Dunfermline Tennis Club honoured for record success as Women’s Scottish Cup turns 100

Their women’s team won the Scottish Inter-Club Challenge Cup a record 18 times between 1988 and 2009.

During events to celebrate 100 years of the women’s competition – known more commonly as the Scottish Cup – representatives from Dunfermline were presented with a commemorative quaich.

Presentations were also made to current 75+ ITF Masters Tour world number one Marjory Love, long-serving Scottish Cup player Christine Lockhart and 15-year-old Newlands star Anna McKnight, who is one of the youngest ever winners.

Dunfermline Women dominated the event in the late 80s and 90s, winning nine consecutive titles from 1988 to 1996, and again in 1999. They then produced another period of dominance from 2002 to 2009.

Tennis Scotland marked the centenary during the 2024 Finals Day on Saturday, 15 June at Whitecraigs Tennis Club. On the day, Thorn Park Lawn Tennis Club and Newlands Lawn Tennis Club claimed the 2024 men’s and women’s titles respectively, with a full report on the action available to read here.

16-times winner Fiona Reid was among those attending from Dunfermline and said: “We always enjoyed playing together and many of us grew up together at the club, learning from the older players who taught us so much.

“There was always a lot of competition to get into the team, but we always put the club first and tried to make decisions based on what was best for the team.

“We are a small provincial club, and the team had a real camaraderie and fought for each other, never gave up. We tried to be an inspiration to the younger players coming through, especially the girls.”

‘When it mattered’

Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, took part in the ceremony and said: “It was only fitting at the 100th Women’s Scottish Cup Final that we honoured the most successful team in the competition’s history.

“With 18 wins to their name, Dunfermline Tennis Club have contributed so much to this event over the years, and it was wonderful to welcome some of players who performed on court when it mattered most.

“Congratulations to Dunfermline for everything they have achieved in this historic event, and we hope to see them on Finals Day again very soon.”

Dunfermline’s titles

1988 v Waverley        

1989 v Broomhill  

1990 v Whitecraigs

1991 v Cults

1992 v Newlands

1993 v Waverley         

1994 v Waverley

1995 v Cults   

1996 v Cults   

1999 v Newlands  

2002 v Newlands         

2003 v Whitecraigs      

2004 v Clarkston

2005 v Newlands   

2006 v Newlands       

2007 v Newlands   

2008 v Newlands   

2009 v Newlands

Individual player records

Allison Wood – 18 wins

Alison Reid – 18 wins

Fiona Reid – 16 wins

Janet Henderson – 15 wins

Jane Russell – 13 wins

Dianne Taylor – 7 wins

Judy Murray – 6 wins

Liana Park – 5 wins

Sara Clough – 5 wins

Mhairi Brown – 2 wins

Helen Bandey – 1 win

Debby Macdonald – 1 win

Gillian Radcliffe – 1 win