South West Challenge Cup

{{ infobox football tournament | name = Errea South West Challenge Cup | logo = | caption = | founded = 2008 | region = England (Devon FA) | number of teams = 12 | current champions = Luton Town | most successful club = Eastleigh, Luton Town (1 title) | broadcasters = | motto = | website = http://southwestchallengecup.co.uk | current = }}

The South West Challenge Cup is an annual pre-season football tournament, held in North Devon, England in July and hosted by various non-league clubs in the area. It is currently known as the Errea South West Challenge Cup under a sponsorship deal with the sportswear company Erreà.

The inaugural tournament took place from 22 to 27 July 2008 and was won by Eastleigh.

The tournament features an unconventional points system through the group stages, which the tournament organisers state is "designed to encourage attacking football". Each winning side gets the standard three points for a win, while losing teams receive one point if they lose without scoring, and two if they lose but score. There are no draws; if teams are all square at full-time the game goes straight to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. In the group stage matches, each half lasts 40 minutes, before reverting to the standard 45 minutes for the knockout stages.

2008 tournament

Eight sides entered, and played eleven matches over the course of six days. Matches were hosted by Bideford A.F.C., Appledore F.C. and Barnstaple Town F.C.. Conference South side Eastleigh ran out winners after they beat Torquay United of the Conference National , on a penalty shoot-out in the final.

Bideford played host to six games at the Sports Ground, including the opening match, a semi-final and the final. Appledore staged two group matches at their Marshford ground, while Barnstaple Town staged two group matches and a semi-final at Mill Road.

Although there were four teams in each group, each side played only two of the other sides in the group rather than all three.

Eight clubs entered the tournament - Crystal Palace, Yeovil Town, Torquay United, Kidderminster Harriers, Eastleigh, Chertsey Town, Bideford and Barnstaple Town.

The eight clubs were split into two groups of four: Group One

  • Crystal Palace
  • Eastleigh
  • Torquay United
  • Bideford

Group Two

  • Yeovil Town
  • Kidderminster Harriers
  • Chertsey Town
  • Barnstaple Town

Group stages

Group One

Rank

Team

Pld

W

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

1

Eastleigh

rowspan="1!|2

2

0

3

1

2

6

2

Crystal Palace

2

1

1

5

3

2

5

3

Torquay United

2

1

1

2

0

2

4

4

Bideford

2

0

2

2

6

-4

3

Group Two

Rank

Team

Pld

W

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

1

Yeovil Town

2

2

0

6

1

5

6

2

Chertsey Town

2

1

1

3

4

-1

5

3

Barnstaple Town

2

1

1

2

2

0

4

4

Kidderminster Harriers

2

0

2

0

4

-4

2

---- ----

Semi-finals

Final

2009 tournament

The 2009 tournament took place from 13 to 19 July and was expanded to twelve sides divided into four groups. There are five host clubs - Appledore F.C. (Marshford Appledore), Ilfracombe Town F.C. (Marlborough Park Ilfracombe), Bideford A.F.C. (Sports Ground Bideford), Barnstaple Town F.C. (Mill Road Barnstaple) and Torrington F.C. (Vicarage Field, Great Torrington.

2008 winners Eastleigh returned to defend the trophy. They were joined by five Football League sides - Championship side Blackpool; Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers who, in the 2008–09 season, finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in League Two and won promotion to League One; fellow League One side Yeovil Town, as well as League Two outfit Grimsby Town. There were two Conference National sides - Luton Town, who finished bottom of League Two in 2008-09 and so were relegated, and Rushden & Diamonds. From North Devon, three sides - Barnstaple Town and Bideford, who took part in the 2008 tournament, were joined by Ilfracombe Town of the Western Football League Premier Division. The final entrant was Belgian lower league side, Montegnée.

The teams were divided into four groups of three with each side playing each other once in the group stage. The winners of each group then meet in the semi-finals. However, the Group A game between Exeter City and Eastleigh, and the Group C game between Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town on 17 July were cancelled due to waterlogged pitches at Bideford and Appledore, resulting in Exeter and Luton winning their groups, as there was insufficient time to re-arrange either match, with the semi-finals the next day.

Grimsby refused to play in the final due to fixture congestion and safety concerns over a 6:00PM kick-off time, and no compromise with the tournament organisers could be reached. As a result, Belgian club Montegnée, originally knocked out in the group stages, were invited to play in the final at Grimsby's expense. Luton went on to win the 2009 South West Challenge Cup with a 3–1 victory over Montegnée.

Group A

  • Exeter City
  • Eastleigh
  • Ilfracombe Town

Group B

  • Yeovil Town
  • Grimsby Town
  • Montegnée

Group C

  • Luton Town
  • Wycombe Wanderers
  • Bideford

Group D

  • Blackpool
  • Rushden & Diamonds
  • Barnstaple Town

Group stages

Group A

Rank

Team

Pld

W

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

1

Exeter City

1

1

0

4

1

3

3

2

Eastleigh

1

1

0

1

0

1

3

3

Ilfracombe Town

2

0

2

1

5

-4

3

Group B

Rank

Team

Pld

W

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

1

Grimsby Town

2

2

0

4

2

2

6

2

Yeovil Town

2

1

1

7

3

4

5

3

Montegnée

2

0

2

0

6

-6

2

Group C

Rank

Team

Pld

W

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

1

Luton Town

1

1

0

3

0

3

3

2

Wycombe Wanderers

1

1

0

0

0

0

3

3

Bideford

2

0

2

0

3

-3

2

Group D

Rank

Team

Pld

W

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

1

Rushden & Diamonds

2

2

0

4

2

2

6

2

Blackpool

2

1

1

6

1

5

5

3

Barnstaple Town

2

0

2

1

8

-7

3

Semi-finals

Final