# 1979–80 Football League Cup

The 1979–80 Football League Cup was the 20th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The winners qualified for the 1980–81 UEFA Cup, if not already qualified for European competition. Wolverhampton Wanderers won the competition by defeating the reigning holders and European champions Nottingham Forest 1–0 in the final on 15 March 1980. This was their second League Cup success, after winning in 1974.

## First round

The 56 Football League clubs who had comprised the Third and Fourth Divisions during the previous season, plus the bottom eight of the Second Division, all competed from the first round. Ties were two-legged affairs, with the away goals rule being applied after extra time where necessary. If teams could still not be divided, penalties were taken. Games were staged on 11/13 and 14–15 August 1979.

### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Blackpool | 1–1 | Rochdale | 11 August 1979 |
| Bradford City | 0–2 | Darlington | 11 August 1979 |
| Bury | 0–3 | Blackburn Rovers | 11 August 1979 |
| Chester | 2–1 | Walsall | 11 August 1979 |
| Chesterfield | 5–1 | Hartlepool United | 11 August 1979 |
| Colchester United | 2–0 | Watford | 11 August 1979 |
| Gillingham | 3–0 | Luton Town | 11 August 1979 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–0 | Scunthorpe United | 11 August 1979 |
| Halifax Town | 2–2 | Shrewsbury Town | 11 August 1979 |
| Hereford United | 1–3 | Exeter City | 11 August 1979 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2–1 | Crewe Alexandra | 11 August 1979 |
| Leicester City | 1–2 | Rotherham United | 11 August 1979 |
| Lincoln City | 2–1 | Barnsley | 11 August 1979 |
| Mansfield Town | 1–0 | York City | 11 August 1979 |
| Newport County | 1–0 | Plymouth Argyle | 11 August 1979 |
| Northampton Town | 2–1 | Millwall | 13 August 1979 |
| Oxford United | 1–5 | Reading | 11 August 1979 |
| Peterborough United | 3–1 | Charlton Athletic | 11 August 1979 |
| Portsmouth | 1–1 | Swindon Town | 11 August 1979 |
| Port Vale | 1–2 | Tranmere Rovers | 11 August 1979 |
| Sheffield United | 1–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 11 August 1979 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1–1 | Hull City | 11 August 1979 |
| Southend United | 2–1 | Brentford | 15 August 1979 |
| Stockport County | 2–1 | Wigan Athletic | 11 August 1979 |
| Swansea City | 4–1 | Bournemouth | 11 August 1979 |
| Torquay United | 1–2 | Bristol Rovers | 11 August 1979 |
| Wimbledon | 4–1 | Aldershot | 11 August 1979 |
| Wrexham | 1–1 | Carlisle United | 11 August 1979 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Aldershot | 1–2 | Wimbledon | 14 August 1979 | 2–6 |
| Barnsley | 2–1 | Lincoln City | 14 August 1979 | 3–3 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 3–2 | Bury | 14 August 1979 | 6–2 |
| Bournemouth | 0–0 | Swansea City | 14 August 1979 | 1–4 |
| Brentford | 1–4 | Southend United | 21 August 1979 | 2–6 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1–3 | Torquay United | 14 August 1979 | 3–4 |
| Carlisle United | 1–2 | Wrexham | 14 August 1979 | 2–3 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1–1 | Peterborough United | 14 August 1979 | 2–4 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 1–3 | Huddersfield Town | 15 August 1979 | 2–5 |
| Darlington | 0–3 | Bradford City | 14 August 1979 | 2–3 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 3–1 | Sheffield United | 14 August 1979 | 4–2 |
| Exeter City | 2–1 | Hereford United | 15 August 1979 | 5–2 |
| Hartlepool United | 2–1 | Chesterfield | 14 August 1979 | 3–6 |
| Hull City | 1–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 14 August 1979 | 2–3 |
| Luton Town | 1–1 | Gillingham | 14 August 1979 | 1–4 |
| Millwall | 2–2 | Northampton Town | 15 August 1979 | 3–4 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 2–0 | Newport County | 14 August 1979 | 2–1 |
| Reading | 2–1 | Oxford United | 15 August 1979 | 7–2 |
| Rochdale | 0–1 | Blackpool | 14 August 1979 | 1–2 |
| Rotherham United | 3–0 | Leicester City | 14 August 1979 | 5–1 |
| Scunthorpe United | 0–0 | Grimsby Town | 14 August 1979 | 0–2 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1–0 | Halifax Town | 14 August 1979 | 3–2 |
| Swindon Town | 2–0 | Portsmouth | 14 August 1979 | 3–1 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 1–0 | Port Vale | 15 August 1979 | 3–1 |
| Walsall | 0–0 | Chester | 14 August 1979 | 1–2 |
| Watford | 2–1 | Colchester United | 14 August 1979 | 2–3 |
| Wigan Athletic | 0–0 | Stockport County | 15 August 1979 | 1–2 |
| York City | 3–2 | Mansfield Town | 14 August 1979 | 3–3 |

## Second round

The 28 first round winners were joined by the remaining clubs from the Second Division and all from the First Division. Ties for the first time in League Cup were two-legged affairs at this stage of the competition, with the away goals rule being applied after extra time where necessary. If teams could still not be divided, penalties were taken. Games were staged on 28–29 August and 3–5 September 1979.

### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Birmingham City | 2–1 | Preston North End | 28 August 1979 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1–1 | Nottingham Forest | 29 August 1979 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1–2 | Southend United | 28 August 1979 |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | 2–0 | Cambridge United | 28 August 1979 |
| Bristol City | 1–0 | Rotherham United | 28 August 1979 |
| Burnley | 1–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 28 August 1979 |
| Chesterfield | 3–0 | Shrewsbury Town | 28 August 1979 |
| Colchester United | 0–2 | Aston Villa | 28 August 1979 |
| Derby County | 0–1 | Middlesbrough | 29 August 1979 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 3–1 | Exeter City | 28 August 1979 |
| Everton | 2–0 | Cardiff City | 28 August 1979 |
| Gillingham | 1–1 | Norwich City | 28 August 1979 |
| Grimsby Town | 1–0 | Huddersfield Town | 28 August 1979 |
| Ipswich Town | 0–1 | Coventry City | 29 August 1979 |
| Leeds United | 1–1 | Arsenal | 29 August 1979 |
| Orient | 2–2 | Wimbledon | 29 August 1979 |
| Northampton Town | 3–0 | Oldham Athletic | 28 August 1979 |
| Notts County | 0–0 | Torquay United | 28 August 1979 |
| Peterborough United | 0–0 | Blackpool | 29 August 1979 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 2–2 | Chelsea | 28 August 1979 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2–1 | Bradford City | 28 August 1979 |
| Reading | 4–3 | Mansfield Town | 29 August 1979 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1–1 | Manchester City | 28 August 1979 |
| Southampton | 5–0 | Wrexham | 28 August 1979 |
| Stockport County | 1–1 | Crystal Palace | 29 August 1979 |
| Stoke City | 1–1 | Swansea City | 29 August 1979 |
| Sunderland | 2–2 | Newcastle United | 29 August 1979 |
| Swindon Town | 1–0 | Chester | 28 August 1979 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Manchester United | 29 August 1979 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 0–0 | Liverpool | 29 August 1979 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1–1 | Fulham | 29 August 1979 |
| West Ham United | 3–1 | Barnsley | 28 August 1979 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Arsenal | 7–0 | Leeds United | 4 September 1979 | 8–1 |
| Aston Villa | 0–2 | Colchester United | 5 September 1979 | 2–2 |
| Barnsley | 0–2 | West Ham United | 4 September 1979 | 1–5 |
| Blackpool | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 5 September 1979 | 0–1 |
| Bradford City | 0–2 | Queens Park Rangers | 5 September 1979 | 1–4 |
| Cambridge United | 1–2 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 4 September 1979 | 1–4 |
| Cardiff City | 1–0 | Everton | 5 September 1979 | 1–2 |
| Chelsea | 1–2 | Plymouth Argyle | 4 September 1979 | 3–4 |
| Chester | 1–1 | Swindon Town | 5 September 1979 | 1–2 |
| Coventry City | 0–0 | Ipswich Town | 4 September 1979 | 1–0 |
| Crystal Palace | 7–0 | Stockport County | 4 September 1979 | 8–1 |
| Exeter City | 5–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 5 September 1979 | 6–4 |
| Fulham | 0–1 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 September 1979 | 1–2 |
| Huddersfield Town | 1–4 | Grimsby Town | 4 September 1979 | 1–5 |
| Liverpool | 4–0 | Tranmere Rovers | 4 September 1979 | 4–0 |
| Manchester City | 2–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | 4 September 1979 | 3–2 |
| Manchester United | 3–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 September 1979 | 4–3 |
| Mansfield Town | 4–2 | Reading | 4 September 1979 | 7–6 |
| Middlesbrough | 1–1 | Derby County | 4 September 1979 | 2–1 |
| Newcastle United | 2–2 | Sunderland | 5 September 1979 | 4–4 |
| Norwich City | 4–2 | Gillingham | 5 September 1979 | 5–3 |
| Nottingham Forest | 6–1 | Blackburn Rovers | 5 September 1979 | 7–2 |
| Oldham Athletic | 3–1 | Northampton Town | 4 September 1979 | 3–4 |
| Preston North End | 0–1 | Birmingham City | 4 September 1979 | 1–3 |
| Rotherham United | 1–1 | Bristol City | 4 September 1979 | 1–2 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 0–0 | Chesterfield | 4 September 1979 | 0–3 |
| Southend United | 0–0 | Bolton Wanderers | 3 September 1979 | 2–1 |
| Swansea City | 1–3 | Stoke City | 4 September 1979 | 2–4 |
| Torquay United | 0–1 | Notts County | 5 September 1979 | 0–1 |
| Wimbledon | 2–2 | Orient | 4 September 1979 | 4–4 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–0 | Burnley | 4 September 1979 | 3–1 |
| Wrexham | 0–3 | Southampton | 5 September 1979 | 0–8 |

