In
association football, a
League Cup or
Secondary Cup generally signifies a
cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946–47 and was entitled the
Scottish League Cup. However, in the Republic of Ireland the now defunct
League of Ireland Shield was the first national league-only tournament of its kind; this was subsequently replaced by the
League of Ireland Cup in 1983.