The 1976–77 Football League Cup was the 17th season of the Football League Cup, a football knockout competition for England's top four tier clubs. The competition started on 14 August 1976 and ended with the final going to a second replay on 13 April 1977.
The final was contested by First Division teams Aston Villa and Everton at Wembley Stadium in London, followed by replays at Hillsborough and finally being decided at Old Trafford. First round + Number of teams per tier entering this round First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division Total
First leg Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aldershot (4) 1–1 Gillingham (3) 14 August 1976 Bournemouth (4) 0–0 Torquay United (4) 14 August 1976 Bradford City (4) 1–1 Oldham Athletic (2) 14 August 1976 Bury (3) 2–1 Preston North End (3) 14 August 1976 Cardiff City (2) 2–1 Bristol Rovers (2) 14 August 1976 Chester (3) 2–0 Hereford United (2) 14 August 1976 Chesterfield (3) 3–1 Rotherham United (3) 14 August 1976 Crewe Alexandra (4) 2–1 Tranmere Rovers (3) 14 August 1976 Crystal Palace (3) 2–2 Portsmouth (3) 14 August 1976 Doncaster Rovers (4) 1–1 Lincoln City (3) 14 August 1976 Grimsby Town (3) 0–3 Sheffield Wednesday (3) 14 August 1976 Halifax Town (4) 0–0 Darlington (4) 14 August 1976 Huddersfield Town (4) 2–0 Hartlepool (4) 14 August 1976 Mansfield Town (3) 2–0 Scunthorpe United (4) 14 August 1976 Millwall (2) 2–1 Colchester United (4) 14 August 1976 Oxford United (3) 1–0 Cambridge United (4) 14 August 1976 Plymouth Argyle (2) 0–1 Exeter City (4) 14 August 1976 Port Vale (3) 1–1 Wrexham (3) 14 August 1976 Reading (3) 2–3 Peterborough United (3) 14 August 1976 Rochdale (4) 0–1 Blackburn Rovers (2) 14 August 1976 Shrewsbury Town (3) 0–1 Walsall (3) 16 August 1976 Southend United (4) 1–1 Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 14 August 1976 Southport (4) 1–2 Carlisle United (2) 14 August 1976 Swansea City (4) 4–1 Newport County (4) 14 August 1976 Swindon Town (3) 3–2 Northampton Town (3) 14 August 1976 Watford (4) 1–1 Brentford (4) 14 August 1976 Workington (4) 0–0 Stockport County (4) 14 August 1976 York City (3) 0–0 Barnsley (4) 14 August 1976
Second leg Home teamScoreAway teamDateAgg Barnsley (4) 0–0 York City (3) 17 August 1976 0–0 Blackburn Rovers (2) 4–1 Rochdale (4) 18 August 1976 5–1 Brentford (4) 0–2 Watford (4) 17 August 1976 1–3 Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 2–1 Southend United (4) 17 August 1976 3–2 Bristol Rovers (2) 4–4 Cardiff City (2) 17 August 1976 5–6 Cambridge United (4) 2–0 Oxford United (3) 17 August 1976 2–1 Carlisle United (2) 0–1 Southport (4) 17 August 1976 2–2 Colchester United (4) 2–1 Millwall (2) 17 August 1976 3–3 Darlington (4) 1–1 Halifax Town (4) 18 August 1976 1–1 Exeter City (4) 1–0 Plymouth Argyle (2) 18 August 1976 2–0 Gillingham (3) 2–0 Aldershot (4) 18 August 1976 3–1 Hartlepool (4) 1–2 Huddersfield Town (4) 18 August 1976 1–4 Hereford United (2) 4–3 Chester (3) 18 August 1976 4–5 Lincoln City (3) 1–1 Doncaster Rovers (4) 18 August 1976 2–2 Newport County (4) 1–0 Swansea City (4) 17 August 1976 2–4 Northampton Town (3) 2–0 Swindon Town (3) 18 August 1976 4–3 Oldham Athletic (2) 1–3 Bradford City (4) 17 August 1976 2–4 Peterborough United (3) 0–1 Reading (3) 18 August 1976 3–3 Portsmouth (3) 0–1 Crystal Palace (3) 17 August 1976 2–3 Preston North End (3) 1–1 Bury (3) 17 August 1976 2–3 Rotherham United (3) 3–0 Chesterfield (3) 17 August 1976 4–3 Scunthorpe United (4) 2–0 Mansfield Town (3) 17 August 1976 2–2 Sheffield Wednesday (3) 0–0 Grimsby Town (3) 18 August 1976 3–0 Stockport County (4) 0–0 Workington (4) 18 August 1976 0–0 Torquay United (4) 1–0 Bournemouth (4) 17 August 1976 1–0 Tranmere Rovers (3) 3–1 Crewe Alexandra (4) 18 August 1976 4–3 Walsall (3) 1–0 Shrewsbury Town (3) 18 August 1976 2–0 Wrexham (3) 1–0 Port Vale (3) 18 August 1976 2–1
