# 1972–73 Football League Cup

The 1972–73 Football League Cup was the 13th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The tournament started on 15 August 1972 and ended with the final at Wembley on 3 March 1973.
Tottenham Hotspur won the tournament after defeating Norwich City in the final at Wembley Stadium, London.

## Calendar

Of the 92 teams, 36 received a bye to the second round (teams ranked 1st–36th in the 1971–72 Football League) and the other 56 played in the first round. Semi-finals were two-legged.
| Round | Main date | Fixtures | Fixtures | Clubs | New entries this round |
| Round | Main date | Original | Replays | Clubs | New entries this round |
| First Round | 16 August 1972 | 28 | 8 | 92 → 64 | 56 (teams ranked 15th–22nd in Second Division; all Third and Fourth Division) |
| Second Round | 5 September 1972 | 32 | 8 | 64 → 32 | 36 (teams ranked 1st–14th in Second Division; all First Division) |
| Third Round | 3 October 1972 | 16 | 8 | 32 → 16 | none |
| Fourth Round | 31 October 1972 | 8 | 1 | 16 → 8 | none |
| Fifth Round | 21 November 1972 | 4 | 2 | 8 → 4 | none |
| Semi-finals | December 1972 – January 1973 | 4 | 0 | 4 → 2 | none |
| Final | 3 March 1973 | 1 | 0 | 2 → 1 | none |

## First round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 4–1 | Hereford United | 16 August 1972 |
| Barnsley | 0–0 | Grimsby Town | 16 August 1972 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 0–1 | Rochdale | 16 August 1972 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 3–0 | Oldham Athletic | 16 August 1972 |
| Bradford City | 1–1 | Stockport County | 16 August 1972 |
| Brentford | 1–0 | Cambridge United | 16 August 1972 |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | 2–1 | Exeter City | 16 August 1972 |
| Cardiff City | 2–2 | Bristol Rovers | 16 August 1972 |
| Chester City | 4–3 | Shrewsbury Town | 16 August 1972 |
| Darlington | 0–1 | Rotherham United | 16 August 1972 |
| Gillingham | 1–0 | Colchester United | 16 August 1972 |
| Halifax Town | 1–2 | Bury | 15 August 1972 |
| Hartlepool United | 1–0 | Doncaster Rovers | 16 August 1972 |
| Leyton Orient | 2–0 | Watford | 16 August 1972 |
| Mansfield Town | 3–1 | Lincoln City | 16 August 1972 |
| Northampton Town | 0–3 | Charlton Athletic | 15 August 1972 |
| Notts County | 3–1 | York City | 16 August 1972 |
| Oxford United | 4–0 | Peterborough United | 16 August 1972 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 0–2 | Bournemouth | 15 August 1972 |
| Reading | 1–1 | Fulham | 16 August 1972 |
| Scunthorpe United | 0–0 | Chesterfield | 15 August 1972 |
| Southend United | 2–1 | Aldershot | 16 August 1972 |
| Southport | 4–1 | Walsall | 16 August 1972 |
| Swansea City | 1–1 | Newport County | 15 August 1972 |
| Torquay United | 1–2 | Portsmouth | 16 August 1972 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 0–1 | Port Vale | 16 August 1972 |
| Workington | 1–0 | Preston North End | 16 August 1972 |
| Wrexham | 4–0 | Crewe Alexandra | 16 August 1972 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bristol Rovers | 3–1 | Cardiff City | 22 August 1972 |
| Chesterfield | 5–0 | Scunthorpe United | 23 August 1972 |
| Fulham | 1–1 | Reading | 23 August 1972 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–0 | Barnsley | 22 August 1972 |
| Newport County | 3–0 | Swansea City | 22 August 1972 |
| Stockport County | 1–1 | Bradford City | 21 August 1972 |

### 2nd Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bradford City | 0–2 | Stockport County | 28 August 1972 |
| Reading | 0–1 | Fulham | 28 August 1972 |

## Second round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 1–0 | Everton | 5 September 1972 |
| Birmingham City | 1–1 | Luton Town | 5 September 1972 |
| Bournemouth | 0–0 | Blackpool | 6 September 1972 |
| Bristol Rovers | 4–0 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 5 September 1972 |
| Bury | 1–0 | Grimsby Town | 5 September 1972 |
| Carlisle United | 1–1 | Liverpool | 5 September 1972 |
| Charlton Athletic | 4–3 | Mansfield Town | 5 September 1972 |
| Coventry City | 1–0 | Hartlepool United | 5 September 1972 |
| Crystal Palace | 0–1 | Stockport County | 5 September 1972 |
| Gillingham | 0–2 | Millwall | 5 September 1972 |
| Hull City | 1–0 | Fulham | 5 September 1972 |
| Leeds United | 4–0 | Burnley | 6 September 1972 |
| Manchester City | 4–0 | Rochdale | 6 September 1972 |
| Middlesbrough | 2–0 | Wrexham | 5 September 1972 |
| Newport County | 0–3 | Ipswich Town | 5 September 1972 |
| Norwich City | 2–1 | Leicester City | 6 September 1972 |
| Nottingham Forest | 0–1 | Aston Villa | 5 September 1972 |
| Notts County | 3–2 | Southport | 6 September 1972 |
| Oxford United | 2–2 | Manchester United | 6 September 1972 |
| Port Vale | 1–3 | Newcastle United | 5 September 1972 |
| Portsmouth | 0–1 | Chesterfield | 6 September 1972 |
| Rotherham United | 2–0 | Brentford | 5 September 1972 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2–0 | Bolton Wanderers | 6 September 1972 |
| Southampton | 0–0 | Chester City | 5 September 1972 |
| Southend United | 0–1 | Chelsea | 6 September 1972 |
| Stoke City | 3–0 | Sunderland | 6 September 1972 |
| Swindon Town | 0–1 | Derby County | 5 September 1972 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Huddersfield Town | 6 September 1972 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 2–1 | Queens Park Rangers | 6 September 1972 |
| West Ham United | 2–1 | Bristol City | 6 September 1972 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–1 | Leyton Orient | 5 September 1972 |
| Workington | 0–1 | Sheffield United | 6 September 1972 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Blackpool | 1–1 | Bournemouth | 11 September 1972 |
| Chester City | 2–2 | Southampton | 13 September 1972 |
| Liverpool | 5–1 | Carlisle United | 19 September 1972 |
| Luton Town | 1–1 | Birmingham City | 13 September 1972 |
| Manchester United | 3–1 | Oxford United | 12 September 1972 |

