1970 Watney Cup


The 1970 Watney Cup was the inaugural edition of the Watney Mann Invitation Cup, a short-lived invitational association football tournament.
It was won by Derby County, who beat Manchester [United F.C.|Manchester United] in the final at the Baseball Ground.

Background

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.

Format

The competition was a straight knockout tournament, with games that ended level going to extra time. In accordance with new International [Football Association Board|IFAB] rules at the time, Penalty [shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-outs] were used to determine a winner if scores were still even after an additional 30 minutes of play.

Teams

;First Division
;Second Division
;Third Division
;Fourth Division