FOR fans of lower-league clubs, and a fair few bigger ones too, seeing your team lift a trophy is nothing to be sniffed at.

The pride and glory of witnessing your side parading a piece of silverware in front of you is something that can live in the memory forever.

It’s why Colchester United’s triumph in the Watney Cup back in August 1971 still remains one of the most significant moments in the club’s history.

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The U’s success in the competition is now highlighted in Simon Turner’s new book, ‘Tinpot – Football’s Forgotten Tournaments’, a whimsical look back on the many different tournaments that have come and gone but at the time of their existence, served a purpose and mattered.

Colchester’s win in the Watney Cup – backed by London-based brewery Watney Mann - was the second shock result they had pulled off in the space of a few months.

Manager Dick Graham’s ageing U’s heroes had already sent shockwaves reverberating around the football world six months earlier when they sensationally knocked mighty Leeds United - rated the best team in Europe at the time - out of the FA Cup.

Here they were again lighting up the prelude to the 1971-72 division four season by beating top division rivals West Bromwich Albion at their own Hawthorns stadium to win the Watney Cup final, in the first-ever live television penalty shoot-out and the first to decide the outcome of an English cup final.

(Image: NEWSQUEST)

The near 19,000 crowd - which would have been thousands more but for a nearby friendly between Aston Villa and Birmingham City - plus an estimated 12-million TV viewers were kept on their toes as the two teams fought out a mind-boggling, hammer and tongs, end-to-end final.

The two sides had finished all-square at 4-4 at the end of normal time, but what was to follow was even more incredible as young rookie midfielder Phil Bloss stepped out of the shadows into the history books by slotting the final spot-kick just inside the post to seal another remarkable David and Goliath triumph.

The Watney Cup, first held in 1970, proved a great pay day for the U’s as they picked up a £5,000 top prize, plus a share of the gate receipts and TV income.

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Thousands of fans lined the streets of Colchester a few days later as manager Dick Graham and his U’s heroes paraded the handsome trophy from Layer Road through the now city centre to Colchester Castle.

Held before the start of each season, the Watney Cup was contested by the teams that had scored the most goals in each of English football’s four divisions the previous season who had not won promotion or gained a place in any of the European competitions.

(Image: NEWSQUEST)

It has its place in Colchester United – and football – history and ‘Tinpot’ delves into its history with rich detail, along with many other long-gone competitions.

It features more than 40 forgotten football tournaments and is an opportunity for football lovers to reminisce about competitions of yesteryear.

‘Tinpot – Football’s Forgotten Tournaments’ is written by Simon Turner and published by Pitch Publishing.