# 1978–79 Football League Cup

The 1978–79 Football League Cup was the 19th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition started on 12 August 1978 and ended with the final on 17 March 1979.
The final was contested by First Division teams Nottingham Forest and Southampton at Wembley Stadium in London.

## First round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aldershot | 0–1 | Millwall | 12 August 1978 |
| Barnsley | 1–2 | Chesterfield | 12 August 1978 |
| Bournemouth | 0–1 | Exeter City | 12 August 1978 |
| Bradford City | 2–0 | Lincoln City | 12 August 1978 |
| Bristol Rovers | 2–1 | Hereford United | 12 August 1978 |
| Cambridge United | 2–2 | Northampton Town | 12 August 1978 |
| Cardiff City | 1–2 | Oxford United | 12 August 1978 |
| Carlisle United | 2–2 | Blackpool | 12 August 1978 |
| Colchester United | 2–3 | Charlton Athletic | 12 August 1978 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 1–0 | Rochdale | 12 August 1978 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 0–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | 12 August 1978 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–0 | York City | 12 August 1978 |
| Hull City | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 12 August 1978 |
| Mansfield Town | 0–1 | Darlington | 12 August 1978 |
| Newport County | 2–1 | Swansea City | 12 August 1978 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1–1 | Torquay United | 12 August 1978 |
| Port Vale | 0–3 | Chester | 12 August 1978 |
| Portsmouth | 0–0 | Swindon Town | 12 August 1978 |
| Preston North End | 3–0 | Huddersfield Town | 12 August 1978 |
| Reading | 3–1 | Gillingham | 12 August 1978 |
| Rotherham United | 5–0 | Hartlepool United | 12 August 1978 |
| Scunthorpe United | 0–1 | Notts County | 12 August 1978 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1–0 | Stockport County | 14 August 1978 |
| Southend United | 1–0 | Wimbledon | 12 August 1978 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 1–1 | Wigan Athletic | 12 August 1978 |
| Walsall | 2–1 | Halifax Town | 12 August 1978 |
| Watford | 4–0 | Brentford | 12 August 1978 |
| Wrexham | 2–0 | Bury | 12 August 1978 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Blackpool | 2–1 | Carlisle United | 16 August 1978 | 4–3 |
| Brentford | 1–3 | Watford | 15 August 1978 | 1–7 |
| Bury | 1–2 | Wrexham | 15 August 1978 | 1–4 |
| Charlton Athletic | 0–0 | Colchester United | 15 August 1978 | 3–2 |
| Chester | 1–1 | Port Vale | 16 August 1978 | 4–1 |
| Chesterfield | 0–0 | Barnsley | 16 August 1978 | 2–1 |
| Darlington | 2–2 | Mansfield Town | 15 August 1978 | 3–2 |
| Exeter City | 1–1 | Bournemouth | 15 August 1978 | 2–1 |
| Gillingham | 1–2 | Reading | 15 August 1978 | 2–5 |
| Halifax Town | 0–2 | Walsall | 15 August 1978 | 1–4 |
| Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Rotherham United | 15 August 1978 | 1–6 |
| Hereford United | 4–0 | Bristol Rovers | 16 August 1978 | 5–2 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2–2 | Preston North End | 15 August 1978 | 2–5 |
| Lincoln City | 1–1 | Bradford City | 16 August 1978 | 1–3 |
| Millwall | 1–0 | Aldershot | 16 August 1978 | 2–0 |
| Northampton Town | 2–1 | Cambridge United | 16 August 1978 | 4–3 |
| Notts County | 3–0 | Scunthorpe United | 15 August 1978 | 4–0 |
| Oxford United | 2–1 | Cardiff City | 16 August 1978 | 4–2 |
| Peterborough United | 1–2 | Hull City | 15 August 1978 | 2–2 |
| Rochdale | 2–4 | Crewe Alexandra | 14 August 1978 | 2–5 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 0–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 15 August 1978 | 1–1 |
| Stockport County | 3–1 | Shrewsbury Town | 16 August 1978 | 3–2 |
| Swansea City | 5–0 | Newport County | 15 August 1978 | 6–2 |
| Swindon Town | 4–2 | Portsmouth | 15 August 1978 | 4–2 |
| Torquay United | 1–2 | Plymouth Argyle | 16 August 1978 | 2–3 |
| Wigan Athletic | 2–1 | Tranmere Rovers | 16 August 1978 | 3–2 |
| Wimbledon | 4–1 | Southend United | 15 August 1978 | 4–2 |
| York City | 0–3 | Grimsby Town | 15 August 1978 | 0–5 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Doncaster Rovers | 0–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | 22 August 1978 |
| Hull City | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 22 August 1978 |

