First official penalty shootout

First official penalty shootout

From Sporting Witness by BBC World Service

March 26, 2026 · 10 min

About this episode

The episode recounts the first official penalty shootout in football history during a match between Hull City and Manchester United in 1970.

On 5 August 1970, a pre-season match between second division Hull City and European giants Manchester United changed football forever. With the game drawn, it became the first professional competitive fixture in the world to be decided by a penalty shootout. Tied matches were previously decided by coin tosses, the drawing of lots, or replays. The match was in the inaugural season of the Watney Cup which was a short-lived English knockout competition. Manchester United’s team included George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. Hull City player Frankie Banks and fan Martyn Kelly, who was 11 at the time, tell Phil Jones how the penalties played out. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the…

People in this episode

Host: Phil Jones

Guests: Frankie Banks, Martyn Kelly

Topics covered

  • penalty shootout
  • football history
  • Watney Cup
  • Manchester United
  • Hull City

Keywords

  • penalty shootout
  • football
  • history
  • Manchester United
  • Hull City
  • Watney Cup
  • George Best
  • Denis Law
  • Bobby Charlton

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Manchester United, Hull City, BBC World Service

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