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Carlisle United (2) 3–2 Southport (4) 24 August 1976 Colchester United (4) 4–4After Extra TimeMillwall won 5–4 on penalties Millwall (2) 30 August 1976 Doncaster Rovers (4) 1–1After Extra TimeDoncaster Rovers won 4–2 on penalties Lincoln City (3) 24 August 1976 Halifax Town (4) 1–2After Extra Time Darlington (4) 30 August 1976 Peterborough United (3) 3–1After Extra Time Reading (3) 25 August 1976 Scunthorpe United (4) 2–1 Mansfield Town (3) 24 August 1976 Workington (4) 0–2 Stockport County (4) 30 August 1976 York City (3) 1–2After Extra Time Barnsley (4) 24 August 1976
Second round + Number of teams per tier entering this round First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division Total
Ties Home teamScoreAway teamDate Arsenal (1) 3–2 Carlisle United (2) 31 August 1976 Aston Villa (1) 3–0 Manchester City (1) 1 September 1976 Blackburn Rovers (2) 1–3 Stockport County (4) 1 September 1976 Blackpool (2) 2–1 Birmingham City (1) 31 August 1976 Bradford City (4) 1–2 Bolton Wanderers (2) 1 September 1976 Bristol City (1) 0–1 Coventry City (1) 31 August 1976 Bury (3) 2–1 Darlington (4) 1 September 1976 Cardiff City (2) 1–3 Queens Park Rangers (1) 1 September 1976 Chelsea (2) 3–1 Sheffield United (2) 1 September 1976 Chester (3) 2–3 Swansea City (4) 31 August 1976 Crystal Palace (3) 1–3 Watford (4) 31 August 1976 Doncaster Rovers (4) 1–2 Derby County (1) 31 August 1976 Everton (1) 3–0 Cambridge United (4) 30 August 1976 Exeter City (4) 1–3 Norwich City (1) 31 August 1976 Fulham (2) 1–1 Peterborough United (3) 31 August 1976 Gillingham (3) 1–2 Newcastle United (1) 1 September 1976 Ipswich Town (1) 0–0 Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 31 August 1976 Orient (2) 1–0 Hull City (2) 31 August 1976 Liverpool (1) 1–1 West Bromwich Albion (1) 31 August 1976 Manchester United (1) 5–0 Tranmere Rovers (3) 1 September 1976 Middlesbrough (1) 1–2 Tottenham Hotspur (1) 31 August 1976 Northampton Town (3) 0–1 Huddersfield Town (4) 31 August 1976 Rotherham United (3) 1–2 Millwall (2) 1 September 1976 Scunthorpe United (4) 0–2 Notts County (2) 31 August 1976 Southampton (2) 1–1 Charlton Athletic (2) 31 August 1976 Stoke City (1) 2–1 Leeds United (1) 1 September 1976 Sunderland (1) 3–1 Luton Town (2) 31 August 1976 Torquay United (4) 1–0 Burnley (2) 1 September 1976 Walsall (3) 2–4 Nottingham Forest (2) 31 August 1976 West Ham United (1) 3–0 Barnsley (4) 1 September 1976 Wolverhampton Wanderers (2) 1–2 Sheffield Wednesday (3) 31 August 1976 Wrexham (3) 1–0 Leicester City (1) 1 September 1976
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 2–1 Ipswich Town (1) 7 September 1976 Charlton Athletic (2) 2–1 Southampton (2) 7 September 1976 Peterborough United (3) 1–2 Fulham (2) 7 September 1976 West Bromwich Albion (1) 1–0 Liverpool (1) 6 September 1976
Third round + Number of teams per tier entering this round First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division Total
Ties Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aston Villa (1) 2–1 Norwich City (1) 21 September 1976 Blackpool (2) 1–1 Arsenal (1) 21 September 1976 Charlton Athletic (2) 0–1 West Ham United (1) 21 September 1976 Chelsea (2) 2–0 Huddersfield Town (4) 20 September 1976 Derby County (1) 1–1 Notts County (2) 22 September 1976 Fulham (2) 2–2 Bolton Wanderers (2) 22 September 1976 Manchester United (1) 2–2 Sunderland (1) 22 September 1976 Millwall (2) 0–0 Orient (2) 21 September 1976 Newcastle United (1) 3–0 Stoke City (1) 22 September 1976 Nottingham Forest (2) 0–3 Coventry City (1) 21 September 1976 Queens Park Rangers (1) 2–1 Bury (3) 21 September 1976 Sheffield Wednesday (3) 3–1 Watford (4) 21 September 1976 Stockport County (4) 0–1 Everton (1) 20 September 1976 Torquay United (4) 1–2 Swansea City (4) 22 September 1976 Tottenham Hotspur (1) 2–3 Wrexham (3) 22 September 1976 West Bromwich Albion (1) 0–2 Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 22 September 1976
