# 1971–72 Football League Cup

The 1971–72 Football League Cup was the 12th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The tournament started on 17 August 1971 and ended with the final at Wembley on 4 March 1972. Stoke City won the tournament after defeating Chelsea in the final at Wembley Stadium, London. Entry for all football league clubs became compulsory this season.

## Calendar

Of the 92 teams, 36 received a bye to the second round (teams ranked 1st–36th in the 1970–71 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 | 18 August 1971 | 28 | 10 | 92 → 64 | 56 (teams ranked 15th–22nd in Second Division; all Third and Fourth Division) |
| Second Round | 8 September 1971 | 32 | 4 | 64 → 32 | 36 (teams ranked 1st–14th in Second Division; all First Division) |
| Third Round | 6 October 1971 | 16 | 7 | 32 → 16 | none |
| Fourth Round | 26/27 October 1971 | 8 | 7 | 16 → 8 | none |
| Fifth Round | 17 November 1971 | 4 | 0 | 8 → 4 | none |
| Semi-finals | December 1971 – January 1972 | 4 | 2 | 4 → 2 | none |
| Final | 4 March 1972 | 1 | 0 | 2 → 1 | none |

## First round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aldershot | 1–1 | Southend United | 18 August 1971 |
| Aston Villa | 2–2 | Wrexham | 18 August 1971 |
| Barnsley | 0–0 | Hartlepool | 18 August 1971 |
| Barrow | 0–2 | Preston North End | 18 August 1971 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Workington | 18 August 1971 |
| Bournemouth | 2–1 | Portsmouth | 17 August 1971 |
| Bradford City | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers | 18 August 1971 |
| Charlton Athletic | 5–1 | Peterborough United | 17 August 1971 |
| Chesterfield | 0–0 | Mansfield Town | 18 August 1971 |
| Colchester United | 3–1 | Brentford | 18 August 1971 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 0–1 | Southport | 18 August 1971 |
| Darlington | 0–1 | York City | 18 August 1971 |
| Exeter City | 0–3 | Bristol Rovers | 18 August 1971 |
| Fulham | 4–0 | Cambridge United | 17 August 1971 |
| Gillingham | 4–0 | Reading | 18 August 1971 |
| Grimsby Town | 4–3 | Doncaster Rovers | 17 August 1971 |
| Halifax Town | 1–1 | Rochdale | 18 August 1971 |
| Orient | 1–1 | Notts County | 17 August 1971 |
| Newport County | 1–2 | Torquay United | 17 August 1971 |
| Oldham Athletic | 1–0 | Bury | 17 August 1971 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1–0 | Bristol City | 17 August 1971 |
| Port Vale | 0–2 | Shrewsbury Town | 18 August 1971 |
| Rotherham United | 0–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 17 August 1971 |
| Scunthorpe United | 0–1 | Lincoln City | 18 August 1971 |
| Stockport County | 1–0 | Walsall | 18 August 1971 |
| Swansea City | 0–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 17 August 1971 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 1–1 | Chester | 18 August 1971 |
| Watford | 2–0 | Northampton Town | 18 August 1971 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2–1 | Bradford City | 25 August 1971 |
| Chester | 1–3 | Tranmere Rovers | 25 August 1971 |
| Hartlepool | 0–1 | Barnsley | 23 August 1971 |
| Mansfield Town | 0–5 | Chesterfield | 23 August 1971 |
| Notts County | 3–1 | Orient | 25 August 1971 |
| Rochdale | 2–2 | Halifax Town | 24 August 1971 |
| Southend United | 1–2 | Aldershot | 23 August 1971 |
| Wrexham | 1–1 | Aston Villa | 23 August 1971 |

### 2nd Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 4–3 | Wrexham | 31 August 1971 |
| Halifax Town | 2–0 | Rochdale | 31 August 1971 |

## Second round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 1–0 | Barnsley | 8 September 1971 |
| Bristol Rovers | 3–1 | Sunderland | 7 September 1971 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | Lincoln City | 8 September 1971 |
| Bournemouth | 0–2 | Blackpool | 8 September 1971 |
| Carlisle United | 5–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | 7 September 1971 |
| Charlton Athletic | 3–1 | Leicester City | 7 September 1971 |
| Coventry City | 0–1 | Burnley | 7 September 1971 |
| Crystal Palace | 2–0 | Luton Town | 7 September 1971 |
| Chelsea | 2–0 | Plymouth Argyle | 8 September 1971 |
| Chesterfield | 2–3 | Aston Villa | 8 September 1971 |
| Colchester United | 4–1 | Swindon Town | 8 September 1971 |
| Derby County | 0–0 | Leeds United | 8 September 1971 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–1 | Shrewsbury Town | 7 September 1971 |
| Huddersfield Town | 0–2 | Bolton Wanderers | 7 September 1971 |
| Ipswich Town | 1–3 | Manchester United | 7 September 1971 |
| Liverpool | 3–0 | Hull City | 7 September 1971 |
| Manchester City | 4–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 8 September 1971 |
| Newcastle United | 2–1 | Halifax Town | 8 September 1971 |
| Norwich City | 2–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 8 September 1971 |
| Nottingham Forest | 5–1 | Aldershot | 7 September 1971 |
| Notts County | 1–2 | Gillingham | 8 September 1971 |
| Oxford United | 1–0 | Millwall | 8 September 1971 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2–0 | Birmingham City | 7 September 1971 |
| Sheffield United | 3–0 | Fulham | 7 September 1971 |
| Southampton | 2–1 | Everton | 7 September 1971 |
| Southport | 1–2 | Stoke City | 8 September 1971 |
| Stockport County | 0–1 | Watford | 7 September 1971 |
| Torquay United | 2–1 | Oldham Athletic | 8 September 1971 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 0–1 | Preston North End | 8 September 1971 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 September 1971 |
| West Ham United | 1–1 | Cardiff City | 8 September 1971 |
| York City | 2–2 | Middlesbrough | 8 September 1971 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Cardiff City | 1–2 | West Ham United | 22 September 1971 |
| Leeds United | 2–0 | Derby County | 27 September 1971 |
| Lincoln City | 4–1 | Blackburn Rovers | 15 September 1971 |
| Middlesbrough | 1–2 | York City | 14 September 1971 |

