Tennents' Sixes
Encyclopedia
The Tennents' Sixes was an annual indoor football
tournament contested each January by senior football clubs from Scotland (along with some English guests) between 1984 and 1993. The tournament was sponsored by Tennent Caledonian Breweries and organised by the Scottish Football Association
. When Tennent Caledonian Breweries withdrew their sponsorship after the 1993 event, the Sixes was discontinued.
The format used was dependent on the number of teams participating: in most cases 10 teams were involved and would be drawn into 2 groups of 5 who would play each other once. From there, the first and second-placed teams from each group would contest the knockout stages, consisting of two semi-finals and a final.
, but occasionally guest participants from the lower divisions of the Scottish Football League
were invited along with English clubs Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.
The inaugural tournament was contested at Coasters Arena in Falkirk
in 1984. The following year it took place at Ingliston Showground near Edinburgh
, and all subsequent tournaments were played at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
in Glasgow
.
No individual team dominated the event over its history with Aberdeen, Heart of Midlothian and Rangers all winning the tournament twice each. Motherwell were beaten finalists on 3 occasions.
The final team to win the Tennents Sixes was Partick Thistle
; to this day they still have the trophy displayed in the Firhill
trophy cabinet.
in America, which in turn was developed with many influences, such as the use of a penalty box
and making the pitch the same size as a NHL
rink, from ice hockey.
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
tournament contested each January by senior football clubs from Scotland (along with some English guests) between 1984 and 1993. The tournament was sponsored by Tennent Caledonian Breweries and organised by the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
. When Tennent Caledonian Breweries withdrew their sponsorship after the 1993 event, the Sixes was discontinued.
The format used was dependent on the number of teams participating: in most cases 10 teams were involved and would be drawn into 2 groups of 5 who would play each other once. From there, the first and second-placed teams from each group would contest the knockout stages, consisting of two semi-finals and a final.
History
The teams involved were usually from the Scottish Football League Premier DivisionScottish Football League Premier Division
The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system...
, but occasionally guest participants from the lower divisions of the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
were invited along with English clubs Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.
The inaugural tournament was contested at Coasters Arena in Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
in 1984. The following year it took place at Ingliston Showground near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and all subsequent tournaments were played at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
No individual team dominated the event over its history with Aberdeen, Heart of Midlothian and Rangers all winning the tournament twice each. Motherwell were beaten finalists on 3 occasions.
The final team to win the Tennents Sixes was Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
; to this day they still have the trophy displayed in the Firhill
Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium or Firhill Arena is a football, rugby union and rugby league stadium located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, Scotland. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C...
trophy cabinet.
Rules
The rules of play evolved as the years progressed, and the following summary refers to the rules used during the final competition in 1993. Many were similar to indoor soccerIndoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
in America, which in turn was developed with many influences, such as the use of a penalty box
Penalty box
The penalty box is the area in ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and some other sports where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty, for an offense not severe enough to merit outright expulsion from the contest...
and making the pitch the same size as a NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
rink, from ice hockey.
- A specially constructed artificial field, measuring approximately 200 by 85 ft (61 by 25.9 ), with ice hockey-style boards topped with acrylic glass to a height of 7 ft (2.1 m) was used. Goals were set into the walls.
- Squads consisted of up to 12 players, with no more than 6 on the field. Substitutions were unlimited and could be made at any time.
- Matches were played in 2 halves of 7 minutes 30 seconds during the first round and 2 halves of 10 minutes during the knockout stages. At the end of all tied matches, even during the group phase, a penalty shoot-out would be held. A win on penalties in the group phase was worth 2 points as opposed to the 3 gained by winning after regulation time.
- Two yellow lines separated the field into thirds. Players had to be inside this line in order to shoot on goal, and a three line pass rule (similar to ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
's two line pass rule) was in effect. - The goal area at each end was reserved for the sole use of the goalkeeperGoalkeeper (football)In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
defending it. If an outfield player from the same team deliberately infringed on it a penalty kick would be awarded to the opposing team. - Goalkeepers could only hold on to the ball for six seconds. This was a particularly interesting situation as FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
would later adopt this rule for conventional association football. - Teams were required to maintain a presence of at least 2 players in the opponents' half (1 player prior to 1991) or a penalty kick would be awarded to the opposing team.
- Players shown the yellow card would be dispatched to the Sin Bin for 2 minutes. Aside from the normal offences, players could receive a yellow card for the Sixes-specific offence of deliberately kicking the ball over the perimeter wall to waste time.
Winners
- 1984: RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
(defeated DundeeDundee F.C.Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
6–4 in final) - 1985: Heart of MidlothianHeart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
(defeated MortonGreenock Morton F.C.Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
4–1 in final) - 1986: AberdeenAberdeen F.C.Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
(defeated St. MirrenSt. Mirren F.C.St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
3–0 in final) - 1987: AberdeenAberdeen F.C.Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
(defeated Heart of MidlothianHeart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
4–3 in final) - 1988: DundeeDundee F.C.Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
(defeated MotherwellMotherwell F.C.Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
3–2 in final) - 1989: RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
(defeated MotherwellMotherwell F.C.Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
2–1 in final) - 1990: HibernianHibernian F.C.Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
(defeated St. MirrenSt. Mirren F.C.St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
3–0 in final) - 1991: Heart of MidlothianHeart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
(defeated MotherwellMotherwell F.C.Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
5–3 in final) - 1992: CelticCeltic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
(defeated St. Johnstone 4–2 in the final) - 1993: Partick ThistlePartick Thistle F.C.Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
(defeated AirdrieoniansAirdrieonians F.C.Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
4–3 in the final)