# 1983–84 Football League Cup

The 1983–84 Football League Cup (known as the Milk Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition started on 29 August 1983 and ended with the final replay 28 March 1984.
First Division teams Everton and Liverpool contested on 28 March 1984 at Wembley Stadium in London the Final. This was the first final ever to be staged on a Sunday and the first time that the final was broadcast live on British TV. Liverpool beat Everton 1–0 after a replay, to win their fourth consecutive League Cup title.

## First round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aldershot | 3–1 | Leyton Orient | 30 August 1983 |
| Blackpool | 2–1 | Walsall | 30 August 1983 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 3–0 | Chester City | 30 August 1983 |
| Bournemouth | 1–2 | Bristol Rovers | 30 August 1983 |
| Bradford City | 0–1 | Sheffield United | 29 August 1983 |
| Brentford | 3–0 | Charlton Athletic | 30 August 1983 |
| Colchester United | 3–2 | Reading | 30 August 1983 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 1–0 | Burnley | 30 August 1983 |
| Crystal Palace | 3–0 | Peterborough United | 30 August 1983 |
| Exeter City | 2–3 | Cardiff City | 31 August 1983 |
| Gillingham | 1–2 | Chelsea | 30 August 1983 |
| Halifax Town | 0–1 | Darlington | 30 August 1983 |
| Hereford United | 3–2 | Portsmouth | 31 August 1983 |
| Hull City | 0–0 | Lincoln City | 30 August 1983 |
| Mansfield Town | 1–2 | Huddersfield Town | 30 August 1983 |
| Middlesbrough | 0–1 | Chesterfield | 30 August 1983 |
| Millwall | 3–0 | Northampton Town | 29 August 1983 |
| Newport County | 2–3 | Torquay United | 30 August 1983 |
| Oxford United | 1–1 | Bristol City | 31 August 1983 |
| Port Vale | 3–1 | Wrexham | 31 August 1983 |
| Preston North End | 1–0 | Tranmere Rovers | 30 August 1983 |
| Rochdale | 0–3 | Stockport County | 30 August 1983 |
| Rotherham United | 0–0 | Hartlepool United | 30 August 1983 |
| Scunthorpe United | 1–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 30 August 1983 |
| Southend United | 1–0 | Wimbledon | 29 August 1983 |
| Swindon Town | 1–0 | Plymouth Argyle | 30 August 1983 |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–2 | Bury | 30 August 1983 |
| York City | 2–1 | Grimsby Town | 30 August 1983 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Bristol City | 0–1 | Oxford United | 12 September 1983 | 1–2 |
| Bristol Rovers | 2–2 | Bournemouth | 13 September 1983 | 4–3 |
| Burnley | 3–4 | Crewe Alexandra | 13 September 1983 | 3–5 |
| Bury | 2–0 | Wigan Athletic | 13 September 1983 | 4–1 |
| Cardiff City | 2–1 | Exeter City | 13 September 1983 | 5–3 |
| Charlton Athletic | 2–1 | Brentford | 13 September 1983 | 2–4 |
| Chelsea | 4–0 | Gillingham | 13 September 1983 | 6–1 |
| Chester City | 3–0 | Bolton Wanderers | 14 September 1983 | 3–3 |
| Chesterfield | 0–1 | Middlesbrough | 13 September 1983 | 1–1 |
| Darlington | 3–2 | Halifax Town | 13 September 1983 | 4–2 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 3–0 | Scunthorpe United | 13 September 1983 | 4–1 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–0 | York City | 13 September 1983 | 3–2 |
| Hartlepool United | 0–1 | Rotherham United | 14 September 1983 | 0–1 |
| Huddersfield Town | 5–1 | Mansfield Town | 13 September 1983 | 7–2 |
| Leyton Orient | 3–3 | Aldershot | 13 September 1983 | 4–6 |
| Lincoln City | 3–1 | Hull City | 14 September 1983 | 3–1 |
| Northampton Town | 1–2 | Millwall | 13 September 1983 | 1–5 |
| Peterborough United | 3–0 | Crystal Palace | 14 September 1983 | 3–3 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 4–1 | Swindon Town | 13 September 1983 | 4–2 |
| Portsmouth | 3–1 | Hereford United | 13 September 1983 | 5–4 |
| Reading | 4–3 | Colchester United | 14 September 1983 | 6–6 |
| Sheffield United | 1–1 | Bradford City | 13 September 1983 | 2–1 |
| Stockport County | 2–2 | Rochdale | 12 September 1983 | 5–2 |
| Torquay United | 1–0 | Newport County | 14 September 1983 | 4–2 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 0–0 | Preston North End | 12 September 1983 | 0–1 |
| Walsall | 3–1 | Blackpool | 13 September 1983 | 4–3 |
| Wimbledon | 6–4 | Southend United | 13 September 1983 | 6–5 |
| Wrexham | 1–5 | Port Vale | 13 September 1983 | 2–8 |

