 | |||
| Association | Orkney Amateur Football Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Karl Adamson | ||
| Home stadium | The Pickaquoy Centre, formerly Bignold Park | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Orkney 2–3Shetland  (Kirkwall,Orkney; 7 May 1919) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Orkney 7–1Shetland (Kirkwall,Orkney; 30 June 1972) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Jersey 12–0Orkney (Douglas, Isle of Man; 8 July 2001) | |||
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TheOrkney football team represents theOrkney Islands archipelago in northernScotland. As a part of Scotland, Orkney is not affiliated withFIFA orUEFA although players from Orkney are eligible to play for theScotland national football team.
Formed in 1913, the team has played rivalsShetland annually for the Milne Cup, winning the competition 38 times. Orkney also won the North Atlantic Cup – a tournament played between Orkney, Shetland and theFaroe Islands.
Since 2001, the team has also contested theIsland Games.
The Milne Cup was founded in 1908. Donated by Bailie Milne, the first chairman ofAberdeen, the trophy was originally intended as an annual competition betweenLerwick andScalloway – two settlements inShetland. However, it was instead contested by Lerwick andKirkwall – the largest settlement inOrkney. Lerwick won the first match 5–1 on 7 May 1908. Over the first five editions, Lerwick won the trophy twice while Kirkwall won it twice and retained it once following a draw.[1]
In 1913, the tournament became an annual competition between Orkney andShetland. It was contested a further two times – both won by Orkney – beforeWorld War I which saw the tournament's suspension.[1]
Shetland were the stronger team in the inter-war years, lifting the trophy 11 times to Orkney's 10 between 1919 and 1939. The tournament was again suspended duringWorld War II.[1]
Okrney won the Milne Cup five times and retained it once in the first seven editions after World War II. A record score was achieved in 1963 when 16 goals were shared between the two teams, Shetland winning 9–7after extra time.[1]
From 1935 to 1967, Shetland had also played theFaroe Islands for the Adam Shield. A new competition – the North Atlantic Cup – was introduced in 1968 which would see Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands playing each other annually for the next five years. The tournament came down to the final matches in June 1973. The Faroe Islands defeated Shetland 5–1 on 13 June to eliminate Shetland from the competition. Orkney then won the final match on 18 June against the Faroe Islands to win the cup.[2]
Shetland went 13 years unbeaten in the Milne Cup between 1991 and 2003. Orkney finally broke the streak with a 5–4 win after extra time on 31 July 2004.[1]
The Orkney Island Games Association joined theInternational Island Games Association in 1985 allowing the island to compete from the inaugural1985 Island Games held on the Isle of Man.[3]
They made their debut in themen's football competition at the2001 Island Games on theIsle of Man. They lost their opening match 12–0 againstJersey before going on to lose all four matches and finishing 12th overall.[4]
At the2003 Island Games inGuernsey, Orkney recorded another double-figures defeat after losing 10–0 to hostsGuernsey. Overall, they fared better and finished eighth.[5]
Orkney were again eliminated at the group stage at the2005 Island Games inShetland as they finished ninth overall.[6]
They were absent from the subsequent five games and didn't return until the2017 Island Games inGotland. They again finished ninth after defeating Shetland in their placement play-off match.[7]
Angelsey hosted the2019 Inter Games Football Tournament – a replacement for the2019 Island Games which did not have football on the programme due to a lack of facilities inGibraltar. Orkney finished eighth after losing toAlderney in their placement play-off match.[8]
They returned for the2023 Island Games inGuernsey. Orkney were again eliminated at the group stage and finished 10th overall.[9]
Following Orkney's win at the 2021 Milne Cup, Shetland have won the tournament three times in a row.[1]
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 2001 | 11th place match | 12th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 20 | –18 |
 2003 | 7th place match | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 30 | –25 |
| 2005 | 9th place match | 9th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | –5 |
 2017 | 9th place match | 9th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Total | Best: 7th place | 4/15 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 67 | –47 |
| Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eighth | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | –7 |
Source:[8]
| Year | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–1973 | 1st | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 10 |
Source:[2]
Includes matches between Kirkwall and Lerwick
| W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 6 | 57 | 184 | 230 | –46 |
Source:[1]
