UEFA Amateur Cup  

The UEFA Amateur Cup has now been replaced by the UEFA Regions Cup but for a while brought the amateur players of Europe together in competition. 

With the European Nations Cup, now the European Football Championship, established by UEFA in 1960, footballs governing body turned their attentions to creating a tournament for national amateur teams.    

The rise of professionalism within the sport and the suspect status of ‘amateur’ footballers within the Soviet Bloc countries inevitably caused problems. 

The officially amateur Olympic football tournaments had suffered from the ‘shamateur’ problem since the 1920s and were now dominated by Eastern European teams who were professional in everything but name. 

Nevertheless UEFA pressed ahead with its plans and the inaugural UEFA Amateur Cup competition began in 1965 with the Soviet Bloc and Scandinavian countries being excluded; the Scandinavians because their top domestic leagues were still classed as amateur.   

Twelve teams took part in the first tournament with four three-team qualifying groups deciding the four countries that would take part in the finals planned for Spain in 1967. 

In the qualifying tournament England were grouped with eventual winners Austria and the Netherlands whilst Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland were drawn together.   

England began their campaign with a draw in Holland a result that gave the Dutch their only point of the tournament, before being convincingly beaten 3-0 by the Austrians in Salzburg.  Victories in their final two matches weren’t enough and England could only finish as runners-up to Austria who qualified for the finals by a one-point margin.   

In Group One Scotland quickly established their superiority over the Welsh and Irish.  A 2-0 win over Wales being followed by successive 4-0 victories over the Republic of Ireland.   

By the time they drew their final group match with Wales, Scotland were already assured of a place in the finals.   

They were joined not only by Austria but also by Spain, who had triumphed over France and Italy and Turkey who, in the traditional group of death, had squeezed out West Germany and Yugoslavia on goal difference after all three countries had finished with four points from their four qualifying matches. 

The finals were held over three days in June 1967 at Palma de Mallorca in Spain on a straight knockout basis.  The first semi-final paired the hosts with Scotland with the Scots eventually winning through after extra-time only to lose by the odd goal in three against Austria in the final. 

The competition expanded with fifteen countries taking part in 1970 with Spain beating the Netherlands in a replay a day after the first final was drawn.  The 1974 UEFA Amateur Cup again saw fifteen teams taking part but the tournament had a farcical ending with the two finalists, Yugoslavia and West Germany, agreeing to share the trophy rather than bothering to actually play the match!  

With only ten nations entering in 1978 the tournament was clearly on its last legs and Yugoslavia became the last ever winners of the UEFA Amateur Cup.   

Happily, with no more problems over amateur status, the competition has been revised and re-launched for NonLeague teams as the UEFA Regions Cup that has been successfully contested since 1999.   

England’s representative were initially chosen by invitation but is now decided by nominating the winners of the bi-annual Football Association National Systems Cup, a competition begun specifically for that purpose. 

UEFA Amateur Cup Finals 

1967    Austria          2-1     Scotland 

1970    Spain            1-1     Netherlands 

1970    Spain            2-1     Netherlands (replay) 

1974    Yugoslavia     N/P     West Germany 

1978    Yugoslavia     2-1     Greece