Football League Cup

Football League Cup

The Carling Cup or Football League Cup (also previously known as the Worthington Cup, Milk Cup, Coca-Cola Cup and Rumbelows Cup) was first played in 1961. Liverpool have won the trophy a record six times. Manchester United have not fared too well in the competition, winning it only twice - in 1992, they defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the final at Wembley; in 2006, they beat Wigan Athletic 4-0 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

United would probably rather forget their first match in the Football League Cup. On 2 November 1960 the Reds lost 2-1 in the Second round to Third Division Bradford City. The club had to wait until 1983 for a first appearance in a final when their opponents on that day were Liverpool. A young Norman Whiteside, only seventeen years of age at the time, gave United the lead but Liverpool came back to win in extra time.

Undoubtedly the club’s golden period in the competition came in the early nineties when United reached three finals in four years. On their way to the 1991 final, lost to Ron Atkinson’s Sheffield Wednesday, United’s young side demolished the then League Champions Arsenal 6-2 at Highbury.

The following season United reached the final again, this time winning the competition. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 with a goal from Brian McClair. United reached the final again in 1994 only to lose for a third time (1-3), when a win would have ultimately given the club the domestic ‘Treble’ as the side would go on to win the League and FA Cup later that year. United’s opponents on that March day were Aston Villa, managed by former United boss Ron Atkinson. It was the second time that an Atkinson side had beaten United in a final.

In recent years Premier League clubs have been given byes into the Third round. However, Manchester United and other top clubs have fielded weakened teams in the competition as commitments in European competition have increased.

A mix of young and senior players was sufficient to see United past Barnet, West Brom and Birmingham in the early rounds of the triumphant 2005/06 campaign. Sir Alex Ferguson then beefed up his side with more first-team regulars for the two-legged semi-final against Blackburn and then the final against Wigan. Goals from Wayne Rooney (2), Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo ensured United did not finish a difficult season empty-handed.