One of Scottish football’s great cult competitions is coming back, with the Tennent’s Sixes returning more than three decades after the tournament disappeared from the calendar.
Legends representing all 12 William Hill Premiership clubs will compete at Braehead Arena on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, with the tournament officially backed by the SPFL and shown live on Premier Sports.
The original Tennent’s Sixes ran for nine years between 1984 and 1993 and became an unlikely fixture in Scottish football culture, mixing small sided football, famous players and packed indoor arenas.
Partick Thistle lifted the final trophy in 1993, but memories of the tournament have survived remarkably well during the 33 years since.
Now the SPFL and Braehead Arena have worked together to bring it back, with players from the recent past pulling on their clubs’ current kits for a legends competition.
Saturday’s group stage will feature three regional groups of four teams, with the winner and runner up from each progressing alongside the two best third placed teams.
Every match will produce a winner, with drawn games decided by a penalty shootout and the shootout winner collecting a bonus point.
And in a detail likely to delight anyone who remembers the original tournament, the sin bin is coming back too.
SPFL Group Chief Executive Neil Doncaster said:
“The Tennent’s Sixes has a special place in the hearts and minds of a generation of football fans and we are absolutely thrilled to get the band back together again with the official endorsement of the SPFL.
“There are many unofficial Masters events but only one SPFL Tennent’s Sixes: the original and best and one we are proud to put our name to, with the support and involvement of all 12 William Hill Premiership clubs.”
The identity of the managers and former players taking part has still to be revealed, giving organisers plenty more to announce before the first ball is kicked.
Braehead Arena Chief Executive Russell Smith said:
“When we first floated the idea, the excitement and enthusiasm from everyone showed that it is a format that will absolutely resonate in 2026.
“A look on social media shows there remains a dedicated fanbase, channels and endless video footage of great goals from the tournament back in the day. We look forward to creating memories for new generations of football fans.
“That the original sponsor, Tennent’s, shared our enthusiasm is fantastic and we can’t wait to announce the fixtures, managers and star players in the coming days and weeks.”
Hazel Alexander, Senior Brand Manager at Tennent’s said:
“The return of the Tennent’s Sixes is sure to capture the imagination of football fans, with the original tournament continuing to live in Scottish football folklore.
“We’ve already had a fantastic summer of football, and the stage is set for a new tranche of memories to be made, with the chance to reminisce about the tournament of old, but also to celebrate some legends of the game as they make their return to the pitch.”
For those who remember the noise, the goals and the peculiar magic of indoor Scottish football, October will offer a chance to go back to the Sixes.
For everyone else, it might be time to discover what all the fuss was about.
