The Coronation Cup was a one-off football tournament to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, between four English and four Scottish clubs, held in Glasgow in May 1953. This tournament, like the Empire Exhibition Trophy, was held in very high regard by football clubs, as at the time it allowed teams to test themselves against teams from another country in the days before European football.
Celtic and Hibernian met in the final at Hampden Park, Celtic coming out the winners 2–0 before 117,000 spectators.[1] [2] Celtic's victory meant that they became the unofficial champions of Britain.[3]
| Team[4] | Achievement | |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 1952–53 Scottish Cup runners-up | |
| Celtic | 1938 Empire Exhibition Trophy winners (unofficial reigning British champions) | |
| Hibernian | 1952–53 Scottish Division One runners-up | |
| Rangers | 1952–53 Scottish Division One champions and Scottish Cup winners | |
| Arsenal | 1952–53 First Division champions | |
| Manchester United | 1951–52 First Division champions | |
| Newcastle United | 1950–51 and 1951–52 FA Cup winners | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1951–52 First Division runners-up |
Replay[6]
| GK | John Bonnar | |
| RB | Mike Haughney | |
| LB | Alex Rollo | |
| RH | Bobby Evans | |
| CH | Jock Stein (c) | |
| LH | John McPhail | |
| OR | Bobby Collins | |
| IR | Jimmy Walsh | |
| CF | Neil Mochan | |
| IL | Bertie Peacock | |
| OL | Willie Fernie | |
| GK | Tommy Younger | ||
| RB | Jock Govan | ||
| LB | Jock Paterson | ||
| RH | Archie Buchanan | ||
| CH | Hugh Howie | ||
| LH | Bobby Combe | ||
| OR | Gordon Smith | ||
| IR | Bobby Johnstone | ||
| CF | Lawrie Reilly (c) | ||
| IL | Eddie Turnbull | ||
| OL | Willie Ormond |