Masters Football was a six-a-side indoor football competition in the United Kingdom, where players over the age of 35 were chosen by the Masters Football Selection Committee to represent a senior club for which they played. Regional heats were held, and the winners of each progressed forward to a national competition. Events were contested over the course of a single evening (usually on Saturdays or Sundays), with games played in two halves of eight minutes each. The pitch was 60 m (200 ft) by 30 m (98 ft) (the size of an international ice hockey rink), and there was no offside rule.[1]

The competition ran from 2000 to 2011, live on the UK subscription channel Sky Sports. In 2022, online streaming platform 360 Sports TV announced they would be reviving the competition.[2][3]

National Masters edit

Honours edit

Year Champion Runner-up Grand Final venue Golden Boot winner(s)
2000   Nottingham Forest   Rangers National Ice Centre (Nottingham)   Ally McCoist (Rangers)
2001   Liverpool   Bradford City ??   John Taylor (Bradford City)
2002   Liverpool   Newcastle United Newcastle   Peter Beardsley (Newcastle United)
2003   Manchester City   Rangers Telewest Arena, Newcastle   Peter Beardsley (Newcastle United)
2004   Chelsea   Wolverhampton Wanderers Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield   John Durnin (Liverpool)
2005   Leicester City   Chelsea ??   Paul Moran (Tottenham Hotspur)
2006   Rangers   Chelsea National Indoor Arena (Birmingham)   John Durnin (Liverpool)
2007   Leicester City   Wolverhampton Wanderers M.E.N. Arena (Manchester)   Owen Coyle (Motherwell)
2008   Wolverhampton Wanderers   Manchester City LG Arena (Birmingham)   Craig Hignett (Middlesbrough)
2009   Tranmere Rovers   Bolton Wanderers Echo Arena Liverpool (Liverpool)   Carbone /   Goodman / Hignett
2010   Birmingham City   Tranmere Rovers LG Arena (Birmingham)   Graham Stuart (Everton)
2011   Rangers   Leeds United M.E.N. Arena (Manchester)   Darren Huckerby (Leeds United)

Venues used edit

Venue Location
  Braehead Arena Renfrew
  Echo Arena Liverpool Liverpool
  LG Arena Birmingham
  M.E.N. Arena Manchester
  Metro Radio Arena Newcastle upon Tyne
  National Ice Centre Nottingham
  National Indoor Arena Birmingham
  Odyssey Arena Belfast
  Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes
  Sheffield Arena Sheffield
  SkyDome Arena Coventry
  Wales National Ice Rink Cardiff
  Wembley Arena London

Referees edit

Two referees are chosen to officiate in each event, from the following list. They are all FA-endorsed except from John Underhill, who is an SFA referee.

Home Nations edit

Champions edit

Year Champion
1999   Wales Masters
2000   Wales Masters
2001     All-Ireland Masters
2002 not held
2003   Wales Masters
2004   England Masters
2005 not held
2006 not held
2007     All-Ireland Masters
2008 not held
2009     All-Ireland Masters

European Masters Cup edit

Champions edit

Year Champion
2005   Rangers

International Masters Cup edit

Champions edit

Year Champion
2006   Holland Masters

Malaysia Masters Cup edit

Champions edit

Year Champion
2008   Liverpool
2009   Manchester United

References edit

  1. ^ Boyle, Callum. "An ode to Masters Football". JOE.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Masters Football Is Officially Returning To Our TV Screens After 11-Year Wait". sportbible.com. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  3. ^ Hoskin, Rob (21 February 2022). "Masters Football is officially returning after an 11-year absence". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 21 February 2022.

External links edit