The 1973–74 Football League Cup was the 14th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs.

Wolverhampton Wanderers won the competition by defeating Manchester City 2–1 in the final on 2 March 1974. This triumph gave them entry to the 1974–75 UEFA Cup.

First round The 56 Football League clubs who had comprised the Third and Fourth Divisions during the previous season, plus the bottom eight of the Second Division, all competed from the first round. Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required. The original games were staged on 28–29 August 1973.

Ties Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceDate1Bolton Wanderers1–1Preston North End17,10128 August 19732Bury0–0Oldham Athletic5,53428 August 19733Southport1–1Blackburn Rovers5,34229 August 19734Carlisle United2–2Workington7,04028 August 19735Darlington2–1Bradford City2,66429 August 19736Halifax Town1–1Barnsley2,76828 August 19737York City1–0Huddersfield Town6,49729 August 19738Rochdale5–3Hartlepools1,83629 August 19739Chester City0–2Wrexham4,79129 August 197310Tranmere Rovers3–3Crewe Alexandra2,75129 August 197311Walsall6–1Shrewsbury Town4,72229 August 197312Stockport County2–0Port Vale3,31429 August 197313Grimsby Town2–1Northampton Town7,82928 August 197314Notts County3–4Doncaster Rovers7,73528 August 197315Peterborough United2–2Scunthorpe United6,33929 August 197316Rotherham United2–1Lincoln City3,45528 August 197317Chesterfield1–1Mansfield Town6,32129 August 197318Bournemouth1–0Bristol Rovers7,52029 August 197319Swindon Town3–3Newport County6,87328 August 197320Swansea City1–1Exeter City3,03628 August 197321Torquay United0–2Plymouth Argyle6,99629 August 197322Cardiff City2–0Hereford United9,82129 August 197323Reading2–2Watford6,27929 August 197324Aldershot1–1Cambridge United4,14729 August 197325Portsmouth2–1Southend United9,65228 August 197326Gillingham4–2Colchester United3,99129 August 197327Brighton and Hove Albion1–2Charlton Athletic8,45229 August 197328Brentford1–2Orient6,62028 August 1973

Replays Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceDate1Preston North End0–2After Extra TimeBolton Wanderers18,5715 September 19732Oldham Athletic2–3Bury6,0454 September 19733Blackburn Rovers3–1After Extra TimeSouthport5,3425 September 19734Workington0–1Carlisle United 5 September 19736Barnsley0–1Halifax Town4,1684 September 197310Crewe Alexandra0–1Tranmere Rovers4,4885 September 197315Scunthorpe United2–1Peterborough United4,4724 September 197317Mansfield Town0–1Chesterfield5,7115 September 197319Newport County1–2Swindon Town6,0074 September 197320Exeter City2–1After Extra TimeSwansea City5 September 197323Watford2–3Reading5 September 197324Cambridge United3–0Aldershot4,1475 September 1973

Second round The 28 first round winners were joined by the remaining clubs from the Second Division and all from the First Division. Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required. The original games were staged on 2/8–10 October 1973.

Ties Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate1Bournemouth0–0Sheffield Wednesday11,01710 October 19732Southampton3–0Charlton Athletic10,0478 October 19733Ipswich Town2–0Leeds United28,3858 October 19734Everton1–0Reading15,7728 October 19735Bury2–0Cambridge United6,1509 October 19736Newcastle United6–0Doncaster Rovers15,9008 October 19737West Ham United2–2Liverpool25,8238 October 19738Scunthorpe United0–0Bristol City4,4189 October 19739Arsenal0–1Tranmere Rovers20,3372 October 197310Oxford United1–1Fulham7,13110 October 197311Coventry City5–1Darlington8,7698 October 197312Cardiff City2–2Burnley10 October 197313Plymouth Argyle4–0Portsmouth13,2029 October 197314Orient2–0Blackburn Rovers7,3749 October 197315West Bromwich Albion2–1Sheffield United10,4218 October 197316Luton Town1–1Grimsby Town9,65610 October 197317Manchester United0–1Middlesbrough23,9068 October 197318Walsall0–0Manchester City12,9432 October 197319Derby County2–2Sunderland29,1728 October 197320York City1–0Aston Villa7,9819 October 197321Halifax Town0–3Wolverhampton Wanderers8,2228 October 197322Rotherham United1–4Exeter City2,55910 October 197323Stoke City1–0Chelsea17,2818 October 197324Millwall0–0Nottingham Forest8,63110 October 197325Stockport County1–0Crystal Palace8,5019 October 197326Chesterfield1–0Swindon Town4,63910 October 197327Queens Park Rangers1–0Tottenham Hotspur23,3538 October 197328Leicester City3–3Hull City9,7778 October 197329Norwich City6–2Wrexham10,93710 October 197330Blackpool1–1Birmingham City7,9439 October 197331Gillingham1–2Carlisle United10 October 197332Rochdale0–4Bolton Wanderers7,24110 October 1973

