1995–96 Football League Cup
The 1995–96 Football League Cup (known as the Coca-Cola Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 36th Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition name reflects a sponsorship deal with soft drinks brand Coca-Cola, who were in the third year of their multi-million pound deal.
The tournament was won by Aston Villa, who beat Leeds United 3–0 in the final at Wembley.[1]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England &  Wales |
| Teams | 92 |
| Defending champions | Liverpool |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Aston Villa |
| Runner-up | Leeds United |
First round
56 of the First, Second and Third Division clubs compete from the First Round. Each section is divided equally into a pot of seeded clubs and a pot of unseeded clubs. Clubs' rankings depend upon their finishing position in the 1994–95 season.
First Leg
Second Leg
Second round
First Leg
Second Leg
Third round
Most matches in the third round were played on 24 and 25 October with 1 match being played on 7 November.
Ties
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 2–0 | Stockport County | 25 October 1995 |
| Barnsley | 0–3 | Arsenal | 24 October 1995 |
| Birmingham City | 1–1 | Tranmere Rovers | 24 October 1995 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 0–0 | Leicester City | 24 October 1995 |
| Crystal Palace | 2–2 | Middlesbrough | 25 October 1995 |
| Coventry City | 3–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 25 October 1995 |
| Derby County | 0–1 | Leeds United | 25 October 1995 |
| Liverpool | 4–0 | Manchester City | 25 October 1995 |
| Millwall | 0–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 25 October 1995 |
| Norwich City | 0–0 | Bradford City | 25 October 1995 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 3–1 | York City | 25 October 1995 |
| Reading | 2–1 | Bury | 8 November 1995 |
| Southampton | 2–1 | West Ham United | 25 October 1995 |
| Stoke City | 0–4 | Newcastle United | 25 October 1995 |
| Watford | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | 24 October 1995 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Charlton Athletic | 25 October 1995 |
Replays
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tranmere Rovers | 1–3 | Birmingham City | 8 November 1995 |
| Leicester City | 2–3 | Bolton Wanderers | 8 November 1995 |
| Middlesbrough | 2–0 | Crystal Palace | 8 November 1995 |
| Bradford City | 3–5 | Norwich City | 8 November 1995 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 8 November 1995 |
Fourth round
Most matches were played on 28 November 29 November with two replays being played on 20 December.
Ties
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | 29 November 1995 |
| Aston Villa | 1–0 | Queens Park Rangers | 29 November 1995 |
| Leeds United | 2–1 | Blackburn Rovers | 29 November 1995 |
| Liverpool | 0–1 | Newcastle United | 29 November 1995 |
| Middlesbrough | 0–0 | Birmingham City | 29 November 1995 |
| Norwich City | 0–0 | Bolton Wanderers | 29 November 1995 |
| Reading | 2–1 | Southampton | 28 November 1995 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–1 | Coventry City | 29 November 1995 |
Replays
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham City | 2–0 | Middlesbrough | 20 December 1995 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 0–0[2][9] | Norwich City | 20 December 1995 |
Quarter finals
The four matches were played between 10 January with one replay being played on 24 January.
Ties
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2–0 | Newcastle United | 10 January 1996 |
| Aston Villa | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 10 January 1996 |
| Leeds United | 2–1 | Reading | 10 January 1996 |
| Norwich City | 1–1 | Birmingham City | 10 January 1996 |
Replay
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham City | 2–1 | Norwich City | 24 January 1996 |
Semi-finals
The semi-final draw was made in January 1996 after the conclusion of the quarter finals. Unlike the other rounds, the semi-final ties were played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The first leg matches were played on 11 and 14 February 1996, the second leg matches were played on 21 and 25 February 1996. Leeds United comfortably beat Birmingham City to reach their first domestic cup final for 23 years, while four time winners Aston Villa only overcame Arsenal on away goals.
First leg
| Birmingham City | 1–2 | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
Francis  27' |
Yeboah 53' Whyte 72' (og) |
| Arsenal | 2–2 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Bergkamp 26' 37' |
Yorke 38' 72' |
Second leg
| Aston Villa | 0–0 | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
Aston Villa win on away goals
| Leeds United | 3–0 | Birmingham City |
|---|---|---|
| Masinga 54' Yeboah 56' Deane 86' |
Leeds United win 5–1 on aggregate
Final
The 1996 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played on 24 March 1996 and was contested between Aston Villa and Leeds United at Wembley Stadium. Aston Villa won the final 3–0 to equal Liverpool's record of five League Cup titles.
| Aston Villa | 3–0 | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Milošević 20' Taylor 55'Yorke 88' |
Report |
     Aston Villa
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Leeds United
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MATCH RULES
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References
General
- "English League Cup 1995/1996". Soccerbase. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- "England League Cup Full Results 1960–1996". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- "English League Cup 1995–1996 : Results". Statto. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
Specific
- ^ Moore, David. "SAVO SALVO!; Aston Villa 3 Leeds Utd 0 – All Dwight on the night for Little". The Mirror. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m After Extra Time
- ^ Bristol City won 5–3 on penalties
- ^ Torquay United won on the Away Goals Rule
- ^ Hartlepool United won 7–6 on penalties
- ^ Peterborough United won on the Away Goals Rule
- ^ Shrewsbury Town won on the Away Goals Rule
- ^ Watford won 6–5 on penalties
- ^ Norwich City won 5–3 on penalties
External links
- Official Carling Cup website
- Carling Cup at bbc.co.uk
- League Cup news, match reports and pictures on Reuters.co.uk
- Results on Soccerbase