The 1978–79 Football League Cup was the 19th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition started on 12 August 1978 and ended with the final on 17 March 1979.
The final was contested by First Division teams Nottingham Forest and Southampton at Wembley Stadium in London.
First round
First leg Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aldershot 0–1 Millwall 12 August 1978 Barnsley 1–2 Chesterfield 12 August 1978 Bournemouth 0–1 Exeter City 12 August 1978 Bradford City 2–0 Lincoln City 12 August 1978 Bristol Rovers 2–1 Hereford United 12 August 1978 Cambridge United 2–2 Northampton Town 12 August 1978 Cardiff City 1–2 Oxford United 12 August 1978 Carlisle United 2–2 Blackpool 12 August 1978 Colchester United 2–3 Charlton Athletic 12 August 1978 Crewe Alexandra 1–0 Rochdale 12 August 1978 Doncaster Rovers 0–1 Sheffield Wednesday 12 August 1978 Grimsby Town 2–0 York City 12 August 1978 Hull City 0–1 Peterborough United 12 August 1978 Mansfield Town 0–1 Darlington 12 August 1978 Newport County 2–1 Swansea City 12 August 1978 Plymouth Argyle 1–1 Torquay United 12 August 1978 Port Vale 0–3 Chester 12 August 1978 Portsmouth 0–0 Swindon Town 12 August 1978 Preston North End 3–0 Huddersfield Town 12 August 1978 Reading 3–1 Gillingham 12 August 1978 Rotherham United 5–0 Hartlepool United 12 August 1978 Scunthorpe United 0–1 Notts County 12 August 1978 Shrewsbury Town 1–0 Stockport County 14 August 1978 Southend United 1–0 Wimbledon 12 August 1978 Tranmere Rovers 1–1 Wigan Athletic 12 August 1978 Walsall 2–1 Halifax Town 12 August 1978 Watford 4–0 Brentford 12 August 1978 Wrexham 2–0 Bury 12 August 1978
Second leg Home teamScoreAway teamDateAgg Blackpool 2–1 Carlisle United 16 August 1978 4–3 Brentford 1–3 Watford 15 August 1978 1–7 Bury 1–2 Wrexham 15 August 1978 1–4 Charlton Athletic 0–0 Colchester United 15 August 1978 3–2 Chester 1–1 Port Vale 16 August 1978 4–1 Chesterfield 0–0 Barnsley 16 August 1978 2–1 Darlington 2–2 Mansfield Town 15 August 1978 3–2 Exeter City 1–1 Bournemouth 15 August 1978 2–1 Gillingham 1–2 Reading 15 August 1978 2–5 Halifax Town 0–2 Walsall 15 August 1978 1–4 Hartlepool United 1–1 Rotherham United 15 August 1978 1–6 Hereford United 4–0 Bristol Rovers 16 August 1978 5–2 Huddersfield Town 2–2 Preston North End 15 August 1978 2–5 Lincoln City 1–1 Bradford City 16 August 1978 1–3 Millwall 1–0 Aldershot 16 August 1978 2–0 Northampton Town 2–1 Cambridge United 16 August 1978 4–3 Notts County 3–0 Scunthorpe United 15 August 1978 4–0 Oxford United 2–1 Cardiff City 16 August 1978 4–2 Peterborough United 1–2 Hull City 15 August 1978 2–2 Rochdale 2–4 Crewe Alexandra 14 August 1978 2–5 Sheffield Wednesday 0–1 Doncaster Rovers 15 August 1978 1–1 Stockport County 3–1 Shrewsbury Town 16 August 1978 3–2 Swansea City 5–0 Newport County 15 August 1978 6–2 Swindon Town 4–2 Portsmouth 15 August 1978 4–2 Torquay United 1–2 Plymouth Argyle 16 August 1978 2–3 Wigan Athletic 2–1 Tranmere Rovers 16 August 1978 3–2 Wimbledon 4–1 Southend United 15 August 1978 4–2 York City 0–3 Grimsby Town 15 August 1978 0–5
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Doncaster Rovers 0–1 Sheffield Wednesday 22 August 1978 Hull City 0–1 Peterborough United 22 August 1978
Second round Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aston Villa (1) 1–0 Sheffield Wednesday (3) 30 August 1978 Birmingham City (1) 2–5 Southampton (1) 29 August 1978 Blackpool (3) 2–0 Ipswich Town (1) 30 August 1978 Bolton Wanderers (1) 2–1 Chelsea (1) 29 August 1978 Brighton & Hove Albion (2) 1–0 Millwall (2) 29 August 1978 Bristol City (1) 1–2 Crystal Palace (2) 29 August 1978 Burnley (2) 1–1 Bradford City (4) 29 August 1978 Chester (3) 2–1 Coventry City (1) 30 August 1978 Crewe Alexandra (4) 2–0 Notts County (2) 30 August 1978 Everton (1) 8–0 Wimbledon (4) 29 August 1978 Exeter City (3) 2–1 Blackburn Rovers (2) 29 August 1978 Fulham (2) 2–2 Darlington (4) 29 August 1978 Leicester City (2) 0–1 Derby County (1) 30 August 1978 Orient (2) 1–2 Chesterfield (3) 29 August 1978 Luton Town (2) 2–0 Wigan Athletic (4) 29 August 1978 Manchester City (1) 2–0 Grimsby Town (4) 29 August 1978 Manchester United (1) 3–2 Stockport County (4) 30 August 1978 Middlesbrough (1) 0–0 Peterborough United (3) 29 August 1978 Northampton Town (4) 0–0 Hereford United (4) 29 August 1978 Oldham Athletic (2) 0–0 Nottingham Forest (1) 29 August 1978 Oxford United (3) 1–1 Plymouth Argyle (3) 30 August 1978 Preston North End (2) 1–3 Queens Park Rangers (1) 29 August 1978 Reading (4) 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) 30 August 1978 Rotherham United (3) 3–1 Arsenal (1) 29 August 1978 Sheffield United (2) 1–0 Liverpool (1) 28 August 1978 Sunderland (2) 0–2 Stoke City (2) 30 August 1978 Swansea City (3) 2–2 Tottenham Hotspur (1) 29 August 1978 Walsall (3) 1–2 Charlton Athletic (2) 29 August 1978 Watford (3) 2–1 Newcastle United (2) 29 August 1978 West Bromwich Albion (1) 0–0 Leeds United (1) 29 August 1978 West Ham United (2) 1–2 Swindon Town (3) 30 August 1978 Wrexham (2) 1–3 Norwich City (1) 29 August 1978
