. The winners continued to be recognized as national title holders for their period, but their victories were entered in the SBS records as cup honours.

Format

The competition follows a knockout format. Every round is played as a single match except the semi-finals, which are contested over two legs.

If a single-match tie is level after 90 minutes, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played. If the score remains level, the winner is decided by a penalty shoot-out.

In the semi-finals, each club plays once at home and once away. If the aggregate score is level after the second leg, the club with more away goals advances. If the clubs have scored the same number of away goals, extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out are used.

The Participants

All 46 clubs from the four national divisions enter the competition.

The opening stage contains the 28 lowest-ranked clubs, producing fourteen winners. The ten Ligaen clubs and the eight highest-ranked remaining clubs receive byes. These eighteen clubs join the fourteen preliminary-round winners in the round of 32.

The draw is unseeded. In single-match rounds, the lower-ranked club is given home advantage. Ranking is determined first by league level and then by the club’s finishing position during the previous season.

The home order for the two-legged semi-finals is determined by the draw.

Until 1941

• Regional Tournaments Qualifiers, teams vary per region
• Quarterfinals, 8 teams
  • 3 from Kyststed Hovedstad, 1 from each region
• Semifinals, 4 teams

– and so on until the finals.

From 1957 until 1965

• 1st round, 16 teams
• Quarterfinals, 8 teams

– and so on until the finals.

From 1966

• 1st round, 8 teams
  • 8 teams from 2. Division
• 2nd round, 4+8 teams
  • 4 teams from 1st round
  • 8 teams from 1. Division
• 3rd round, 6+10 teams
  • 6 teams from 2nd round
  • 10 teams from Sæløernes Hovedliga
• Quarterfinals, 8 teams

– and so on until the finals.

From 1982

• Qualifying round 1, 8 teams
  • 8 teams from 2. Division (5th–12th placed)
• Qualifying round 2, 16 teams
  • 4 teams from Q1
  • 4 teams from 2. Division (1st–4th placed)
  • 8 teams from 1. Division (5th–12th placed)
• Qualifying round 3, 12 teams
  • 8 teams from Q2
  • 4 teams from 1. Division (1st–4th placed)
• 1st round, 16 teams
  • 6 teams from Q3
  • 10 teams from Sæløernes Hovedliga
• Quarterfinals, 8 teams

– and so on until the finals.

From 1993

• Qualifying round 1, 16 teams
  • 10 teams from 3. Liga
  • 6 teams from 2. Liga (5th–10th placed)
• Qualifying round 2, 12 teams
  • 8 teams from Q1
  • 4 teams from 2. Liga (1st–4th placed)
• 1st round, 16 teams
  • 6 teams from Q2
  • 10 teams from Sæløernes Ligaen
• Quarterfinals, 8 teams

– and so on until the finals.

From 2004

• Qualifying round, 28 teams
  • 16 teams from Lokalligaen
  • 10 teams from 3. Liga
  • 2 teams from 2. Liga (9th–10th placed)
• 1st round, 32 teams
  • 14 teams from Q1
  • 8 teams from 2. Liga (1st–8th placed)
  • 10 teams from Sæløernes Ligaen
• 2nd round, 16 teams

– and so on until the finals.

Status of pre-1942 titles

The retroactive reclassification of the early Sælmesterskabet titles remains disputed, most notably by Dansk Boldklub.

Dansk Boldklub won the competition twelve times before 1942 and has also won ten officially recognized league championships. The club regards all 22 victories as national championships because the original Sælmesterskabet was the highest island-wide competition available before the foundation of the Mesterrækken.

Ligaen regulations award one championship star for every seven recognized league titles. Under the official classification, Dansk Boldklub’s ten league titles entitle it to one star. By including its twelve pre-1942 Sælmesterskabet titles, the club claims three.

Dansk Boldklub continues to display three stars above its crest despite the Ligaen recognizing only one. The club is fined for every match in which it wears the unauthorized stars.

Finals