# 1976–77 Football League Cup

The 1976–77 Football League Cup was the 17th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition started on 14 August 1976 and ended with the final going to a second replay on 13 April 1977.
The final was contested by First Division teams Aston Villa and Everton at Wembley Stadium in London, followed by replays at Hillsborough and finally being decided at Old Trafford.

## First round

Number of teams per tier entering this round :
| First Division | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | Total |
| 22 / 22 | 22 / 22 | 24 / 24 | 24 / 24 | 92 / 92 |

### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aldershot (4) | 1–1 | Gillingham (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Bournemouth (4) | 0–0 | Torquay United (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Bradford City (4) | 1–1 | Oldham Athletic (2) | 14 August 1976 |
| Bury (3) | 2–1 | Preston North End (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Cardiff City (2) | 2–1 | Bristol Rovers (2) | 14 August 1976 |
| Chester (3) | 2–0 | Hereford United (2) | 14 August 1976 |
| Chesterfield (3) | 3–1 | Rotherham United (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Crewe Alexandra (4) | 2–1 | Tranmere Rovers (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Crystal Palace (3) | 2–2 | Portsmouth (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Doncaster Rovers (4) | 1–1 | Lincoln City (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Grimsby Town (3) | 0–3 | Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Halifax Town (4) | 0–0 | Darlington (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Huddersfield Town (4) | 2–0 | Hartlepool (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Mansfield Town (3) | 2–0 | Scunthorpe United (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Millwall (2) | 2–1 | Colchester United (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Oxford United (3) | 1–0 | Cambridge United (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Plymouth Argyle (2) | 0–1 | Exeter City (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Port Vale (3) | 1–1 | Wrexham (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Reading (3) | 2–3 | Peterborough United (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Rochdale (4) | 0–1 | Blackburn Rovers (2) | 14 August 1976 |
| Shrewsbury Town (3) | 0–1 | Walsall (3) | 16 August 1976 |
| Southend United (4) | 1–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Southport (4) | 1–2 | Carlisle United (2) | 14 August 1976 |
| Swansea City (4) | 4–1 | Newport County (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Swindon Town (3) | 3–2 | Northampton Town (3) | 14 August 1976 |
| Watford (4) | 1–1 | Brentford (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| Workington (4) | 0–0 | Stockport County (4) | 14 August 1976 |
| York City (3) | 0–0 | Barnsley (4) | 14 August 1976 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Barnsley (4) | 0–0 | York City (3) | 17 August 1976 | 0–0 |
| Blackburn Rovers (2) | 4–1 | Rochdale (4) | 18 August 1976 | 5–1 |
| Brentford (4) | 0–2 | Watford (4) | 17 August 1976 | 1–3 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 2–1 | Southend United (4) | 17 August 1976 | 3–2 |
| Bristol Rovers (2) | 4–4 | Cardiff City (2) | 17 August 1976 | 5–6 |
| Cambridge United (4) | 2–0 | Oxford United (3) | 17 August 1976 | 2–1 |
| Carlisle United (2) | 0–1 | Southport (4) | 17 August 1976 | 2–2 |
| Colchester United (4) | 2–1 | Millwall (2) | 17 August 1976 | 3–3 |
| Darlington (4) | 1–1 | Halifax Town (4) | 18 August 1976 | 1–1 |
| Exeter City (4) | 1–0 | Plymouth Argyle (2) | 18 August 1976 | 2–0 |
| Gillingham (3) | 2–0 | Aldershot (4) | 18 August 1976 | 3–1 |
| Hartlepool (4) | 1–2 | Huddersfield Town (4) | 18 August 1976 | 1–4 |
| Hereford United (2) | 4–3 | Chester (3) | 18 August 1976 | 4–5 |
| Lincoln City (3) | 1–1 | Doncaster Rovers (4) | 18 August 1976 | 2–2 |
| Newport County (4) | 1–0 | Swansea City (4) | 17 August 1976 | 2–4 |
| Northampton Town (3) | 2–0 | Swindon Town (3) | 18 August 1976 | 4–3 |
| Oldham Athletic (2) | 1–3 | Bradford City (4) | 17 August 1976 | 2–4 |
| Peterborough United (3) | 0–1 | Reading (3) | 18 August 1976 | 3–3 |
| Portsmouth (3) | 0–1 | Crystal Palace (3) | 17 August 1976 | 2–3 |
| Preston North End (3) | 1–1 | Bury (3) | 17 August 1976 | 2–3 |
| Rotherham United (3) | 3–0 | Chesterfield (3) | 17 August 1976 | 4–3 |
| Scunthorpe United (4) | 2–0 | Mansfield Town (3) | 17 August 1976 | 2–2 |
| Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 0–0 | Grimsby Town (3) | 18 August 1976 | 3–0 |
| Stockport County (4) | 0–0 | Workington (4) | 18 August 1976 | 0–0 |
| Torquay United (4) | 1–0 | Bournemouth (4) | 17 August 1976 | 1–0 |
| Tranmere Rovers (3) | 3–1 | Crewe Alexandra (4) | 18 August 1976 | 4–3 |
| Walsall (3) | 1–0 | Shrewsbury Town (3) | 18 August 1976 | 2–0 |
| Wrexham (3) | 1–0 | Port Vale (3) | 18 August 1976 | 2–1 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Carlisle United (2) | 3–2 | Southport (4) | 24 August 1976 |
| Colchester United (4) | 4–4 | Millwall (2) | 30 August 1976 |
| Doncaster Rovers (4) | 1–1 | Lincoln City (3) | 24 August 1976 |
| Halifax Town (4) | 1–2 | Darlington (4) | 30 August 1976 |
| Peterborough United (3) | 3–1 | Reading (3) | 25 August 1976 |
| Scunthorpe United (4) | 2–1 | Mansfield Town (3) | 24 August 1976 |
| Workington (4) | 0–2 | Stockport County (4) | 30 August 1976 |
| York City (3) | 1–2 | Barnsley (4) | 24 August 1976 |

