Fixture list
Regional dates
7 May - The Den, Millwall, London
8 May - Liberty Stadium, Swansea
10 May - Molineux, Wolverhampton
13 May - Windsor Park, Belfast
14 May - Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace, London
15 May - St Mary’s, Southampton
16 May - Ewood Park, Blackburn
17 May - Anfield, Liverpool
20 May - Bramall Lane, Sheffield
20 May - The King Power, Leicester
21 May - BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
22 May - Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Semi Finals
27 May – Manchester City Academy, Manchester
Final
4 June – St James’ Park, Newcastle
An unprecedented 190 teams will represent their local in the the BT Sport Pub Cup – a title currently held by the Gun in Hackney, east London – in an expanded tournament that will welcome women’s teams for the first time.
As an added incentive this year, BT Sport will also be giving away full Puma team kits to every team that enters the draw to compete in this year’s tournament.
The free-to-enter competition begins on the 8 May with 12 regional qualifiers at stadiums across the UK, including Anfield, Selhurst Park, St Mary′s, Molineux and the Stadium of Light, before the winning teams face off in the semi-finals at the state-of-the-art City Academy, home of Manchester City, and with the final at Newcastle’s St James’ Park on 4 June.
Importance to pub culture
“This year, we’re bringing back the BT Sport Pub Cup, bigger and better, with more teams able to take part and the biggest pub team kit giveaway ever,” Bruce Cuthbert BT Sport’s director commercial customers explained.
“Sport is such an important part of pub culture and this competition aims to strengthen the tie between licensees and their communities by offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience to pub football teams up and down the country.”
Professional standards
Reflecting on the 2018 competition, ex-Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, who managed last year’s winners, the Gun, in a penalty shoot-out victory over 2017 winners the Liver Vaults at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium, said: “It’s been very professional, very organised and a fantastic initiative to give these guys the opportunities to play at some fantastic venues.”
Former Wales and Arsenal striker John Hartson who managed the Liver Vaults added: “The Pub Cup is a great advert for all the pubs across the country and fair play to BT Sport for putting something like this on.”
To enter your team in the BT Sport Pub Cup go to www.btsportbusiness.com/pubcup. Entries close on Sunday 31 March
Teams wanting to enter and represent their local can find their nearest BT Sport pub at www.btsportbusiness.com.