### 2nd Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Birmingham City | 1–0 | Luton Town | 19 September 1972 |
| Bournemouth | 1–2 | Blackpool | 18 September 1972 |
| Southampton | 2–0 | Chester City | 20 September 1972 |

## Third round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 5–0 | Rotherham United | 3 October 1972 |
| Aston Villa | 1–1 | Leeds United | 4 October 1972 |
| Birmingham City | 2–1 | Coventry City | 3 October 1972 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1–1 | Manchester United | 3 October 1972 |
| Bury | 2–0 | Manchester City | 3 October 1972 |
| Derby County | 0–0 | Chelsea | 4 October 1972 |
| Hull City | 1–2 | Norwich City | 3 October 1972 |
| Ipswich Town | 1–2 | Stoke City | 3 October 1972 |
| Middlesbrough | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 October 1972 |
| Millwall | 2–0 | Chesterfield | 3 October 1972 |
| Newcastle United | 0–3 | Blackpool | 4 October 1972 |
| Sheffield United | 0–0 | Charlton Athletic | 3 October 1972 |
| Southampton | 1–3 | Notts County | 3 October 1972 |
| Stockport County | 2–1 | West Ham United | 4 October 1972 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1–1 | Liverpool | 3 October 1972 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | 4 October 1972 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Charlton Athletic | 2–2 | Sheffield United | 10 October 1972 |
| Chelsea | 3–2 | Derby County | 9 October 1972 |
| Leeds United | 2–0 | Aston Villa | 11 October 1972 |
| Liverpool | 2–1 | West Bromwich Albion | 10 October 1972 |
| Manchester United | 1–2 | Bristol Rovers | 11 October 1972 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 0–0 | Middlesbrough | 11 October 1972 |

### 2nd Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Sheffield United | 1–0 | Charlton Athletic | 23 October 1972 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Middlesbrough | 30 October 1972 |

## Fourth round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Blackpool | 2–0 | Birmingham City | 31 October 1972 |
| Bury | 0–1 | Chelsea | 31 October 1972 |
| Liverpool | 2–2 | Leeds United | 31 October 1972 |
| Notts County | 3–1 | Stoke City | 31 October 1972 |
| Sheffield United | 1–2 | Arsenal | 31 October 1972 |
| Stockport County | 1–5 | Norwich City | 1 November 1972 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Millwall | 1 November 1972 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–0 | Bristol Rovers | 31 October 1972 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Leeds United | 0–1 | Liverpool | 22 November 1972 |

## Fifth round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 0–3 | Norwich City | 21 November 1972 |
| Chelsea | 3–1 | Notts County | 22 November 1972 |
| Liverpool | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4 December 1972 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Blackpool | 21 November 1972 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Blackpool | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 28 November 1972 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3–1 | Liverpool | 6 December 1972 |

## Semi-finals
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Chelsea | 0–2 | Norwich City | 13 December 1972 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 20 December 1972 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Norwich City | 1–0 | Chelsea | 3 January 1973 | 3–0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 December 1972 | 4–3 |

## Final

The final was held at Wembley Stadium, London on 3 March 1973.
The 1973 Football League Cup Final was won by Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs beat Norwich City 1–0 at Wembley Stadium, Ralph Coates with the goal.
| Tottenham Hotspur | Norwich City |
Pat Jennings :
| 2 | Joe Kinnear |
| 3 | Cyril Knowles |
| 4 | John Pratt | 25' |
| 5 | Mike England |
| 6 | Phil Beal |
| 7 | Alan Gilzean |
| 8 | Steve Perryman |
| 9 | Martin Chivers |
| 10 | Martin Peters (c) |
| 11 | Jimmy Pearce |
| Substitute: |||
| 12 | Ralph Coates | 25' |
| Manager: ||||
| Bill Nicholson ||||
Kevin Keelan :
| 2 | Clive Payne |
| 3 | Geoff Butler |
| 4 | Dave Stringer |
| 5 | Duncan Forbes (c) |
| 6 | Max Briggs |
| 7 | Doug Livermore |
| 8 | Jim Blair | 82' |
| 9 | David Cross |
| 10 | Graham Paddon |
| 11 | Terry Anderson |
| Substitute: |||
| 12 | Trevor Howard | 82' |
| Manager: ||||
| Ron Saunders ||||