The format was a straight knockout tournament open to clubs from across Scotland, with the first round being played over two legs, subsequent rounds in a single match with replays as necessary and the semi-finals and final at neutral venues. A preliminary tournament took place between September 1945 and January 1946, with
Clachnacuddin and
East Stirlingshire (who won the final held between them in a second replay) qualifying to make up 32 participants for the final tournament which was held between April and June 1946. The trophy itself had been used throughout the war for the
Southern League Cup which was contested five times on a regional basis, four of these being won by Rangers. Its
last edition was played on a nationwide basis (acting as a forerunner to the
Scottish League Cup) and was won by
Aberdeen. However, the
Scottish Football Association asked for the trophy to be returned for use in the Victory Cup, and Rangers' win meant it stayed in their possession permanently. A
similar wartime competition was held at the end of
World War I, won by
St Mirren. A separate
Victory In Europe Cup had been held in May 1945, in the form of a single match at Hampden between
Celtic and
Queen's Park arranged by the organisers of the
Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup; Celtic won that trophy by having won one more
corner kick, following a 1–1 result. ==Results==