## Second round

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa (1) | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 30 August 1978 |
| Birmingham City (1) | 2–5 | Southampton (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| Blackpool (3) | 2–0 | Ipswich Town (1) | 30 August 1978 |
| Bolton Wanderers (1) | 2–1 | Chelsea (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | 1–0 | Millwall (2) | 29 August 1978 |
| Bristol City (1) | 1–2 | Crystal Palace (2) | 29 August 1978 |
| Burnley (2) | 1–1 | Bradford City (4) | 29 August 1978 |
| Chester (3) | 2–1 | Coventry City (1) | 30 August 1978 |
| Crewe Alexandra (4) | 2–0 | Notts County (2) | 30 August 1978 |
| Everton (1) | 8–0 | Wimbledon (4) | 29 August 1978 |
| Exeter City (3) | 2–1 | Blackburn Rovers (2) | 29 August 1978 |
| Fulham (2) | 2–2 | Darlington (4) | 29 August 1978 |
| Leicester City (2) | 0–1 | Derby County (1) | 30 August 1978 |
| Orient (2) | 1–2 | Chesterfield (3) | 29 August 1978 |
| Luton Town (2) | 2–0 | Wigan Athletic (4) | 29 August 1978 |
| Manchester City (1) | 2–0 | Grimsby Town (4) | 29 August 1978 |
| Manchester United (1) | 3–2 | Stockport County (4) | 30 August 1978 |
| Middlesbrough (1) | 0–0 | Peterborough United (3) | 29 August 1978 |
| Northampton Town (4) | 0–0 | Hereford United (4) | 29 August 1978 |
| Oldham Athletic (2) | 0–0 | Nottingham Forest (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| Oxford United (3) | 1–1 | Plymouth Argyle (3) | 30 August 1978 |
| Preston North End (2) | 1–3 | Queens Park Rangers (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| Reading (4) | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) | 30 August 1978 |
| Rotherham United (3) | 3–1 | Arsenal (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| Sheffield United (2) | 1–0 | Liverpool (1) | 28 August 1978 |
| Sunderland (2) | 0–2 | Stoke City (2) | 30 August 1978 |
| Swansea City (3) | 2–2 | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| Walsall (3) | 1–2 | Charlton Athletic (2) | 29 August 1978 |
| Watford (3) | 2–1 | Newcastle United (2) | 29 August 1978 |
| West Bromwich Albion (1) | 0–0 | Leeds United (1) | 29 August 1978 |
| West Ham United (2) | 1–2 | Swindon Town (3) | 30 August 1978 |
| Wrexham (2) | 1–3 | Norwich City (1) | 29 August 1978 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Bradford City | 2–3 | Burnley | 5 September 1978 |
| Darlington | 1–0 | Fulham | 5 September 1978 |
| Hereford United | 0–1 | Northampton Town | 6 September 1978 |
| Leeds United | 0–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 6 September 1978 |
| Nottingham Forest | 4–2 | Oldham Athletic | 6 September 1978 |
| Peterborough United | 1–0 | Middlesbrough | 5 September 1978 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1–2 | Oxford United | 5 September 1978 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–3 | Swansea City | 6 September 1978 |

