Major domestic cup competitions are almost exclusively won by top-flight sides – especially in today’s game.
But it’s not always the case, as each of these clubs proved by getting their hands on such silverware while playing in the second or even third tier of their country’s league system.
Covering England, France, Germany and Italy, we take a look at some great underdog cup winners from over the years…
Barnsley (1911/12 FA Cup)
Barnsley won their only FA Cup after beating West Brom through Henry Tufnell’s late extra-time goal in a replay of the 1912 final.
Following a goalless draw at Crystal Palace, the second-tier Tykes claimed victory in their native Yorkshire – at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane.
Barnsley had already reached one final while playing in the Second Division, losing to Newcastle in 1910.
Guingamp (2008/09 Coupe de France)
Hailing from a small town in Brittany, Guingamp have spent most of their existence in the second tier of French football or lower – but being in Ligue 2 didn’t stop them from lifting the 2008/09 Coupe de France.
They defeated Ligue 1 teams in both the semis and the final, seeing off Toulouse to set up a showpiece encounter with Rennes – which they came from 1-0 down to win 2-1, Brazilian striker Eduardo dos Santos notching both goals.
Hannover 96 (1991/92 DFB-Pokal)
In 1992, Germany’s main domestic cup competition, the DFB-Pokal, saw its first winner from outside the top flight.
Hannover 96, then playing in the 2. Bundesliga, took top-flight Borussia Monchengladbach to penalties by holding them to a 0-0 draw at the iconic Olympiastadion in Berlin – then won the shootout 4-3.
Le Havre (1958/59 Coupe de France)
Le Havre became the first non-Ligue 1 winners of the Coupe de France by triumphing in a replay against Sochaux, who finished the 1958/59 campaign fifth in the top flight.
Fifteen days after the initial final ended 2-2 after extra time, the two sides had another go at producing a winner – and Le Havre cruised to a 3-0 victory on this occasion.
Napoli (1961/62 Coppa Italia)
Napoli have won the Scudetto multiple times, but they haven’t spent all of their history in Serie A.
At the time of the 1962 Coppa Italia final, I Partenopei were a Serie B outfit, but that was no barrier to them getting their hands on the trophy for the first time – which they did with a 2-1 win over top-flight SPAL in Rome.
Norwich City (1961/62 League Cup)
Norwich claimed their maiden major honour by winning the second edition of the League Cup, beating Fourth Division Rochdale 4-0 on aggregate in the final.
The Canaries, who went on to finish 17th in the Second Division that season, didn’t face top-flight opposition until the semi-finals, where they saw off Blackpool 4-3 over two legs.
Notts County (1893/94 FA Cup)
The oldest professional football club in the world, Notts County’s finest hour came back in 1894.
Relegated from the top flight the previous year, the Football League founder members saw off local rivals Nottingham Forest in a quarter-final replay and thrashed First Division Bolton 4-1 in the final at Goodison Park.
QPR (1966/67 League Cup)
QPR enjoyed their finest hour thanks to a stunning League Cup final comeback against West Brom at Wembley.
The Third Division Rs were 2-0 down to their First Division opponents as the game entered its final 30 minutes – then goals from Roger Morgan, Rodney Marsh and Mark Lazarus turned the match on its head and condemned the Baggies to defeat.
Sheffield Wednesday (1990/91 League Cup)
At the time of writing, Sheffield Wednesday remain the most recent club from below the top flight to lift either of England’s two major domestic cups.
Having knocked out another First Division outfit, Chelsea, in the semis, the Owls stunned their manager Ron Atkinson’s former club, Manchester United, with a 1-0 victory secured by John Sheridan’s first-half piledriver Wembley.
Sunderland (1972/73 FA Cup)
Sunderland pulled off one of the great FA Cup final upsets in 1973, as they defeated Leeds 1-0 at Wembley.
The Whites were among the pre-eminent sides of the time, winning the 1971/72 First Division title, but Ian Porterfield’s first-half strike ensured a memorable victory for the Black Cats, managed by Bob Stokoe.
Swindon Town (1968/69 League Cup)
It would no doubt be more well-known had it come in the FA Cup final, but Swindon Town produced one of the most monumental Wembley upsets of all time in 1969.
Then playing in the third tier, Swindon won 3-1 after extra time to beat Arsenal – who would finish fourth in the top flight that season – with Don Rogers bagging a decisive brace to go with Roger Smart’s opening goal.
Tottenham (1900/01 FA Cup)
Bank this bit of knowledge for your next pub quiz: Tottenham are the only club to have won the FA Cup as a non-League side.
Led by player-manager John Cameron, Spurs had just clinched the Southern League title when they met Sheffield United in the final of 1901 and, having played out a 2-2 draw with the Blades at Crystal Palace, they came from behind to triumph 3-1 in the replay at Bolton’s Burnden Park.
Vado (1922 Coppa Italia)
Vado indelibly etched their name into the history of Italian football as they won the first-ever Coppa Italia.
Members of the regional Promozione, Italy’s second tier back then, the club from the north of the country defeated Udinese in the final, Virgilio Levratto netting the only goal two minutes from the end of extra time.
West Brom (1930/31 FA Cup)
West Brom saw off fellow Midlands outfit Birmingham to win their third FA Cup, triumphing 2-1 at Wembley courtesy of a brace by William ‘Ginger’ Richardson.
The Baggies were promoted back to the First Division that season, but they were technically still a Second Division outfit when they got their hands on the famous old trophy.
West Ham (1979/80 FA Cup)
Second Division West Ham entered the all-London FA Cup final of 1980 as massive underdogs, coming up against fourth-placed First Division finishers Arsenal.
But John Lyall’s Hammers – who had knocked out top-flight opposition in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – managed to produce a famous upset at Wembley, Trevor Brooking’s 13th-minute header proving enough to secure the club’s third Cup success.
Wolves (1907/08 FA Cup)
The 1908 FA Cup final pitted fourth in the First Division, Newcastle, against ninth in the Second Division, Wolves.
In the end, it wasn’t even a particularly close contest: Kenneth Hunt, George Hedley and Billy Harrison were on the scoresheet as Jack Addenbrooke’s Wolves recorded a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace.