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Bradford City 2–3 Burnley 5 September 1978 Darlington 1–0 Fulham 5 September 1978 Hereford United 0–1 Northampton Town 6 September 1978 Leeds United 0–0After Extra Time West Bromwich Albion 6 September 1978 Nottingham Forest 4–2 Oldham Athletic 6 September 1978 Peterborough United 1–0After Extra Time Middlesbrough 5 September 1978 Plymouth Argyle 1–2After Extra Time Oxford United 5 September 1978 Tottenham Hotspur 1–3 Swansea City 6 September 1978
2nd Replay Home teamScoreAway teamDate West Bromwich Albion 0–1 Leeds United 2 October 1978
Third round Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aston Villa 1–1 Crystal Palace 4 October 1978 Blackpool 1–1 Manchester City 4 October 1978 Burnley 1–3 Brighton & Hove Albion 3 October 1978 Chester 0–2 Norwich City 4 October 1978 Chesterfield 4–5 Charlton Athletic 4 October 1978 Everton 1–0 Darlington 3 October 1978 Exeter City 2–1 Bolton Wanderers 4 October 1978 Luton Town 2–1 Crewe Alexandra 3 October 1978 Manchester United 1–2 Watford 4 October 1978 Northampton Town 1–3 Stoke City 3 October 1978 Oxford United 0–5 Nottingham Forest 4 October 1978 Peterborough United 1–1 Swindon Town 3 October 1978 Queens Park Rangers 2–0 Swansea City 3 October 1978 Rotherham United 2–2 Reading 3 October 1978 Sheffield United 1–4 Leeds United 10 October 1978 Southampton 1–0 Derby County 3 October 1978
Replays Home teamScoreAway teamDate Crystal Palace 0–0After Extra Time Aston Villa 10 October 1978 Manchester City 3–0 Blackpool 10 October 1978 Reading 1–0 Rotherham United 10 October 1978 Swindon Town 0–2After Extra Time Peterborough United 10 October 1978
2nd Replay Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aston Villa 3–0 Crystal Palace 16 October 1978
Fourth round Home teamScoreAway teamDate Aston Villa 0–2 Luton Town 8 November 1978 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–0 Peterborough United 7 November 1978 Charlton Athletic 2–3 Stoke City 7 November 1978 Everton 2–3 Nottingham Forest 7 November 1978 Exeter City 0–2 Watford 8 November 1978 Norwich City 1–3 Manchester City 8 November 1978 Queens Park Rangers 0–2 Leeds United 7 November 1978 Reading 0–0 Southampton 8 November 1978
Replay Home teamScoreAway teamDate Southampton 2–0 Reading 14 November 1978
Fifth Round Home teamScoreAway teamDate Leeds United 4–1 Luton Town 13 December 1978 Nottingham Forest 3–1 Brighton & Hove Albion 13 December 1978 Southampton 2–1 Manchester City 12 December 1978 Stoke City 0–0 Watford 13 December 1978
Replay Home teamScoreAway teamDate Watford 3–1After Extra Time Stoke City 9 January 1979
Semi-finals
First leg Home teamScoreAway teamDate Leeds United 2–2 Southampton 24 January 1979 Nottingham Forest 3–1 Watford 17 January 1979
Second leg Home teamScoreAway teamDateAgg Southampton 1–0 Leeds United 30 January 1979 3–2 Watford 0–0 Nottingham Forest 30 January 1979 1–3
Final
Match details
Nottingham ForestRed shirts/White shorts/Red socks3 — 2(final score after 90 minutes)SouthamptonYellow shirts/Blue shorts/Yellow socksManager: Brian Clough Team: 1 Peter Shilton (GK) 2 Colin Barrett 3 Frank Clark 4 John McGovern (c) 5 Larry Lloyd 6 David Needham 7 Martin O'Neill 8 Archie Gemmill 9 Garry Birtles 10 Tony Woodcock 11 John Robertson 12 Ian Bowyer
Scorers: Garry Birtles , Tony Woodcock Half-time:0–1
Competition:Football League Cup (Final)
Date:15.00 GMT Saturday 17 March 1979
Venue:Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 96,952
Referee: Peter Reeves
Match rules:90 minutes.30 minutes extra-time if necessary.Match replayed if scores still level.One named substitute.Manager: Lawrie McMenemy Team: 1 Terry Gennoe (GK) 2 Ivan Golac 3 David Peach 4 Steve Williams 5 Chris Nicholl 6 Malcolm Waldron 7 Alan Ball (c) 8 Phil Boyer 9 Austin Hayes 10 Nick Holmes 11 Terry Curran 12 Tony Sealy Scorers: David Peach Nick Holmes
References
General
Specific