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Tunney Cup
(The United States Marine Corps Challenge Cup)
The Royal Marines annual football championships

Gene Tunney (Birth name James Joseph Tunney Pictured left) was nick named the Fighting Marine, He won the heavyweight boxing championship from Jack Dempsey in 1926 and successfully defended his title against Dempsey in 1927. In 1928, he successfully defended his title against Tom Heeney and then retired from the ring undefeated in 1928. He enlisted as a Marine in the USMC during World War I, and he joined the US Navy during World War II and was made an officer. He wrote two autobiographies - 'A Man Must Fight' in 1932 and 'Arms for Living' in 1941. He died on 7th November 1978 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. In 2001 he was Inducted into the US Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.



  1928 Eastney Barracks
 
Capt JJ "Gene" Tunney (right) 
Hands over the USMC
Challenge cup (Tunney Cup)
to Lieutenant General Lewis
Halliday VC.
The Tunney Cup was presented to the Royal Marines in 1928 by the United States Marine Corps.The USMC wished to perpetuate the bond of friendship which has existed between the two corps since the boxer rebellion in China in 1901,when the Royal Marines and the USMC fought side by side.
 
The Cup was brought from America in the USS Leviathan by the ex Sergeant Major R Francis USMC on behalf of the USMC.
 
Former Heavy weight champion of the World Gene Tunney ex US Marine and then US Navy Captain presented the USMC Challenge cup at a parade held in Royal Marines Barracks Eastney.
 
General Commandant John J Lejeune USMC expressed a desire that it should be competed for by Association Football teams.He hoped that it would give as much pleasure as did the presentation of Private Pagent,a Bulldog which had been sent to America by the Royal Marines for the USMC. Private Pagent spent much of his time as mascot to the Training camp.


