The Mercer Cup, which was put forward by Enniskillen businessman T. A. Mercer, was first played for the in the 1904/05 season and was won by Enniskillen Celtic who were formally known as St. Michael's Hall Celtic and it is that name which adorns the original cup which is still presented today.

The first games for the Mercer Cup in the 1904/05 season were played on Saturday, October 8,1904 and included such local derbies as Enniskillen Moonlighters v Enniskillen Celtic and Enniskillen United v Enniskillen Corinthians and were played under the auspices of the new Fermanagh and South Tyrone League which had been formed the week before under the chairmanship of Viscount Corry D.L.

Other teams in the inaugural league included Lisbellaw, Fintona, Tempo, Derrygonnelly, Fivemiletown and Fusiliers. Omagh F.C. joined after the first round of games.

If you thought that it was friendly old banter and a bit of crack in those days with long shorts down to your ankles and footballs more akin to medicine balls then you would have been mistaken.

Indeed, the first round of matches were not without their controversy and the Impartial reported that Fintona had lodged a protest with the referee following their defeat to Tempo. No change there then with the right of protest still a popular tool.

What's more Lisbellaw pulled out of the league later in the season following an incident but despite these teething troubles the Mercer Cup was up and running and soon was going from strength to strength.

Local football historian and current President of the Fermanagh and Western, Roy Cathcart, shed more light on the early days of the Mercer Cup and organised football in Fermanagh.

"At the time," revealed Roy, "the GAA in Ireland was growing rapidly and the Irish Football Association was keen to promote the game in the west of Ireland and helped the Fermanagh and South Tyrone league financially to promote football in the area. This ultimately led to the formation of the Fermanagh and Western District Football Association in 1907 which went as far as Sligo and Mayo with local teams commuting by train."

The Mercer Cup was not played for during the Great War with Omagh Wanderers winning in the 1919/20 season with Enniskillen Corinthians winning the year after that.

Partition eventually resulted in the league playing within its current jurisdiction and the Fermanagh and Western League has evolved with the times and now plays host to 36 first teams with three divisions of reserve teams as well.

The Mercer Cup has remained the one they all want to win though and has been witness to some cracking teams such as Enniskillen Corinthians, Enniskillen Rangers, Lisbellaw United and Shelbourne who have all been multiple winners.

The 200/01season cup was not completed due to the foot-and-mouth crisis and recent seasons, like the very first, one hundred years ago, have not been without their controversial moments.

Despite the many changes over the past one hundred years in local football, and the growing emergence of intermediate football, the Mercer Cup has remained the constant and the one that they all want to win.