## Second round

Number of teams per tier entering this round :
| First Division | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | Total |
| 22 / 22 | 18 / 22 | 12 / 24 | 12 / 24 | 64 / 92 |

### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal (1) | 3–2 | Carlisle United (2) | 31 August 1976 |
| Aston Villa (1) | 3–0 | Manchester City (1) | 1 September 1976 |
| Blackburn Rovers (2) | 1–3 | Stockport County (4) | 1 September 1976 |
| Blackpool (2) | 2–1 | Birmingham City (1) | 31 August 1976 |
| Bradford City (4) | 1–2 | Bolton Wanderers (2) | 1 September 1976 |
| Bristol City (1) | 0–1 | Coventry City (1) | 31 August 1976 |
| Bury (3) | 2–1 | Darlington (4) | 1 September 1976 |
| Cardiff City (2) | 1–3 | Queens Park Rangers (1) | 1 September 1976 |
| Chelsea (2) | 3–1 | Sheffield United (2) | 1 September 1976 |
| Chester (3) | 2–3 | Swansea City (4) | 31 August 1976 |
| Crystal Palace (3) | 1–3 | Watford (4) | 31 August 1976 |
| Doncaster Rovers (4) | 1–2 | Derby County (1) | 31 August 1976 |
| Everton (1) | 3–0 | Cambridge United (4) | 30 August 1976 |
| Exeter City (4) | 1–3 | Norwich City (1) | 31 August 1976 |
| Fulham (2) | 1–1 | Peterborough United (3) | 31 August 1976 |
| Gillingham (3) | 1–2 | Newcastle United (1) | 1 September 1976 |
| Ipswich Town (1) | 0–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 31 August 1976 |
| Orient (2) | 1–0 | Hull City (2) | 31 August 1976 |
| Liverpool (1) | 1–1 | West Bromwich Albion (1) | 31 August 1976 |
| Manchester United (1) | 5–0 | Tranmere Rovers (3) | 1 September 1976 |
| Middlesbrough (1) | 1–2 | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | 31 August 1976 |
| Northampton Town (3) | 0–1 | Huddersfield Town (4) | 31 August 1976 |
| Rotherham United (3) | 1–2 | Millwall (2) | 1 September 1976 |
| Scunthorpe United (4) | 0–2 | Notts County (2) | 31 August 1976 |
| Southampton (2) | 1–1 | Charlton Athletic (2) | 31 August 1976 |
| Stoke City (1) | 2–1 | Leeds United (1) | 1 September 1976 |
| Sunderland (1) | 3–1 | Luton Town (2) | 31 August 1976 |
| Torquay United (4) | 1–0 | Burnley (2) | 1 September 1976 |
| Walsall (3) | 2–4 | Nottingham Forest (2) | 31 August 1976 |
| West Ham United (1) | 3–0 | Barnsley (4) | 1 September 1976 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (2) | 1–2 | Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 31 August 1976 |
| Wrexham (3) | 1–0 | Leicester City (1) | 1 September 1976 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 2–1 | Ipswich Town (1) | 7 September 1976 |
| Charlton Athletic (2) | 2–1 | Southampton (2) | 7 September 1976 |
| Peterborough United (3) | 1–2 | Fulham (2) | 7 September 1976 |
| West Bromwich Albion (1) | 1–0 | Liverpool (1) | 6 September 1976 |

