The Daily Express National Five-a-Sides was an annual indoor football tournament for Football League clubs across England, with Scottish League clubs invited on occasions. The competition was contested between 1968 and 1986 (and televised up to 1983).
History The Daily Express sponsored competition was held at Wembley Arena to packed crowds of between 8,000 and 10,000. The competition was a covered by the BBC and highlighted on their Wednesday Sportsnight programme. The last televised edition was in 1983.
There was no coverage of the 1985 edition because of the TV blackout on football in England at the time.
Scottish football teams received invites. Other indoor tournaments popular around this time included Evening Standard London Five-a-Sides (around since 1954) and Guinness Soccer Six (inspired by MISL) competitions. Both the national and London fives tournaments shared a home at the Wembley Arena between 1968 and 1986.
Matches were split in two four minute halves. Time limits for matches increased as the tournament progressed. Though match lengths altered over the years. Any drawn matches were resolved with a penalty shoot-out. The rules included no passbacks to the goalkeeper and the ball must remain below shoulder height.
Competing teams
1974–75: Ipswich Town, Luton Town (East); Chelsea, Leyton Orient, QPR, Tottenham (London) Derby County, Leicester City, Stoke City, Wolves (Midlands); Middlesbrough (North East); Everton, Man City, Man United (North West); Celtic, Rangers (Scotland) 1975–76: Leyton Orient, Tottenham (London); Derby County (Midlands) Man City, Man United (North West) 1977–78: Ipswich Town (East), Arsenal, Chelsea, QPR, Tottenham, West Ham (London); Aston Villa, Coventry City, Derby County, Notts Forest, Wolves (Midlands); Newcastle United (North East); Everton, Man City, Man United (North West); Celtic (Scotland) 1978–79: Ipswich Town (East); Derby County, Wolves (Midlands); Man City, Man United (North West), Southampton (South East) 1980–81: Ipswich Town (East); Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, QPR, Tottenham (London); Aston Villa, Coventry, Notts Forest, WBA (Midlands); Newcastle United, Sunderland (North East); Man City, Man United (North West); Brighton (South East); Aberdeen (Scotland) 1981–82: Ipswich Town (East); Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, QPR, Watford, West Ham (London); Birmingham City, Coventry City, WBA (Midlands); Everton, Man United (North West); Southampton (South East); Celtic, Rangers (Scotland), Swansea City (Wales) 1982–83: Ipswich Town, Luton Town (East); Arsenal, QPR, Watford, West Ham (London); Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Notts Forest (Midlands), Sunderland, Newcastle United (North East), Man City, Man United (North West), Southampton (South East); Celtic (Scotland) 1986–87: Luton Town, Norwich City (East); Arsenal, Charlton, Tottenham, Watford, West Ham (London); Aston Villa, Coventry City, Notts Forest (Midlands); Man City, Man United (North West); Oxford United, Reading, Southampton (South East); Sheffield United (Yorkshire)
List of Finals
Season Winners Score Runners up Final scorers Ref 1967–68 Charlton Athletic 1–0 Gillingham Peacock 1968–69 No competition. Tournament moved from May to November. 1969–70 Manchester City 2–1 Swindon Town Bell, Young; Rodgers 1970–71 Manchester United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur Best (2); Knowles (new version) (archived version) 1971–72 Southampton 0–0(1–0 p) Leicester City 1972–73 Tottenham Hotspur 2– 2(4–3 p) Ipswich Town Holder (2), Pratt, Pearce; Hamilton (2), Viljoen 1973–74 Derby County 3–1 Celtic 1974–75 Leyton Orient 2–0 Tottenham Hotspur Hoadley (2) 1975–76 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 Tottenham Hotspur Bailey, Hibbitt, Carr; McNab 1976–77 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 Stoke City Daley, Hibbitt; Lumsdon 1977–78 Ipswich Town 3–1 Coventry City ; Oakey 1978–79 Crystal Palace 2–2Penalties Chelsea 1979–80 Sunderland 2–0 Brighton & Hove Albion Arnott, Buckley 1980–81 Aston Villa 3–0 Chelsea Evans, Swain, Bremner 1981–82 Celtic 1–0 Southampton Nicholas 1982–83 Arsenal 2–0 Aston Villa McDermott, Talbot 1983–84 Southampton 3–0 Aston Villa Wallace, Moran, Holmes 1984–85 Watford 1–0 Aston Villa Sterling 1985–86 Oxford United 2–2(1–0 p) Arsenal ; Sansom (2) 1986–87 Norwich City 5–0 Manchester City Putney (2), Culverhouse (2), Gordon
Finalists by League League Winners Runners up Football League First Division 13 14 Football League Second Division 5 2 Football League Third Division 0 1 Scottish Premier Division 1 1
Country Country Winners Runners up England 18 17 Scotland 1 1
See also Tennents' Sixes
Notes
References
External links Sportsnight With Coleman History BBC. Midweek Football Coverage: 1968/69 to 1982/83 ITV Football. Football Tournament Programmes AB Football Programmes.