1973 Watney Cup
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| Watney Mann Invitation Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | England Wales |
| Dates | 11–18 August |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Stoke City (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Hull City |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 7 |
| Goals scored | 17 (2.43 per match) |
| Attendance | 97,414 (13,916 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Jimmy Greenhoff (3 goals) |
The 1973 Watney Cup was the fourth and last edition of the Watney Mann Invitation Cup, a short-lived invitational association football tournament.
It was won by Stoke City, who beat Hull City in the final at the Victoria Ground.[1]
The Watney Cup was introduced in 1970 to help increase the competitiveness of pre-season fixtures. Its name was a result of a sponsorship from brewing company Watney Combe & Reid. The tournament featured eight invited teams, with two selected from each division of the Football League. Those chosen to participate were the top two highest scoring teams from each division who had not gained promotion nor earned a place in a European competition the previous season.[2]
Format
The competition was a straight knockout tournament. In continuation from the second and third editions of the Watney Cup, games that ended level would go straight to penalties. In the inaugural edition, an additional 30 minutes of extra time would have taken place to determine a winner prior to a penalty shoot-out.[3]
