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]