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Greatest League Cup Finals
Ten of the greatest League Cup finals for you to enjoy. The very best of the League Cup.
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Queens Park Rangers 3 - 2 West
Bromwich Albion
Wembley Stadium, March 4th, 1967
Attendance: 97, 952
Referee: Walter Crossley
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Morgan 63
Marsh 75
Lazarus 81 |
QPR:
Springett, Hazell, Langley, Keen(capt), Brown, Moore, Hunt, Sibley,
Lazarus, Sanderson, Allen, Marsh, Morgan.
Manager: Alec Stock
West Brom: Sheppard, Cram,
Williams(capt), Collard, Clarke, Fraser, Brown,
Astle, Kaye, Hope, Clark.
Manager: Jimmy Hagan
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Clark 7, 36
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The first League Cup final staged at Wembley produced one of the greatest League Cup final shocks as Third
Division Queens Park Rangers defeated the holders West Brom 3-2.
QPR, trailing 2-0 at half-time produced a brilliant second half
fight-back, as goals from Morgan, Marsh and Lazarus gave them their
first major trophy. |
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Stoke City 2 - 1 Chelsea
Wembley Stadium, May 14th, 1972
Attendance: 100, 000
Referee: Norman Burtenshaw
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Conroy 5
Eastham 73
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Stoke: Banks,
Marsh, Pejic, Bernard, Smith, Bloor, Conroy, Greenhoff (Mahoney) ,
Ritchie, Dobing(capt), Eastham
Manager: Tony Waddington
Chelsea: Bonetti, Mulligan
(Baldwin) , Harris(capt), Hollins, Dempsey, Webb, Cooke, Garland,
Osgood, Hudson, Houseman
Manager: Dave Sexton
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Osgood 45
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Another surprise result saw Stoke City upset the odds to beat
Chelsea in '72.
The Blues came into the game having beaten Leeds United and
Real Madrid in finals over the previous two seasons, and were firm
favourites.
But Stoke took an early lead, and althought Osgood equalized
just before half-time, a late winner from George
Eastham was enough to give The Potters the first major trophy
in their history.
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Nottingham Forest 1 - 0 Liverpool
(Replay, first game finished 0-0)
Old Trafford, March 18th, 1978
Attendance: 54, 375
Referee: Pat Partridge
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Robertson (pen)
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Notts
Forest: Woods, Anderson, Clark, O'Hare, Lloyd, Burns,
O'Neill, Bowyer, Withe, Woodcock, Robertson
Manager: Brian Clough
Liverpool: Clemence,
Neal, Smith, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, Case (Fairclough) ,
Heighway, McDermott, Callaghan
Manager: Bob Paisley
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A real Clash of Titans. Liverpool went into the game as
European champions, while Forest were well on their way to
claiming the league title.
Add to that the football legends on either bench, Clough and
Paisley, and you have arguably the highest profile League Cup final
ever.
The first game, at Wembley ended in a 0-0 draw, so the final
went to a replay at Old Trafford, where a John Robertson
penalty won it for Forest.
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Liverpool 1 - 0 Everton
(Replay,
first game finished 0-0)
Maine Road, March 28th, 1984
Attendance: 52, 089
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Souness
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Liverpool: Grobbelaar,
Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Johnston
(Robinson) , Souness
Manager: Joe Fagan
Everton: Southall, Stevens,
Bailey, Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid, Irvine (King) , Heath, Sharp,
Richardson, Harper
Manager: Howard Kendall
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Liverpool had won the trophy for three straight years when they came up
against Merseyside neighbours Everton in this final.
The first match at Wembley was far from the greatest League Cup final and the
replay at Maine Road, decided by a long range Souness
goal, was not a lot better.
Nonetheless, the Liverpool victory was significant in that it was part
of a unique League, League Cup and European Cup treble.
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Luton Town 3 - 2 Arsenal
Wembley Stadium, April 24th, 1988
Attendance: 95, 732
Referee: Joe Worrall
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Stein (2)
Wilson
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Luton: Dibble,
Breacker, Johnson, Hill, Foster, Donaghy, Wilson, Stein, Harford
(Grimes) , Preece (Stein), Black Manager: Ray
Harford
Arsenal: Arsenal: Lukic,
Winterburn, Sansom, Thomas, Caesar, Adams, Rocastle, Davis, Smith,
Groves (Hayes), Richardson
Manager: George Graham
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Hayes
Smith
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Arsenal were the holders and favourites to retain the cup, but the
Hatters got off to a flyer when Stein scored in just the second minute.
Back came Arsenal with goals from Hayes and Smith, and they were then
given the opportunity to wrap up the game, when they were awarded a
penalty.
However, Nigel Winterburn's effort was saved by Dibble and this seemed
to inspire Luton, with Wilson equalising and then Stein volleying home
a late winner.