## Second round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aldershot | 2–4 | Notts County | 4 October 1983 |
| Brentford | 1–4 | Liverpool | 5 October 1983 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 4–2 | Bristol Rovers | 4 October 1983 |
| Bury | 1–2 | West Ham United | 4 October 1983 |
| Cambridge United | 2–3 | Sunderland | 4 October 1983 |
| Cardiff City | 0–0 | Norwich City | 4 October 1983 |
| Carlisle United | 2–0 | Southampton | 4 October 1983 |
| Chesterfield | 0–1 | Everton | 4 October 1983 |
| Derby County | 0–3 | Birmingham City | 5 October 1983 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 1–3 | Fulham | 5 October 1983 |
| Grimsby Town | 0–0 | Coventry City | 4 October 1983 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2–1 | Watford | 4 October 1983 |
| Ipswich Town | 4–3 | Blackburn Rovers | 5 October 1983 |
| Leeds United | 0–1 | Chester City | 5 October 1983 |
| Leicester City | 0–2 | Chelsea | 5 October 1983 |
| Millwall | 3–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 4 October 1983 |
| Newcastle United | 1–1 | Oxford United | 5 October 1983 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1–1 | Arsenal | 4 October 1983 |
| Port Vale | 0–1 | Manchester United | 3 October 1983 |
| Portsmouth | 2–2 | Aston Villa | 4 October 1983 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 8–1 | Crewe Alexandra | 4 October 1983 |
| Rotherham United | 2–3 | Luton Town | 4 October 1983 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 3–0 | Darlington | 4 October 1983 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 2–1 | Sheffield United | 4 October 1983 |
| Stockport County | 0–2 | Oldham Athletic | 3 October 1983 |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | Peterborough United | 5 October 1983 |
| Swansea City | 1–1 | Colchester United | 4 October 1983 |
| Torquay United | 0–0 | Manchester City | 5 October 1983 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3–1 | Lincoln City | 5 October 1983 |
| Walsall | 1–0 | Barnsley | 4 October 1983 |
| Wimbledon | 2–0 | Nottingham Forest | 4 October 1983 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–3 | Preston North End | 4 October 1983 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Arsenal | 1–0 | Plymouth Argyle | 25 October 1983 | 2–1 |
| Aston Villa | 3-2 | Portsmouth | 26 October 1983 | 5–4 |
| Barnsley | 0–2 | Walsall | 25 October 1983 | 0–3 |
| Birmingham City | 4–0 | Derby County | 25 October 1983 | 7–0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1–2 | Ipswich Town | 26 October 1983 | 4–6 |
| Bristol Rovers | 2–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 25 October 1983 | 4–5 |
| Chelsea | 0–2 | Leicester City | 25 October 1983 | 2–2 |
| Chester City | 1–4 | Leeds United | 26 October 1983 | 2–4 |
| Colchester United | 1–0 | Swansea City | 25 October 1983 | 2–1 |
| Coventry City | 2–1 | Grimsby Town | 25 October 1983 | 2–1 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 3–0 | Queens Park Rangers | 25 October 1983 | 4–8 |
| Darlington | 2–4 | Sheffield Wednesday | 25 October 1983 | 2–7 |
| Everton | 2–2 | Chesterfield | 26 October 1983 | 3–2 |
| Fulham | 3–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 26 October 1983 | 6–2 |
| Lincoln City | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 26 October 1983 | 3–4 |
| Liverpool | 4–0 | Brentford | 25 October 1983 | 8–1 |
| Luton Town | 0–2 | Rotherham United | 25 October 1983 | 3–4 |
| Manchester City | 6–0 | Torquay United | 25 October 1983 | 6–0 |
| Manchester United | 2–0 | Port Vale | 26 October 1983 | 3–0 |
| Norwich City | 3–0 | Cardiff City | 26 October 1983 | 3–0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | Wimbledon | 26 October 1983 | 1–3 |
| Notts County | 4–1 | Aldershot | 25 October 1983 | 8–3 |
| Oldham Athletic | 2–2 | Stockport County | 25 October 1983 | 4–2 |
| Oxford United | 2–1 | Newcastle United | 26 October 1983 | 3–2 |
| Peterborough United | 1–2 | Stoke City | 26 October 1983 | 1–2 |
| Preston North End | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 25 October 1983 | 4–2 |
| Sheffield United | 2–2 | Shrewsbury Town | 25 October 1983 | 3–4 |
| Southampton | 3–0 | Carlisle United | 25 October 1983 | 3–2 |
| Sunderland | 4–3 | Cambridge United | 26 October 1983 | 7–5 |
| Watford | 2–2 | Huddersfield Town | 25 October 1983 | 3–4 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 5–1 | Millwall | 25 October 1983 | 5–4 |
| West Ham United | 10–0 | Bury | 25 October 1983 | 12–1 |