### 2nd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–1 | Leeds United | 2 October 1978 |

## Third round

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 1–1 | Crystal Palace | 4 October 1978 |
| Blackpool | 1–1 | Manchester City | 4 October 1978 |
| Burnley | 1–3 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 October 1978 |
| Chester | 0–2 | Norwich City | 4 October 1978 |
| Chesterfield | 4–5 | Charlton Athletic | 4 October 1978 |
| Everton | 1–0 | Darlington | 3 October 1978 |
| Exeter City | 2–1 | Bolton Wanderers | 4 October 1978 |
| Luton Town | 2–1 | Crewe Alexandra | 3 October 1978 |
| Manchester United | 1–2 | Watford | 4 October 1978 |
| Northampton Town | 1–3 | Stoke City | 3 October 1978 |
| Oxford United | 0–5 | Nottingham Forest | 4 October 1978 |
| Peterborough United | 1–1 | Swindon Town | 3 October 1978 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2–0 | Swansea City | 3 October 1978 |
| Rotherham United | 2–2 | Reading | 3 October 1978 |
| Sheffield United | 1–4 | Leeds United | 10 October 1978 |
| Southampton | 1–0 | Derby County | 3 October 1978 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Crystal Palace | 0–0 | Aston Villa | 10 October 1978 |
| Manchester City | 3–0 | Blackpool | 10 October 1978 |
| Reading | 1–0 | Rotherham United | 10 October 1978 |
| Swindon Town | 0–2 | Peterborough United | 10 October 1978 |

### 2nd Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 3–0 | Crystal Palace | 16 October 1978 |

## Fourth round

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 0–2 | Luton Town | 8 November 1978 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 1–0 | Peterborough United | 7 November 1978 |
| Charlton Athletic | 2–3 | Stoke City | 7 November 1978 |
| Everton | 2–3 | Nottingham Forest | 7 November 1978 |
| Exeter City | 0–2 | Watford | 8 November 1978 |
| Norwich City | 1–3 | Manchester City | 8 November 1978 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 0–2 | Leeds United | 7 November 1978 |
| Reading | 0–0 | Southampton | 8 November 1978 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Southampton | 2–0 | Reading | 14 November 1978 |

## Fifth Round

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Leeds United | 4–1 | Luton Town | 13 December 1978 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 13 December 1978 |
| Southampton | 2–1 | Manchester City | 12 December 1978 |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | Watford | 13 December 1978 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Watford | 3–1 | Stoke City | 9 January 1979 |

## Semi-finals
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Leeds United | 2–2 | Southampton | 24 January 1979 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3–1 | Watford | 17 January 1979 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Southampton | 1–0 | Leeds United | 30 January 1979 | 3–2 |
| Watford | 0–0 | Nottingham Forest | 30 January 1979 | 1–3 |

## Final
### Match details

| Nottingham Forest | Southampton |
| Nottingham Forest Red shirts/White shorts/Red socks | 3 — 2 (final score after 90 minutes) | Southampton Yellow shirts/Blue shorts/Yellow socks |
| Manager: Brian Clough Team: 1 Peter Shilton (GK) 2 Colin Barrett 3 Frank Clark 4 John McGovern (c) 5 Larry Lloyd 6 David Needham 7 Martin O'Neill 8 Archie Gemmill 9 Garry Birtles 10 Tony Woodcock 11 John Robertson 12 Ian Bowyer Scorers: Garry Birtles 51', 79' Tony Woodcock 83' | Half-time: 0–1 Competition: Football League Cup (Final) Date: 15.00 GMT Saturday 17 March 1979 Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 96,952 Referee: Peter Reeves Match rules: 90 minutes. 30 minutes extra-time if necessary. Match replayed if scores still level. One named substitute. | Manager: Lawrie McMenemy Team: 1 Terry Gennoe (GK) 2 Ivan Golac 3 David Peach 4 Steve Williams 5 Chris Nicholl 6 Malcolm Waldron 7 Alan Ball (c) 8 Phil Boyer 9 Austin Hayes 83' 10 Nick Holmes 11 Terry Curran 12 Tony Sealy 83' Scorers: David Peach 16' Nick Holmes 88' |