# 1980–81 Scottish League Cup

The 1980–81 Scottish League Cup was the thirty-fifth season of Scotland's second football knockout competition. The competition was won by Dundee United for a second successive season, who defeated Dundee in the Final.

## First round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Ayr United | 1–2 | Morton | 13 August 1980 |
| East Fife | 2–5 | Dundee United | 13 August 1980 |
| Kilmarnock | 1–0 | Airdrieonians | 13 August 1980 |
| Queen's Park | 1–0 | East Stirlingshire | 13 August 1980 |
| Raith Rovers | 3–2 | Falkirk | 13 August 1980 |
| St Johnstone | 0–2 | Clydebank | 13 August 1980 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Airdrieonians | 0–1 | Kilmarnock | 20 August 1980 | 0–2 |
| Clydebank | 0–0 | St Johnstone | 20 August 1980 | 2–0 |
| Dundee United | 4–0 | East Fife | 20 August 1980 | 9–2 |
| East Stirlingshire | 0–4 | Queen's Park | 19 August 1980 | 0–5 |
| Falkirk | 0–2 | Raith Rovers | 20 August 1980 | 2–5 |
| Morton | 0–2 | Ayr United | 20 August 1980 | 2–3 |

## Second round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aberdeen | 8–1 | Berwick Rangers | 27 August 1980 |
| Albion Rovers | 1–2 | St Mirren | 26 August 1980 |
| Alloa Athletic | 0–2 | Hibernian | 27 August 1980 |
| Brechin City | 0–0 | Clyde | 27 August 1980 |
| Dumbarton | 0–1 | Raith Rovers | 27 August 1980 |
| Dundee | 2–0 | Arbroath | 26 August 1980 |
| Dundee United | 4–0 | Cowdenbeath | 27 August 1980 |
| Forfar Athletic | 0–2 | Rangers | 27 August 1980 |
| Hamilton Academical | 5–1 | Stranraer | 27 August 1980 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 2–1 | Montrose | 27 August 1980 |
| Kilmarnock | 0–0 | Dunfermline Ath | 27 August 1980 |
| Meadowbank Thistle | 1–2 | Clydebank | 27 August 1980 |
| Partick Thistle | 3–1 | Queen's Park | 27 August 1980 |
| Queen of the South | 1–2 | Ayr United | 27 August 1980 |
| Stenhousemuir | 0–0 | Motherwell | 27 August 1980 |
| Stirling Albion | 1–0 | Celtic | 27 August 1980 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Arbroath | 0–3 | Dundee | 30 August 1980 | 0–5 |
| Ayr United | 1–0 | Queen of the South | 30 August 1980 | 3–1 |
| Berwick Rangers | 0–4 | Aberdeen | 30 August 1980 | 1–12 |
| Celtic | 6–1 | Stirling Albion | 30 August 1980 | 6–2 |
| Clyde | 2–1 | Brechin City | 30 August 1980 | 2–1 |
| Clydebank | 2–1 | Meadowbank Thistle | 30 August 1980 | 4–2 |
| Cowdenbeath | 1–4 | Dundee United | 30 August 1980 | 1–8 |
| Dunfermline Ath | 1–2 | Kilmarnock | 30 August 1980 | 1–2 |
| Hibernian | 1–1 | Alloa Athletic | 30 August 1980 | 3–1 |
| Montrose | 1–3 | Heart of Midlothian | 30 August 1980 | 2–5 |
| Motherwell | 6–1 | Stenhousemuir | 30 August 1980 | 6–1 |
| Queen's Park | 1–1 | Partick Thistle | 30 August 1980 | 2–4 |
| Raith Rovers | 1–1 | Dumbarton | 30 August 1980 | 2–1 |
| Rangers | 3–1 | Forfar Athletic | 30 August 1980 | 5–1 |
| St Mirren | 5–0 | Albion Rovers | 30 August 1980 | 7–1 |
| Stranraer | 0–2 | Hamilton Academical | 30 August 1980 | 1–7 |

## Third round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Clyde | 0–2 | Hibernian | 3 September 1980 |
| Dundee | 0–0 | Kilmarnock | 3 September 1980 |
| Hamilton Academical | 1–3 | Celtic | 22 September 1980 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 2–3 | Ayr United | 3 September 1980 |
| Motherwell | 2–1 | Dundee United | 3 September 1980 |
| Partick Thistle | 2–0 | St Mirren | 3 September 1980 |
| Raith Rovers | 0–1 | Clydebank | 3 September 1980 |
| Rangers | 1–0 | Aberdeen | 3 September 1980 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Aberdeen | 3–1 | Rangers | 24 September 1980 | 3–2 |
| Ayr United | 4–0 | Heart of Midlothian | 24 September 1980 | 7–2 |
| Celtic | 4–1 | Hamilton Academical | 24 September 1980 | 7–2 |
| Clydebank | 1–0 | Raith Rovers | 24 September 1980 | 2–0 |
| Dundee United | 4–2 | Motherwell | 24 September 1980 | 5–4 |
| Hibernian | 2–1 | Clyde | 24 September 1980 | 4–1 |
| Kilmarnock | 0–0 | Dundee | 24 September 1980 | 0–0 |
| St Mirren | 0–0 | Partick Thistle | 24 September 1980 | 0–2 |

## Quarter-finals
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Ayr United | 2–2 | Hibernian | 8 October 1980 |
| Clydebank | 2–1 | Dundee United | 8 October 1980 |
| Dundee | 0–0 | Aberdeen | 8 October 1980 |
| Partick Thistle | 0–1 | Celtic | 8 October 1980 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Aberdeen | 0–1 | Dundee | 29 October 1980 | 0–1 |
| Celtic | 2–1 | Partick Thistle | 20 October 1980 | 3–1 |
| Dundee United | 4–1 | Clydebank | 29 October 1980 | 5–3 |
| Hibernian | 0–2 | Ayr United | 22 October 1980 | 2–4 |

## Semi-finals
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Ayr United | 1–1 | Dundee | 5 November 1980 |
| Dundee United | 1–1 | Celtic | 12 November 1980 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Celtic | 0–3 | Dundee United | 19 November 1980 | 1–4 |
| Dundee | 3–2 | Ayr United | 19 November 1980 | 4–3 |