Replays Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate1Sheffield Wednesday2–2After Extra TimeBournemouth5,88315 October 19737Liverpool1–0West Ham United26,00229 October 19738Bristol City2–1After Extra TimeScunthorpe United7,83716 October 197310Fulham3–0Oxford United6,43516 October 197312Burnley3–2After Extra TimeCardiff City12,31316 October 197316Grimsby Town0–0After Extra TimeLuton Town13,64316 October 197318Manchester City0–0After Extra TimeWalsall19,42822 October 197319Sunderland2–2After Extra TimeDerby County38,93529 October 197324Nottingham Forest1–3Millwall9,24116 October 197328Hull City3–2Leicester City16,00331 October 197330Birmingham City4–2Blackpool16,88016 October 1973

2nd Replays Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate1Sheffield Wednesday2–1After Extra TimeBournemouth8,89429 October 197316Luton Town2–0Grimsby Town15,36523 October 197318Walsall0–41Manchester City13,64630 October 197319Derby County0–3Sunderland38,46031 October 1973 1 At Old Trafford, Manchester

Third round Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required. The original games were staged on 30–31 October and 6 November 1973.

Ties

Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate1Hull City4–1Stockport County13,7536 November 19732Birmingham City2–2Newcastle United13,02530 October 19733Southampton3–0Chesterfield13,66330 October 19734Stoke City1–1Middlesbrough19,19431 October 19735Everton0–1Norwich City22,04630 October 19736Millwall1–1Bolton Wanderers9,28131 October 19737Fulham2–2Ipswich Town8,96431 October 19738Tranmere Rovers1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers14,44231 October 19739Orient1–1York City12,06131 October 197310Carlisle United0–1Manchester City14,4726 November 197311Bristol City2–2Coventry City19,12930 October 197312Queens Park Rangers8–2Sheffield Wednesday16,0436 November 197313Burnley1–2Plymouth Argyle11,15030 October 197314Sunderland0–2Liverpool36,20821 November 197315West Bromwich Albion1–3Exeter City10,78331 October 197316Luton Town0–0Bury8,19131 October 1973

Replays

Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate2Newcastle United0–1After Extra TimeBirmingham City19,2767 November 19734Middlesbrough1–2After Extra TimeStoke City26,0686 November 19736Bolton Wanderers1–2Millwall13,5016 November 19737Ipswich Town2–1Fulham21,40014 November 19738Wolverhampton Wanderers2–1Tranmere Rovers14,83913 November 19739York City2–1Orient11,1526 November 197311Coventry City2–1Bristol City13,0496 November 197316Bury2–3Luton Town7,8276 November 1973

Fourth round Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required. The original games were staged on 20–21 and 27 November 1973.

Ties Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate1York City0–0Manchester City15,36021 November 19732Queens Park Rangers0–3Plymouth Argyle19,07220 November 19733Southampton0–2Norwich City14,41521 November 19734Ipswich Town1–3Birmingham City12,24121 November 19735Wolverhampton Wanderers5–1Exeter City7,62320 November 19736Millwall3–1Luton Town8,77721 November 19737Coventry City2–1Stoke City17,48520 November 19738Hull City0–0Liverpool19,74827 November 1973

Replays Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceDate1Manchester City4–1York City17,9725 December 19738Liverpool3–1Hull City17,1204 December 1973

Fifth round Ties were straight knockout games, with additional replays if required.

Replay

Replay

Semi-finals Ties were two-legged affairs with the winners advancing to the final. Extra time and then penalties would be used in the second leg if required.

First leg

Second leg

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2–1 on aggregate

Manchester City won 3–1 on aggregate

Final

References

General

Specific