The Texaco Cup, officially known as the International League Board Competition, was an association football competition started in 1970, involving sides from England, Scotland, and Ireland that had not qualified for European competitions.[1][2]
It was one of the first football competitions to receive sponsorship, taking the name of American petroleum company Texaco for £100,000, and was instituted to help promote Texaco's recent purchase of the Regent filling station chain.[3] Irish and Northern Irish clubs withdrew from the competition after 1971–72 due to political pressure,[4] competing in a separate Texaco (All-Ireland) Cup in 1973–74 and 1974–75.[5]
Crowds in the competition fell after the first few seasons,