Football League Group Cup

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A Football League Group Cup match between Reading (blue and white) and Oxford United (yellow and blue) at Reading's Elm Park in August 1981

The Football League Group Cup was a short-lived football competition which first took place in 1982. For English clubs it was a replacement for the Anglo-Scottish Cup, which had been discontinued due to the withdrawal of Scottish League clubs. For the 1982–83 season it was renamed as the Football League Trophy.[1]

It is considered as the forerunner of the Associate Members Cup (which later became renamed as the Football League Trophy, and has had various sponsored names), which commenced from the 1983–84 season,[1] although some sources regard the Football League Group Cup as the same as the later League Trophy tournaments.[2][3]

Format

In each season there were 32 participants, split into eight regional groups of four teams each, with three round-robin games played by each side. The eight group winners qualified for the quarter finals, and the knockout stages were played as a single leg, with the game going to extra time and penalties if necessary. The final was played on the home ground of one of the two teams.[4]

1981–82

Participants

The following 32 sides played in the competition, and these are sub-divided according to the League division they played in that season.[4]

The tournament was won by Grimsby Town, who defeated Wimbledon 3–2 in the final at Blundell Park[2] on Tuesday 6 April 1982.[4]

1982–83

Participants

The following 32 sides played in the competition, and these are sub-divided according to the League division they played in that season.[5]

Final

The tournament was won by Millwall, who defeated Lincoln City 3–2 in the final at Sincil Bank[2] on Wednesday 20 April 1983.[5]

Millwall line-ups[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Millwall
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Paul Sansome
2 DF England ENG Keith Stevens
3 DF England ENG David Stride
4 MF England ENG Lawrie Madden
5 DF England ENG Sam Allardyce
6 DF England ENG Paul Roberts
7 MF England ENG Andy Massey
8 FW England ENG Dean Neal
9 FW England ENG David Martin
10 MF England ENG Paul Robinson
11 MF England ENG Alan McLeary
sub FW England ENG Teddy Sheringham
sub DF England ENG Nicky Coleman
sub FW England ENG Roger Wynter
sub MF Ireland EIR John Neal
sub GK England ENG Tony Ashby

References

  1. ^ a b List of Texaco/Anglo-Scottish/Football League Group Cup Finals at RSSSF
  2. ^ a b c List of Trophy finals since 1981–82, with links to individual competition results – statto.com
  3. ^ "Gills in the Football League Trophy". Gillingham Official Site. 30 August 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b c 1981–82 Group 1 results and table, with links to other groups/knockout stages – statto.com
  5. ^ a b 1982–83 Group 1 results and table, with links to other groups/knockout stages – statto.com
  6. ^ "Statistics 1982/83". The Millwall History Files. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
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