## Third round

Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required. The original games were staged on 25–26 September 1979.
| Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
| Arsenal | 2–1 | Southampton | 25 September 1979 |
| Aston Villa | 0–0 | Everton | 25 September 1979 |
| Birmingham City | 1–2 | Exeter City | 26 September 1979 |
| Crystal Palace | 1–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 25 September 1979 |
| Grimsby Town | 3–1 | Notts County | 25 September 1979 |
| Liverpool | 3–1 | Chesterfield | 25 September 1979 |
| Manchester City | 1–1 | Sunderland | 26 September 1979 |
| Mansfield Town | 0–3 | Queens Park Rangers | 25 September 1979 |
| Middlesbrough | 1–3 | Nottingham Forest | 25 September 1979 |
| Northampton Town | 0–1 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 25 September 1979 |
| Norwich City | 4–1 | Manchester United | 26 September 1979 |
| Peterborough United | 1–1 | Bristol City | 26 September 1979 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 0–0 | Wimbledon | 25 September 1979 |
| Stoke City | 2–2 | Swindon Town | 26 September 1979 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 2–1 | Coventry City | 26 September 1979 |
| West Ham United | 1–1 | Southend United | 25 September 1979 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bristol City | 4–0 | Peterborough United | 2 October 1979 |
| Everton | 4–1 | Aston Villa | 9 October 1979 |
| Southend United | 0–0 | West Ham United | 1 October 1979 |
| Sunderland | 1–0 | Manchester City | 3 October 1979 |
| Swindon Town | 2–1 | Stoke City | 3 October 1979 |
| Wimbledon | 1–0 | Plymouth Argyle | 2 October 1979 |

### 2nd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| West Ham United | 5–1 | Southend United | 8 October 1979 |

## Fourth round

Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required. The original games were staged on 30–31 October 1979.

### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–0 | Arsenal | 30 October 1979 |
| Bristol City | 1–1 | Nottingham Forest | 30 October 1979 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–1 | Everton | 30 October 1979 |
| Liverpool | 2–0 | Exeter City | 30 October 1979 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 October 1979 |
| Sunderland | 1–1 | West Ham United | 31 October 1979 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–0 | Norwich City | 31 October 1979 |
| Wimbledon | 1–2 | Swindon Town | 30 October 1979 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 4–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 13 November 1979 |
| Norwich City | 3–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 7 November 1979 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3–0 | Bristol City | 14 November 1979 |
| West Ham United | 2–1 | Sunderland | 5 November 1979 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–0 | Queens Park Rangers | 6 November 1979 |

## Fifth round

Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required.

### 2nd Replay
## Semi-finals

Ties were once again two-legged affairs with the winners advancing to the final. Extra time and then penalties would be used in the second leg if required.

### Second leg

Nottingham Forest won 2–1 on aggregate
Wolverhampton Wanderers won 4–3 on aggregate

## Final

| Nottingham Forest | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
NOTTINGHAM FOREST: :
| | 1 | Peter Shilton |
| | 2 | Viv Anderson |
| | 3 | Frank Gray |
| | 4 | John McGovern (c) |
| | 5 | David Needham |
| | 6 | Kenny Burns |
| | 7 | Martin O'Neill |
| | 8 | Ian Bowyer |
| | 9 | Garry Birtles |
| | 10 | Trevor Francis |
| | 11 | John Robertson |
| Substitute: ||||
| | 12 | John O'Hare |
| Manager: ||||
| Brian Clough ||||
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: :
| | 1 | Paul Bradshaw |
| | 2 | Geoff Palmer |
| | 3 | Derek Parkin |
| | 4 | Peter Daniel |
| | 5 | Emlyn Hughes (c) |
| | 6 | George Berry |
| | 7 | Kenny Hibbitt |
| | 8 | Willie Carr |
| | 9 | Andy Gray |
| | 10 | John Richards |
| | 11 | Mel Eves |
| Substitute: ||||
| | 12 | Colin Brazier |
| Manager: ||||
| John Barnwell ||||
| MATCH OFFICIALS Assistant referees: M.J.R. Barker (Oswestry) B.A. Champion (Bristol) Reserve referee: B.H. Daniels (Brentwood) | MATCH RULES 90 minutes 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Replay (at Manchester United) if scores still level One named substitute Maximum of 1 substitution |