# 1981–82 Football League Group Cup

The 1981–82 Football League Group Cup was the first edition of the tournament that replaced the Anglo-Scottish Cup. It was won by Grimsby Town, who beat Wimbledon 3–2 in the final at Blundell Park.

## First round
### Group A

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Burnley | 4–2 | Carlisle United | 15 August 1981 |
| Preston North End | 2–1 | Blackpool | 15 August 1981 |
| Carlisle United | 1–0 | Blackpool | 18 August 1981 |
| Preston North End | 0–1 | Burnley | 18 August 1981 |
| Blackpool | 0–0 | Burnley | 22 August 1981 |
| Carlisle United | 3–0 | Preston North End | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Burnley | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 1 | 8 |
| Carlisle United | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 1 | 7 |
| Preston North End | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 | 3 |
| Blackpool | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 | 1 |

### Group B

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Bradford City | 2–1 | Hull City | 15 August 1981 |
| Hartlepool United | 0–1 | Rotherham United | 15 August 1981 |
| Hull City | 0–1 | Rotherham United | 18 August 1981 |
| Hartlepool United | 0–1 | Bradford City | 19 August 1981 |
| Bradford City | 3–0 | Rotherham United | 22 August 1981 |
| Hull City | 1–0 | Hartlepool United | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Bradford City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 1 | 10 |
| Rotherham United | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 | 6 |
| Hull City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 | 3 |
| Hartlepool United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 | 0 |

### Group C

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Grimsby Town | 1–0 | Chesterfield | 15 August 1981 |
| Sheffield United | 2–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 15 August 1981 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2–0 | Chesterfield | 18 August 1981 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–0 | Sheffield United | 18 August 1981 |
| Chesterfield | 1–1 | Sheffield United | 21 August 1981 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 0–2 | Grimsby Town | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Grimsby Town | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 0 | 9 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 0 | 3 |
| Sheffield United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 0 | 3 |
| Chesterfield | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 | 1 |

### Group D

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Lincoln City | 1–1 | Notts County | 15 August 1981 |
| Norwich City | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 15 August 1981 |
| Lincoln City | 0–1 | Norwich City | 18 August 1981 |
| Peterborough United | 3–1 | Notts County | 19 August 1981 |
| Norwich City | 3–0 | Notts County | 22 August 1981 |
| Peterborough United | 3–1 | Lincoln City | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Peterborough United | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 2 | 9 |
| Norwich City | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 1 | 8 |
| Lincoln City | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 | 3 |
| Notts County | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 | 1 |

### Group E

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Bolton Wanderers | 0–2 | Shrewsbury Town | 15 August 1981 |
| Bury | 1–2 | Chester | 15 August 1981 |
| Bury | 2–2 | Bolton Wanderers | 18 August 1981 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1–0 | Chester | 18 August 1981 |
| Bury | 3–2 | Shrewsbury Town | 22 August 1981 |
| Chester | 1–2 | Bolton Wanderers | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Shrewsbury Town | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 0 | 6 |
| Bury | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 0 | 4 |
| Chester | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 0 | 3 |

### Group F

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Newport County | 0–0 | Torquay United | 15 August 1981 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 0–0 | Bournemouth | 15 August 1981 |
| Bournemouth | 1–1 | Torquay United | 18 August 1981 |
| Newport County | 2–1 | Plymouth Argyle | 18 August 1981 |
| Torquay United | 1–1 | Plymouth Argyle | 21 August 1981 |
| Bournemouth | 0–0 | Newport County | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Newport County | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 5 |
| Bournemouth | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Torquay United | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 | 2 |

### Group G

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Oxford United | 0–1 | Aldershot | 15 August 1981 |
| Watford | 4–1 | Reading | 15 August 1981 |
| Oxford United | 2–4 | Watford | 19 August 1981 |
| Reading | 4–0 | Aldershot | 19 August 1981 |
| Aldershot | 1–1 | Watford | 22 August 1981 |
| Reading | 2–0 | Oxford United | 22 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Watford | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 2 | 9 |
| Reading | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +2 | 1 | 7 |
| Aldershot | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 | 4 |
| Oxford United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 | 0 |

### Group H

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Orient | 2–0 | Southend United | 15 August 1981 |
| Wimbledon | 4–0 | Gillingham | 15 August 1981 |
| Orient | 0–1 | Wimbledon | 18 August 1981 |
| Gillingham | 0–0 | Southend United | 19 August 1981 |
| Gillingham | 1–1 | Orient | 22 August 1981 |
| Southend United | 1–2 | Wimbledon | 24 August 1981 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts |
| Wimbledon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 1 | 10 |
| Orient | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 0 | 4 |
| Gillingham | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 | 2 |
| Southend United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 | 1 |

## Quarter-finals

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date |
| Burnley | 2–1 | Watford | 8 December 1981 |
| Newport County | 0–2 | Grimsby Town | 8 December 1981 |
| Bradford City | 1–1 | Shrewsbury Town | 9 December 1981 |
| Peterborough United | 0–1 | Wimbledon | 3 February 1982 |

## Semi-finals

| Home team | Result | Away team | Date | Attendance |
| Grimsby Town | 2–1 | Shrewsbury Town | 19 January 1982 | 3,253 |
| Wimbledon | 5–0 | Burnley | 16 February 1982 | 1,267 |