Scottish Qualifying Cup

[3] At the end of the 1896–97 season, the Lanarkshire Football Association proposed abolishing the Qualifying Cup in favour of everyone starting at round 1, on the basis that "the exemption of the leading clubs had been the cause of much of the decadence of football in this country, and it was hastening the end of many in Lanarkshire.

The exemption had killed four clubs, and the best was in a perilous state"; this was on the basis that attendances in the Qualifying Cup were too low even to pay expenses.

This led to a paradox where teams that had met in the Qualifying Cup could also meet in the competition proper.

won the first-ever Qualifying Cup in 1895–96, beating East Stirlingshire in the final at Underwood Park in Paisley, the ground of Abercorn F.C.

; the Shire showed the greater skill, but the Miners, with the veteran "White" Gourlay marshalling the defence, gained something of a smash and grab victory.

In the replay, if the scores were still level, extra time was played and penalties used if necessary to decide the winner of the tie.