Previous Winners and Photographs on selected years
 
1929 Chatham Division RMB Chatham
1930 Portsmouth Division RMB Eastney
1931 Chatham Division RMB Chatham
1932 Portsmouth Division RMB Eastney
1933 Depot RM Deal
1934 Plymouth Division
1935 Plymouth Division
1936 Portsmouth Division RMB Eastney
1937 Chatham Division RMB Chatham
1938 Chatham Division RMB Chatham
1939 - 1945 No games played due to World War 2
1946 Dalditch (Budleigh Salterton)
1947 Chatham Division RMB Chatham
1948 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1949 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1950 RMB Plymouth
1951 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1952 RMB Plymouth
1953 RM Corps Schools (Portsmouth)
1954 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1955 Depot RM Deal
1956 ITCRM (Lympstone) Depot RM Lympstone renamed ITCRM in 1946 & CTCRM in 1970.
1957 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1958 42Cdo RM (Bickleigh Bks Plymouth, formed in 1943)
1959 ITCRM Lympstone
1960 Joint Services Amphibious Warfare Centre Poole
1961 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1962 RMB Eastney (Portsmouth)
1963 41Cdo RM (Bickleigh Bks Plymouth)
1964 Depot RM (Deal)
1965 ITCRM Lympstone
1966 43Cdo RM (Bickleigh Bks Plymouth, Disbanded 1968 at Eastney Bks)
1967 43Cdo RM (Bickleigh Bks Plymouth, Disbanded 1968 at Eastney Bks)
1968 Depot RM (Deal) View Photograph
1969  ATURM Poole 3 (Dunsworth,Hillson,McNiell 2) RMB Eastney 1) View Photo (Source xmas 1969 Globe & Laurel)
1970 RMB Eastney 3 (McKenzie og, Millar og, Heath) 41Cdo RM 0 View Photo View 2nd Photo(sourse April Globe & Laurel 1971)
1971 Cdo Log Regt bt RMB Eastney
1972 Depot RM 4 Cdo Log Regt 0 (source xmas Globe & Laurel 1972)
1973 42Cdo RM
1974 40Cdo RM
1975 42Cdo RM 1 40Cdo RM 0 (CTCRM bt Cdo Log Regt 4-0 in the plate)(source Jan/Feb 1976 Globe & Laurel )
1976 Depot RM 4 45Cdo RM 1 (RMB Eastney bt 41Cdo Gp 3-0 in the plate)(source xmas 1976 Globe & Laurel)
1977 41Cdo RM 3 42Cdo RM 0 (CTCRM bt HQ & Sigs Sqn 2-0 in the plate)(source xmas 1977 Globe & Laurel)
1978 45 Cdo RM 5 Cdo Log Regt 1 AET at Plymouth (Scorers Paddy Vince,Ian Guy,Davy Watkins,Roy Isaacs & John Craig) View Photo (CTCRM bt 41Cdo RM 2-1 in plate)
1979 45Cdo RM bt 42Cdo RM 4-3 AET at Bickleigh (CTCRM bt Eastney 3-1 in the Plate)
1980 CTCRM bt 40 Cdo 3-1 (Tiv Lowe hatrick) View Photo (HQ & Sigs bt 45Cdo RM 4-1 in the plate)
1981 CTCRM bt Comacchio Coy 4-3 View Photo (Cdo Log regt bt 42Cdo RM 2-1 in the plate)
1982 45Cdo RM bt Comacchio Coy 3-0 at CTCRM View Photograph 40Cdo RM bt DCGRM 5-2 in the Plate
1983 42Cdo RM bt CTCRM 3-1 at Eastney Bks View Photograph of Cpl Tiv Lowe with Cup
1984 RM Poole 4 CTCRM 4 RM Poole won 6-5 on Pens View Photograph
1986 CTCRM 1 42Cdo RM 0 at RMSM Deal View Photo of CTCRM skipper Mne A Wright
1987 42Cdo RM 3 (Ashton,Phillips,Byron) 45Cdo RM 2 (Kerr,Reed) View Photograph
1988 45Cdo RM 4 (Mne Craig scored 2) bt Comacchio Gp 0 at RMSM Deal View Photograph
1989 Comacchio Group 1(Cassidy) beat 45Cdo RM 1(Nielson) (on pens at Arbroath FC) View Photograph View 2nd Photograph (Fleet bt Cdo Log Regt 3-2 in the plate final)
1990 45Cdo RM 4 RMSM Deal 1 at Deal View Photograph View 2nd Photograph
1991 RM Poole 1(George Bolton) Comacchio Group 0 View Photograph View 2nd Photograph
1992 40Cdo RM bt 45Cdo RM 2-1 View Photograph (RM Poole 3 DRORM 2 in the plate)
1993 RM Poole 3 40Cdo RM 2  View Photograph (CTCRM bt RMSM 4-0 in the plate)
1994 CTCRM (Lympstone) beat 42Cdo RM on Penalties at Deal
1995 42Cdo RM beat RM Band 2-0 at Deal View Photograph
1996 RM Poole beat 45Cdo RM 3-2 AET at RM Poole View Photograph
1997 CTCRM beat 42Cdo 5-0 at RM Poole View Photograph
1998 CTCRM beat Cdo Log Regt 1-0 at RM Poole View Phot View Photograph
1999 45Cdo RM beat CTCRM 3-2 at Lympstone
2000 RM Poole beat 45Cdo RM 3-1 at RM Poole View Photograph
2001 UKLFcsg (Plymouth) View Photograph
2002 UKLFcsg (Plymouth) View Photograph
2003 CTCRM beat UKLFcsg 4-0 at HMS Drake Plymouth View Photograph
2004 CTCRM beat 45Cdo RM 5-3 after extra time at Lympstone View Photograph
2005 40Cdo RM beat UKLFcsg (Plymouth) at Lympstone  View Photograph of 40Cdo Capt
2006 CTCRM beat Cdo Log Reg 5-1 at Lympstone
2007 Cdo Log Regt 5 HM RM Band 2 AET at CTCRM Full Time 2-2 View Photograph View 2nd Photograph 3rd Photograph 4th Photograph