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Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 0
Manchester United
Wembley Stadium, April 21st, 1991
Attendance: 77, 612
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Sheridan
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Sheffield Wednesday: Turner,
Nilsson, King, Harkes (Madden), Shirtliff, Pearson, Wilson, John
Sheridan, Hirst, Williams, Worthington Manager: Ron Atkinson
Manchester United: Sealey,
Irwin, Blackmore, Bruce, Webb ( Phelan), Pallister, Robson, Ince,
McClair, Hughes, Sharpe
Manager: Alex Ferguson
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On paper this looked like a routine win for Manchester United against
Second Division, Sheffield Wednesday.
But former United boss Ron Atkinson had the last laugh with a 1- 0
victory, courtesy of John Sheridan's goal.
There was consolation for Sir Alex Ferguson though as his
side went on to lift the European Cup Winners Cup later that
season.
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Leicester City 1- 0
Middlesbrough(a.e.t)
(Replay,
first game finished 1-1)
Hillsborough, April 16th, 1997
Attendance: 39, 428
Referee: Martin Bodenham
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Claridge 100
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Leicester: Keller, Grayson,
Whitlow, Walsh, Izzet, Lennon, Claridge, Parker, Heskey, Kaamark, Prior
Manager: Martin O'Neill
Middlesbrough: Roberts, Cox
( Alan Moore, 105 ) , Pearson, Emerson, Kinder, Mustoe, Juninho
Paulista, Ravanelli, Blackmore, Festa ( Vickers) , Hignett (
Beck)
Manager: Bryan Robson
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Two upfancied
sides made it to the 1997 final, but Leicester and Middlesbrough served
up an excellent couple of matches.
The first game at Wembley looked to be going Boro's way, but Emile
Heskey came up with an equalizer in the final minute of extra-time,
to take the game to a replay at Hillsborough.
The replay again went to extra-time - with a Steve Claridge
strike winning it for Leicester.
1997 was a nightmare year for Middlesbrough, as they were relegated and
also lost in the FA Cup final. |
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Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Bolton
Wanderers
Millennium Stadium, February 29th, 2004
Attendance: 72, 634
Referee: Mike Riley
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Job 2
Zenden 7(pen)
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Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Mills,
Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Mendieta, Boateng, Doriva, Zenden, Juninho
Paulista, Job (Ricketts)
Manager: Steve McLaren
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt
(Giannakopoulos) , N'Gotty, Thome, Charlton, Frandsen (Pedersen) ,
Campo, Okocha, Nolan (Javi Moreno), Djorkaeff, Kevin Davies
Manager: Sam Alladyce
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Davies 21
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After successive cup final defeats in the 90's,
Middlesbrough finally ended their 128-year wait for a trophy
by lifting the 2004 League Cup.
Boro got off to a flyer and were two up within 7 minutes - courtesy of
Joseph Desire Job and a Bolo Zenden penalty.
A Mark Schwarzer error allowed Bolton to pull one back
through Kevin Davies on 21 minutes but in a thrilling
match Boro hung on to secure their first trophy. |
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Chelsea 3 - 2 Liverpool (a.e.t)
Millenium Stadium, February 27th, 2005
Attendance: 78, 000
Referee: Steve Bennett
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Gerrard (o.g.) 79
Drogba 107
Kezman 112
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Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira,
Carvalho, Terry, Gallas (Kezman) , Jarosik (Gudjohnsen) , Lampard,
Makelele, Joe Cole (Johnson) , Drogba, Duff
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher,
Hyypia, Traore (Biscan) , Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Riise, Kewell
(Nunez), Morientes (Baros)
Manager: Rafael Benitez
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Riise 1
Nunez 113
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John Arne Riise
put Liverpool ahead with the fastest goal in League Cup final history
and Liverpool held their lead until Steven Gerrard headed into his own
net on 79 minutes, to send the match into extra time.
Drogba put the Blues in front after 107 minutes and sub Kezman sealed
it with a third for Chelsea five minutes later.
A late consolation from Nunez was not enough to get Liverpool back in
it.
The win marked the first trophy of the Mourinho era at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea 2 - 1 Arsenal
Millenium Stadium, February 25th, 2007
Attendance: 70, 073
Referee: Howard Webb
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Drogba 20, 84
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Chelsea: Cech, Diarra, Terry (Mikel)
, Carvalho, Bridge, Makelele (Robben) , Lampard, Ballack, Essien,
Shevchenko (Kalou), Drogba
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Arsenal: Almunia, Hoyte,
Toure, Senderos, Traore (Eboue), Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby
(Hleb), Aliadiere (Adebayor) , Julio Baptista
Manager: Arsene Wenger
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Walcott, 12
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The last final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium saw Mourinho's powerful
Chelsea team up against Arsene Wenger's young Arsenal side.
Theo Walcott fired Arsenal ahead, but Didier Drogba, so often
Wenger's nemesis, struck back.
A pulsating final saw Chelsea skipper John Terry knocked
unconscious after being accidently kicked in the head, and a
mass brawl which resulted in sendings-off for Arsenal's Kolo
Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor, as well as Chelsea's John Obi Mikel.
The 'Snarling' Cup final, as it was later referred to, was settled by a
fine strike from Didier Drogba. |
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