1996–97 Football League Cup

The 1996–97 Football League Cup (known as the Coca-Cola Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 37th Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs.

1996–97 Football League Cup
League Cup, Coca-Cola Cup
Country England
 Wales
Teams92
Defending championsAston Villa
ChampionsLeicester City (2nd title)
Runners-upMiddlesbrough
Top goal scorer(s)Fabrizio Ravanelli
(9 goals)

The tournament was won by Leicester City, who beat Middlesbrough 1–0 in the final replay at Hillsborough after finishing 1–1 at Wembley Stadium.[1][2]

First round

66 of the First, Second and Third Division clubs compete from the First Round. Each section is divided equally into a pot of seeded clubs and a pot of unseeded clubs. Clubs' rankings depend upon their finishing position in the 1995–96 season.

First leg
Home team Result Away team Date
Brentford1–0Plymouth Argyle20 August 1996
Brighton & Hove Albion0–1Birmingham City21 August 1996
Cardiff City1–0Northampton Town20 August 1996
Carlisle United1–0Chester City20 August 1996
Colchester United2–3West Bromwich Albion20 August 1996
Darlington1–0Rotherham United20 August 1996
Doncaster Rovers1–1York City20 August 1996
Exeter City0–4Barnet20 August 1996
Hartlepool United2–2Lincoln City20 August 1996
Hereford United3–0Cambridge United20 August 1996
Huddersfield Town3–0Wrexham20 August 1996
Hull City2–2Scarborough20 August 1996
Ipswich Town2–1Bournemouth20 August 1996
Luton Town3–0Bristol Rovers20 August 1996
Mansfield Town0–3Burnley20 August 1996
Millwall1–0Peterborough United21 August 1996
Notts County1–1Bury20 August 1996
Oldham Athletic0–1Grimsby Town20 August 1996
Oxford United1–1Norwich City20 August 1996
Port Vale1–0Crewe Alexandra20 August 1996
Portsmouth2–0Leyton Orient20 August 1996
Reading1–1Wycombe Wanderers20 August 1996
Rochdale2–1Barnsley20 August 1996
Scunthorpe United2–1Blackpool20 August 1996
Sheffield United3–0Bradford City20 August 1996
Shrewsbury Town0–2Tranmere Rovers21 August 1996
Southend United0–2Fulham20 August 1996
Stockport County2–1Chesterfield20 August 1996
Swansea City0–1Gillingham20 August 1996
Swindon Town2–0Wolverhampton Wanderers20 August 1996
Torquay United3–3Bristol City20 August 1996
Walsall1–0Watford20 August 1996
Wigan Athletic2–3Preston North End20 August 1996

Second leg
Home team Result Away team Date Agg.
Barnet2–0Exeter City3 September 19966–0
Barnsley2–0Rochdale3 September 19963–2
Birmingham City2–0Brighton & Hove Albion4 September 19963–0
Blackpool2–0Scunthorpe United3 September 19963–2
Bournemouth0–3Ipswich Town3 September 19961–5
Bradford City1–2Sheffield United3 September 19961–5
Bristol City1–0Torquay United3 September 19964–3
Bristol Rovers2–1Luton Town4 September 19962–4
Burnley2–0Mansfield Town3 September 19965–0
Bury1–0Notts County3 September 19962–1
Cambridge United1–1Hereford United3 September 19961–4
Chester City1–3Carlisle United3 September 19961–4
Chesterfield1–2Stockport County3 September 19962–4
Crewe Alexandra1–5Port Vale3 September 19961–6
Fulham1–2Southend United3 September 19963–2
Gillingham2–0Swansea City3 September 19963–0
Grimsby Town0–1[3][4]Oldham Athletic3 September 19961–1
Leyton Orient1–0Portsmouth4 September 19961–2
Lincoln City3–2Hartlepool United3 September 19965–4
Northampton Town2–0Cardiff City3 September 19962–1
Norwich City2–3[3]Oxford United4 September 19963–4
Peterborough United2–0[3]Millwall3 September 19962–1
Plymouth Argyle0–0Brentford3 September 19960–1
Preston North End4–4[3]Wigan Athletic3 September 19967–6
Rotherham United0–1Darlington3 September 19960–2
Scarborough3–2Hull City3 September 19965–4
Tranmere Rovers1–1Shrewsbury Town3 September 19963–1
Watford2–0Walsall3 September 19962–1
West Bromwich Albion1–3Colchester United3 September 19964–5
Wolverhampton Wanderers1–0Swindon Town4 September 19961–2
Wrexham1–2Huddersfield Town3 September 19961–5
Wycombe Wanderers2–0Reading3 September 19963–1
York City2–0Doncaster Rovers3 September 19963–1

Second round

The 33 winners from the First Round joined the 15 Premier League clubs not participating in European competition plus the 3 non-promoted play-off teams from the First Division and the 3 relegated clubs from the Premier League in the 1995–96 season in Round Two. First leg matches were played on the 17 and 18 September, second leg matches were played on 24 and 25 September.

