1973 Watney Cup
| 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]
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.[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]
Teams
|
|
Tournament
Quarter-finals
| Bristol Rovers (3) | 1–1 | West Ham United (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Bannister 31' | Report | Taylor 38' (o.g.) |
| Penalties | ||
| 6–5 | ||
| Peterborough United (4) | 1–2 | Bristol City (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Lee 11' (pen.) | Report | Gould 56', 82' |
| Plymouth Argyle (3) | 0–1 | Stoke City (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Hurst 62' |
Semi-finals
| Bristol Rovers (3) | 0–1 | Hull City (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Lord 55' |
| Stoke City (1) | 4–1 | Bristol City (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Hurst Pejic Conroy Greenhoff |
Report | Ritchie |
Final
| Stoke City (1) | 2–0 | Hull City (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhoff 16', 67' | Report |
Goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Greenhoff | Stoke City | 3 |
| 2 | Bobby Gould | Bristol City | 2 |
| Geoff Hurst | Stoke City | ||
| 3 | 10 players | Various | 1 |
References
- ^ "Watney Cup results". stevesfootballstats.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "Innovation at its finest: The Watney Cup". taleoftwohalves.uk. 13 July 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "The Watney Cup". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2026.