## Third round

Number of teams per tier entering this round :
| First Division | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | Total |
| 14 / 22 | 9 / 22 | 4 / 24 | 5 / 24 | 32 / 92 |

### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa (1) | 2–1 | Norwich City (1) | 21 September 1976 |
| Blackpool (2) | 1–1 | Arsenal (1) | 21 September 1976 |
| Charlton Athletic (2) | 0–1 | West Ham United (1) | 21 September 1976 |
| Chelsea (2) | 2–0 | Huddersfield Town (4) | 20 September 1976 |
| Derby County (1) | 1–1 | Notts County (2) | 22 September 1976 |
| Fulham (2) | 2–2 | Bolton Wanderers (2) | 22 September 1976 |
| Manchester United (1) | 2–2 | Sunderland (1) | 22 September 1976 |
| Millwall (2) | 0–0 | Orient (2) | 21 September 1976 |
| Newcastle United (1) | 3–0 | Stoke City (1) | 22 September 1976 |
| Nottingham Forest (2) | 0–3 | Coventry City (1) | 21 September 1976 |
| Queens Park Rangers (1) | 2–1 | Bury (3) | 21 September 1976 |
| Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 3–1 | Watford (4) | 21 September 1976 |
| Stockport County (4) | 0–1 | Everton (1) | 20 September 1976 |
| Torquay United (4) | 1–2 | Swansea City (4) | 22 September 1976 |
| Tottenham Hotspur (1) | 2–3 | Wrexham (3) | 22 September 1976 |
| West Bromwich Albion (1) | 0–2 | Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 22 September 1976 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal (1) | 0–0 | Blackpool (2) | 28 September 1976 |
| Bolton Wanderers (2) | 2–2 | Fulham (2) | 4 October 1976 |
| Notts County (2) | 1–2 | Derby County (1) | 4 October 1976 |
| Sunderland (1) | 2–2 | Manchester United (1) | 4 October 1976 |
| Orient (2) | 0–0 | Millwall (2) | 12 October 1976 |

### 2nd Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal (1) | 2–0 | Blackpool (2) | 4 October 1976 |
| Fulham (2) | 1–2 | Bolton Wanderers (2) | 18 October 1976 |
| Manchester United (1) | 1–0 | Sunderland (1) | 6 October 1976 |
| Millwall (2) | 3–0 | Orient (2) | 19 October 1976 |

## Fourth round

Number of teams per tier entering this round :
| First Division | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | Total |
| 9 / 22 | 3 / 22 | 3 / 24 | 1 / 24 | 16 / 92 |

### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal (1) | 2–1 | Chelsea (2) | 26 October 1976 |
| Aston Villa (1) | 5–1 | Wrexham (3) | 27 October 1976 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 1–1 | Derby County (1) | 26 October 1976 |
| Everton (1) | 3–0 | Coventry City (1) | 26 October 1976 |
| Manchester United (1) | 7–2 | Newcastle United (1) | 27 October 1976 |
| Millwall (2) | 3–0 | Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 27 October 1976 |
| Swansea City (4) | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers (2) | 26 October 1976 |
| West Ham United (1) | 0–2 | Queens Park Rangers (1) | 27 October 1976 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bolton Wanderers (2) | 5–1 | Swansea City (4) | 2 November 1976 |
| Derby County (1) | 2–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion (3) | 8 November 1976 |

## Fifth Round

Number of teams per tier entering this round :
| First Division | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | Total |
| 6 / 22 | 2 / 22 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 24 | 8 / 92 |

### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa (1) | 2–0 | Millwall (2) | 1 December 1976 |
| Derby County (1) | 1–2 | Bolton Wanderers (2) | 1 December 1976 |
| Manchester United (1) | 0–3 | Everton (1) | 1 December 1976 |
| Queens Park Rangers (1) | 2–1 | Arsenal (1) | 1 December 1976 |

## Semi-finals

Number of teams per tier entering this round :
| First Division | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | Total |
| 3 / 22 | 1 / 22 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 24 | 4 / 92 |

### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Everton (1) | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers (2) | 18 January 1977 |
| Queens Park Rangers (1) | 0–0 | Aston Villa (1) | 1 February 1977 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Aston Villa (1) | 2–2 | Queens Park Rangers (1) | 16 February 1977 | 2–2 |
| Bolton Wanderers (2) | 0–1 | Everton (1) | 15 February 1977 | 1–2 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Venue |
| Queens Park Rangers (1) | 0–3 | Aston Villa (1) | 22 February 1977 | Highbury |

## Final

ASTON VILLA: :
| GK | 1 | John Burridge |
| DF | 2 | John Gidman |
| DF | 3 | John Robson |
| DF | 4 | Leighton Phillips |
| DF | 5 | Chris Nicholl |
| MF | 6 | Dennis Mortimer |
| MF | 7 | John Deehan |
| MF | 8 | Brian Little |
| FW | 9 | Andy Gray |
| MF | 10 | Alex Cropley |
| FW | 11 | Frank Carrodus |
| Manager: ||||
| Ron Saunders ||||
EVERTON: :
| GK | 1 | David Lawson |
| DF | 2 | Dave Jones |
| DF | 3 | Terry Darracott |
| DF | 4 | Mick Lyons |
| DF | 5 | Ken McNaught |
| MF | 6 | Andy King |
| MF | 7 | Bryan Hamilton |
| MF | 8 | Martin Dobson |
| FW | 9 | Bob Latchford |
| FW | 10 | Duncan McKenzie |
| MF | 11 | Ronnie Goodlass |
| Manager: ||||
| Gordon Lee ||||

### First Replay

ASTON VILLA: :
| GK | 1 | John Burridge |
| DF | 2 | John Gidman |
| DF | 3 | John Robson |
| DF | 4 | Leighton Phillips |
| DF | 5 | Chris Nicholl |
| MF | 6 | Dennis Mortimer |
| MF | 7 | John Deehan |
| MF | 8 | Brian Little |
| FW | 9 | Andy Gray |
| MF | 10 | Gordon Cowans |
| FW | 11 | Frank Carrodus |
| Manager: ||||
| Ron Saunders ||||
EVERTON: :
| GK | 1 | David Lawson |
| DF | 2 | Mike Bernard |
| DF | 3 | Terry Darracott |
| DF | 4 | Mick Lyons |
| DF | 5 | Ken McNaught |
| MF | 6 | Andy King |
| MF | 7 | Bryan Hamilton |
| MF | 8 | Roger Kenyon |
| FW | 9 | Bob Latchford |
| FW | 10 | Duncan McKenzie |
| MF | 11 | Ronnie Goodlass |
| Substitute: |||
| FW | 12 | Jim Pearson |
| Manager: ||||
| Gordon Lee ||||

### Second Replay

ASTON VILLA: :
| GK | 1 | John Burridge |
| DF | 2 | John Gidman |
| DF | 3 | John Robson |
| DF | 4 | Leighton Phillips |
| DF | 5 | Chris Nicholl |
| MF | 6 | Dennis Mortimer |
| MF | 7 | John Deehan |
| MF | 8 | Brian Little |
| FW | 9 | Ray Graydon |
| MF | 10 | Alex Cropley |
| FW | 11 | Gordon Cowans |
| Substitute: |||
| DF | 12 | Gordon Smith |
| Manager: ||||
| Ron Saunders ||||
EVERTON: :
| GK | 1 | David Lawson |
| DF | 2 | Neil Robinson |
| DF | 3 | Terry Darracott |
| DF | 4 | Mick Lyons |
| DF | 5 | Ken McNaught |
| MF | 6 | Andy King |
| MF | 7 | Bryan Hamilton |
| MF | 8 | Martin Dobson |
| FW | 9 | Bob Latchford |
| FW | 10 | Jim Pearson |
| MF | 11 | Ronnie Goodlass |
| Substitute: |||
| DF | 12 | Steve Seargeant |
| Manager: ||||
| Gordon Lee ||||