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Arsenal (1) 0–0After Extra Time Blackpool (2) 28 September 1976 Bolton Wanderers (2) 2–2After Extra Time Fulham (2) 4 October 1976 Notts County (2) 1–2 Derby County (1) 4 October 1976 Sunderland (1) 2–2After Extra Time Manchester United (1) 4 October 1976 Orient (2) 0–0After Extra Time Millwall (2) 12 October 1976
2nd Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Arsenal (1) 2–0 Blackpool (2) 4 October 1976 Fulham (2) 1–2 Bolton Wanderers (2) 18 October 1976 Manchester United (1) 1–0 Sunderland (1) 6 October 1976 Millwall (2) 3–0 Orient (2) 19 October 1976
Fourth round + Number of teams per tier entering this round First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division Total
Ties Home teamScoreAway teamDate Arsenal (1) 2–1 Chelsea (2) 26 October 1976 Aston Villa (1) 5–1 Wrexham (3) 27 October 1976 Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 1–1 Derby County (1) 26 October 1976 Everton (1) 3–0 Coventry City (1) 26 October 1976 Manchester United (1) 7–2 Newcastle United (1) 27 October 1976 Millwall (2) 3–0 Sheffield Wednesday (3) 27 October 1976 Swansea City (4) 1–1 Bolton Wanderers (2) 26 October 1976 West Ham United (1) 0–2 Queens Park Rangers (1) 27 October 1976
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Bolton Wanderers (2) 5–1 Swansea City (4) 2 November 1976 Derby County (1) 2–1 Brighton & Hove Albion (3) 8 November 1976
Fifth Round + Number of teams per tier entering this round First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division Total
Ties Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aston Villa (1) 2–0 Millwall (2) 1 December 1976 Derby County (1) 1–2 Bolton Wanderers (2) 1 December 1976 Manchester United (1) 0–3 Everton (1) 1 December 1976 Queens Park Rangers (1) 2–1 Arsenal (1) 1 December 1976
Semi-finals + Number of teams per tier entering this round First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division Total
First leg Home teamScoreAway teamDate Everton (1) 1–1 Bolton Wanderers (2) 18 January 1977 Queens Park Rangers (1) 0–0 Aston Villa (1) 1 February 1977
Second leg Home teamScoreAway teamDateAgg Aston Villa (1) 2–2After Extra Time Queens Park Rangers (1) 16 February 1977 2–2 Bolton Wanderers (2) 0–1 Everton (1) 15 February 1977 1–2
Replay Home teamScoreAway teamDateVenue Queens Park Rangers (1) 0–3 Aston Villa (1) 22 February 1977 Highbury
Final
ASTON VILLA: GK 1 John BurridgeDF 2 John GidmanDF 3 John RobsonDF 4 Leighton PhillipsDF 5 Chris NichollMF 6 Dennis MortimerMF 7 John DeehanMF 8 Brian LittleFW 9 Andy GrayMF 10Alex CropleyFW 11Frank CarrodusManager:Ron SaundersEVERTON: GK 1 David LawsonDF 2 Dave JonesDF 3 Terry DarracottDF 4 Mick LyonsDF 5 Ken McNaughtMF 6 Andy KingMF 7 Bryan HamiltonMF 8 Martin DobsonFW 9 Bob LatchfordFW 10Duncan McKenzieMF 11Ronnie GoodlassManager:Gordon Lee
First Replay
ASTON VILLA: GK 1 John BurridgeDF 2 John GidmanDF 3 John RobsonDF 4 Leighton PhillipsDF 5 Chris NichollMF 6 Dennis MortimerMF 7 John DeehanMF 8 Brian LittleFW 9 Andy GrayMF 10Gordon CowansFW 11Frank CarrodusManager:Ron SaundersEVERTON: GK 1 David LawsonDF 2 Mike BernardDF 3 Terry DarracottDF 4 Mick LyonsDF 5 Ken McNaughtMF 6 Andy KingMF 7 Bryan HamiltonMF 8 Roger KenyonFW 9 Bob LatchfordFW 10Duncan McKenzieMF 11Ronnie GoodlassSubstitute:FW 12Jim PearsonManager:Gordon Lee
Second Replay
ASTON VILLA: GK 1 John BurridgeDF 2 John GidmanDF 3 John RobsonDF 4 Leighton PhillipsDF 5 Chris NichollMF 6 Dennis MortimerMF 7 John DeehanMF 8 Brian LittleFW 9 Ray GraydonMF 10Alex CropleyFW 11Gordon CowansSubstitute:DF 12Gordon SmithManager:Ron SaundersEVERTON: GK 1 David LawsonDF 2 Neil RobinsonDF 3 Terry DarracottDF 4 Mick LyonsDF 5 Ken McNaughtMF 6 Andy KingMF 7 Bryan HamiltonMF 8 Martin DobsonFW 9 Bob LatchfordFW 10Jim PearsonMF 11Ronnie GoodlassSubstitute:DF 12 Steve SeargeantManager:Gordon Lee
References
General
Specific