## Third round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 4–0 | Newcastle United | 6 October 1971 |
| Blackpool | 4–0 | Colchester United | 5 October 1971 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 3–0 | Manchester City | 5 October 1971 |
| Bristol Rovers | 2–1 | Charlton Athletic | 5 October 1971 |
| Crystal Palace | 2–2 | Aston Villa | 5 October 1971 |
| Gillingham | 1–1 | Grimsby Town | 6 October 1971 |
| Liverpool | 1–0 | Southampton | 5 October 1971 |
| Manchester United | 1–1 | Burnley | 6 October 1971 |
| Norwich City | 4–1 | Carlisle United | 6 October 1971 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | Chelsea | 6 October 1971 |
| Oxford United | 1–1 | Stoke City | 6 October 1971 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 4–2 | Lincoln City | 5 October 1971 |
| Sheffield United | 3–2 | York City | 5 October 1971 |
| Torquay United | 1–4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 October 1971 |
| Watford | 1–1 | Preston North End | 6 October 1971 |
| West Ham United | 0–0 | Leeds United | 6 October 1971 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 2–0 | Crystal Palace | 13 October 1971 |
| Burnley | 0–1 | Manchester United | 18 October 1971 |
| Chelsea | 2–1 | Nottingham Forest | 11 October 1971 |
| Grimsby Town | 1–0 | Gillingham | 12 October 1971 |
| Leeds United | 0–1 | West Ham United | 20 October 1971 |
| Preston North End | 2–1 | Watford | 11 October 1971 |
| Stoke City | 2–0 | Oxford United | 18 October 1971 |

## Fourth round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 0–0 | Sheffield United | 26 October 1971 |
| Blackpool | 4–1 | Aston Villa | 26 October 1971 |
| Chelsea | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers | 27 October 1971 |
| Grimsby Town | 1–1 | Norwich City | 26 October 1971 |
| Manchester United | 1–1 | Stoke City | 27 October 1971 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1–1 | Bristol Rovers | 26 October 1971 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | Preston North End | 27 October 1971 |
| West Ham United | 2–1 | Liverpool | 27 October 1971 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bolton Wanderers | 0–6 | Chelsea | 8 November 1971 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1–0 | Queens Park Rangers | 2 November 1971 |
| Norwich City | 3–1 | Grimsby Town | 3 November 1971 |
| Preston North End | 1–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 November 1971 |
| Sheffield United | 2–0 | Arsenal | 8 November 1971 |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | Manchester United | 8 November 1971 |

### 2nd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Stoke City | 2–1 | Manchester United | 15 November 1971 |

## Fifth Round
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bristol Rovers | 2–4 | Stoke City | 23 November 1971 |
| Norwich City | 0–1 | Chelsea | 17 November 1971 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Blackpool | 17 November 1971 |
| West Ham United | 5–0 | Sheffield United | 17 November 1971 |

## Semi-finals
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Stoke City | 1–2 | West Ham United | 8 December 1971 |
| Chelsea | 3–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 22 December 1971 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| West Ham United | 0–1 | Stoke City | 15 December 1971 | 2–2 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–2 | Chelsea | 5 January 1972 | 4–5 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | West Ham United | 5 January 1972 |

### 2nd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Stoke City | 3–2 | West Ham United | 26 January 1972 |

## Final

The final was held at Wembley Stadium, London on 4 March 1972.
STOKE CITY: :
| GK | 1 | Gordon Banks |
| DF | 2 | John Marsh |
| DF | 3 | Mike Pejic |
| MF | 4 | Mike Bernard |
| DF | 5 | Denis Smith |
| DF | 6 | Alan Bloor |
| MF | 7 | Terry Conroy |
| MF | 8 | Jimmy Greenhoff |
| FW | 9 | John Ritchie |
| FW | 10 | Peter Dobing |
| MF | 11 | George Eastham |
| Substitutes: |||
| MF | 12 | John Mahoney |
| Manager: |||
| Tony Waddington ||||
CHELSEA: :
| GK | 1 | Peter Bonetti |
| DF | 2 | Paddy Mulligan |
| DF | 3 | Ron Harris (c) |
| MF | 4 | John Hollins |
| DF | 5 | John Dempsey |
| DF | 6 | David Webb |
| MF | 7 | Charlie Cooke |
| FW | 8 | Chris Garland |
| FW | 9 | Peter Osgood |
| MF | 10 | Alan Hudson |
| MF | 11 | Peter Houseman |
| Substitutes: |||
| FW | 12 | Tommy Baldwin |
| Manager: |||
| Dave Sexton ||||