Football: The Tennent’s Years

…and one pint for a draw.

36 years of football and Tennent’s.

For the best part of four decades we’ve been involved with Scottish football. As fans as well as sponsors. Along the way, we’ve cheered with you. We’ve sung our hearts out with you. And we’ve sobbed into our scarves with you, too.

We’ve been there with the Tennent’s Sixes; the Scottish Cup; the Scotland national team; Total Futsal; Not at the World Cup; and What the Faro. Football’s in our blood. And what a beautiful, spellbinding, infuriating, heartbreaking and hilarious game it is. Here’s a round-up of a few of the memories we have shared around our national game over the years.

1974

“Yabba dabba doo, we support the boys in blue and it’s cheesy, cheesy.”

The first thing we did to support Scotland was sponsor the squad’s photo for the World Cup finals in 1974. From the looks of it, it seems no expense was spared, and that we hired the finest primary school gym in the land for the occasion.

All Scotland fans had to do to get a framed print of their big-collared, side-parted heroes was to collect some of those old-fashioned detachable Tennent’s Lager ring-pulls (younger readers may require an explanation from an older relative about these).

1976

What part of “Caledonian” didn’t we understand?

Oddly, the Tennent Caledonian Cup should really have been called the Tennent Semi-Caledonian Cup. Because it was only half-Scottish. It was a trailblazing pre-season competition between four teams. Two from Scotland and two from England.

The competition was held at Ibrox. The English teams that participated during its four-year history were Manchester City, West Ham, Southampton, West Brom and Brighton. Which, as a list, seemed rather more impressive in the mid-to-late ’70s than it does today. No offence intended.

1984

Six-a-side. Like having ten men sent off.

The Tennent’s Sixes. Remember what a great spectacle this tournament was? The Sixes were fast and furious; usually with ten teams taking part. Most were senior Scottish clubs. But there were a few English participants, too.

It was an indoor event that began in Falkirk’s revered Coaster’s Arena. Moving to Ingliston the following year. And its final home was Glasgow’s “Red Shed”, the SECC. The Sixes are fondly remembered by Partick Thistle in particular. As the Jags were the last ever winners, the trophy still has pride of place in the Firhill trophy cabinet.

1989

Same name on the cup, 18 years running.

Jules Rimet? Never mind him. For 18 glorious years, the Scottish FA’s much sought-after item of silverware had our name. Because it was the Tennent’s Scottish Cup. The initial contract was only for four years; but when you’re having fun, time soon flies.

Yes: during our tenure as sponsors, our name was on the cup. But so were the names of no fewer than seven different winners: Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Rangers. Exciting and unpredictable. That’s how we like our football.

2002

Not at the World Cup.

Scotland had failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2002 but we weren't going to miss the party. Tennent's launched a bold poster campaign urging Scots fans to 'adopt a second team'.

A series of outrageous puns beckoned from billboards across the country, as we became 'Tartan Argies' or joined the 'Peebles Republic' for a month of World Cup action.

2004

Always look on the bright side
of non-qualification.

Ok, Scotland did not qualify for Euro 2004, but that did not deter Tennent's from creating 'What The Faro' - an irreverent online fanzine for Scotland fans.

Billed as Scotland's 'staying at home page', the website was full of terrace humour including spoof ads, news stories and daily polls.

Bizarrely, Scotland fans voted Sweden as their 'favourite second team'. England came second.

2005

Finding Dalglishinho.

Total Futsal was Tennent’s five-a-side programme with a Brazilian touch. Over 700 (aye, seven hundred) teams entered our nationwide Futsal competition. It was amazing: there were silky skills, regional finals and a grand finale at Hampden Park.

It didn’t end there, though. Our Total Futsal champions then flew off to Rio. No, not Ferdinand: Rio de Janeiro. And there they took on the Brazilian masters themselves. Our boys came close. So close. Doing step-overs that Ronaldinho would have been proud of, they raced to a two-goal lead with a couple of spectacular “David Narey toe pokes”… before normal service resumed and the wonderfully skilful Brazilians ran out convincing winners.

2006

Qui êtes-vous? (Who are ya?)

As soon as we began sponsoring the national side, a Truly Great Thing happened. Scotland beat France at Hampden in the qualifiers for Euro 2008. Incroyable!

We hoped this win was a sign of even greater things to come, especially when we repeated the feat in Paris with that wonder goal from James McFadden. But we narrowly missed out at the death, when a dodgy free-kick led to a last minute winner for World Champions Italy and again qualification was cruelly snatched from our grasp.

Our World Cup Qualification campaign began with renewed optimism and a new manager, George Burley, but sadly followed an all too familiar script. After our customary roller-coaster campaign, defeat by the Dutch in our final match ended any slim hopes of a play-off place for South Africa 2010.

2010

Proud Glasgow Teams.

1st July 2010 sees our near forty-year association with Scottish football enter a new chapter as we become the main sponsor of Celtic and Rangers.

As a proud Glaswegian brand, Tennent’s shares a similar sense of history and place with Celtic and Rangers, and this association sees us returning to our roots by supporting both our local teams and giants of the Scottish game

This new partnership with Celtic and Rangers will allow us to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with fans, through the highs and lows, kicking every ball, shedding the occasional tear, but having a good laugh along the way.

We are therefore extremely proud and excited as we look forward to the next three years.