## Third round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 3–0 | Manchester City | 9 November 1983 |
| Birmingham City | 2–2 | Notts County | 8 November 1983 |
| Chelsea | 0–1 | West Bromwich Albion | 9 November 1983 |
| Colchester United | 0–2 | Manchester United | 8 November 1983 |
| Everton | 2–1 | Coventry City | 9 November 1983 |
| Fulham | 1–1 | Liverpool | 8 November 1983 |
| Ipswich Town | 3–2 | Queens Park Rangers | 9 November 1983 |
| Leeds United | 1–1 | Oxford United | 9 November 1983 |
| Norwich City | 0–0 | Sunderland | 9 November 1983 |
| Preston North End | 0–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 8 November 1983 |
| Rotherham United | 2–1 | Southampton | 8 November 1983 |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | Huddersfield Town | 8 November 1983 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–2 | Arsenal | 9 November 1983 |
| Walsall | 2–1 | Shrewsbury Town | 8 November 1983 |
| West Ham United | 1–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 8 November 1983 |
| Wimbledon | 3–1 | Oldham Athletic | 8 November 1983 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Huddersfield Town | 0–2 | Stoke City | 22 November 1983 |
| Liverpool | 1–1 | Fulham | 22 November 1983 |
| Notts County | 0–0 | Birmingham City | 22 November 1983 |
| Oxford United | 4–1 | Leeds United | 23 November 1983 |
| Sunderland | 1–2 | Norwich City | 22 November 1983 |

### 2nd Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Birmingham City | 0–0 | Notts County | 29 November 1983 |
| Fulham | 0–1 | Liverpool | 29 November 1983 |

### 3rd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Notts County | 1–3 | Birmingham City | 5 December 1983 |

## Fourth round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 1–2 | Walsall | 29 November 1983 |
| Birmingham City | 1–1 | Liverpool | 20 December 1983 |
| Ipswich Town | 0–1 | Norwich City | 30 November 1983 |
| Oxford United | 1–1 | Manchester United | 30 November 1983 |
| Rotherham United | 1–0 | Wimbledon | 29 November 1983 |
| Stoke City | 0–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | 30 November 1983 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1–2 | Aston Villa | 30 November 1983 |
| West Ham United | 2–2 | Everton | 30 November 1983 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Everton | 2–0 | West Ham United | 6 December 1983 |
| Liverpool | 3–0 | Birmingham City | 22 December 1983 |
| Manchester United | 1–1 | Oxford United | 7 December 1983 |

### 2nd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Oxford United | 2–1 | Manchester United | 19 December 1983 |

## Fifth Round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Norwich City | 0–2 | Aston Villa | 17 January 1984 |
| Oxford United | 1–1 | Everton | 18 January 1984 |
| Rotherham United | 2–4 | Walsall | 18 January 1984 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2–2 | Liverpool | 17 January 1984 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Everton | 4–1 | Oxford United | 24 January 1984 |
| Liverpool | 3–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | 25 January 1984 |

## Semi-finals

Having already defeated Arsenal, Third Division underdogs Walsall were now faced with a visit to Anfield to take on Liverpool, winners for the previous three years, in the semi-finals. They held the hosts to a 2–2 draw before losing the return leg 2–0 at Fellows Park. In the other semi-final, Everton won the first leg 2–0 against Aston Villa and went through despite a 1–0 defeat in the return leg, setting the scene for the first major domestic cup final between the two Merseyside clubs.

### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Everton | 2–0 | Aston Villa | 15 February 1984 |
| Liverpool | 2–2 | Walsall | 7 February 1984 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Aston Villa | 1–0 | Everton | 22 February 1984 | 1–2 |
| Walsall | 0–2 | Liverpool | 14 February 1984 | 2–4 |