First Leg
Home Team Score Away Team Date
Barnet1–1West Ham United18 September 1996
Barnsley1–1Gillingham17 September 1996
Blackpool1–4Chelsea18 September 1996
Brentford1–2Blackburn Rovers17 September 1996
Bristol City0–0Bolton Wanderers18 September 1996
Bury1–3Crystal Palace17 September 1996
Charlton Athletic4–1Burnley17 September 1996
Coventry City1–1Birmingham City18 September 1996
Everton1–1York City18 September 1996
Fulham1–1Ipswich Town17 September 1996
Huddersfield Town1–1Colchester United17 September 1996
Leeds United2–2Darlington18 September 1996
Lincoln City4–1Manchester City17 September 1996
Luton Town1–0Derby County17 September 1996
Middlesbrough7–0Hereford United18 September 1996
Nottingham Forest1–0Wycombe Wanderers18 September 1996
Oldham Athletic2–2Tranmere Rovers17 September 1996
Port Vale1–0Carlisle United17 September 1996
Preston North End1–1Tottenham Hotspur17 September 1996
Scarborough0–2Leicester City17 September 1996
Sheffield Wednesday1–1Oxford United18 September 1996
Southampton2–0Peterborough United18 September 1996
Stockport County2–1Sheffield United17 September 1996
Stoke City1–0Northampton Town18 September 1996
Swindon Town1–2Queens Park Rangers18 September 1996
Watford0–2Sunderland17 September 1996
Wimbledon1–0Portsmouth18 September 1996

Second Leg
Home Team Score Away Team Date Agg
Birmingham City0–1Coventry City24 September 19961–2
Blackburn Rovers2–0Brentford24 September 19964–1
Bolton Wanderers3–1[3]Bristol City24 September 19963–1
Burnley1–2Charlton Athletic24 September 19962–6
Carlisle United2–2Port Vale24 September 19962–3
Chelsea1–3Blackpool25 September 19965–4
Colchester United0–2[3]Huddersfield Town24 September 19961–3
Crystal Palace4–0Bury24 September 19967–1
Darlington0–2Leeds United24 September 19962–4
Derby County2–2Luton Town25 September 19962–3
Gillingham1–0Barnsley24 September 19962–1
Hereford United0–3Middlesbrough24 September 19960–10
Ipswich Town4–2Fulham24 September 19965–3
Leicester City2–1Scarborough25 September 19964–1
Manchester City0–1Lincoln City24 September 19961–5
Northampton Town1–2[3]Stoke City24 September 19961–3
Oxford United1–0Sheffield Wednesday24 September 19962–1
Peterborough United1–4Southampton25 September 19961–6
Portsmouth1–1Wimbledon25 September 19961–2
Queens Park Rangers1–3[3]Swindon Town25 September 19963–4
Sheffield United2–5Stockport County24 September 19963–7
Sunderland1–0Watford24 September 19963–0
Tottenham Hotspur3–0Preston North End25 September 19964–1
Tranmere Rovers0–1Oldham Athletic24 September 19962–3
West Ham United1–0Barnet25 September 19962–1
Wycombe Wanderers1–1[3]Nottingham Forest24 September 19961–2
York City3–2Everton24 September 19964–3

Third round

The 27 winners from the Second Round joined the five Premiership clubs participating in European competition in Round Three. Matches were played on 22 and 23 October.

Ties
Home team Score Away team Date
Blackburn Rovers0–1Stockport County22 October 1996
Bolton Wanderers2–1Chelsea22 October 1996
Gillingham2–2Coventry City22 October 1996
Ipswich Town4–1Crystal Palace22 October 1996
Wimbledon1–1Luton Town22 October 1996
Port Vale0–0Oxford United22 October 1996
York City0–2Leicester City22 October 1996
Charlton Athletic1–1Liverpool23 October 1996
Leeds United1–2Aston Villa23 October 1996
Manchester United2–1Swindon Town23 October 1996
Middlesbrough5–1Huddersfield Town23 October 1996
Newcastle United1–0Oldham Athletic23 October 1996
Southampton1–1Lincoln City23 October 1996
Stoke City1–1Arsenal23 October 1996
Tottenham Hotspur2–1Sunderland23 October 1996
West Ham United4–1Nottingham Forest23 October 1996

Replays
Home team Score Away team Date
Coventry City0–1Gillingham13 November 1996
Luton Town1–2[3]Wimbledon12 November 1996
Oxford United2–0Port Vale5 November 1996
Liverpool4–1Charlton Athletic13 November 1996
Lincoln City1–3Southampton12 November 1996
Arsenal5–2Stoke City13 November 1996

Fourth round

Most matches were played on 26 November 27 November with two replays being played on 18 December.

Ipswich Town1–0Gillingham
Naylor  73'
Portman Road, Ipswich
Attendance: 13,537
Oxford United1–1Southampton
Moody  90' Dryden  26'
Attendance: 9,473
Wimbledon1–0Aston Villa
Gayle  44'
Attendance: 7,573
Bolton Wanderers6–1Tottenham Hotspur
McGinlay  9'  37'  74' (pen)
Taggart  60'
Blake  79'
Taylor  86'		 Sheringham  19'
Burnden Park, Bolton
Attendance: 18,621
Leicester City2–0Manchester United
Claridge  38'
Heskey  77'
Filbert Street, Leicester
Attendance: 20,428
Liverpool4–2Arsenal
McManaman  26'
Fowler  39' (pen)  52'
Berger  72'		 Wright  13' (pen)  68' (pen)
Anfield, Liverpool
Attendance: 32,814
Middlesbrough3–1Newcastle United
Whyte  27'
Beck  61'
Ravanelli  89'		 Shearer  45'
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Attendance: 29,831
West Ham United1–1Stockport County
Răducioiu  12' Cavaco  51'
Attendance: 29,831

Replays
Southampton3–2Oxford United
Berkovic  21'
Dryden  52'
Østenstad  58'		 Jemson  42'
Ford  59'
The Dell, Southampton
Attendance: 10,737
Stockport County2–1West Ham United
Dowie  23' (og)
Angell  27'		 Dicks  22'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 9,834

Quarter-finals

The four matches were played between 8 and 29 January.

Bolton Wanderers0–2Wimbledon
Ekoku  3'
Leonhardsen  22'
Burnden Park, Bolton
Attendance: 16,968
Middlesbrough2–1Liverpool
Hignett  14'
Vickers  27'		 McManaman  65'
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Attendance: 28,670
Ipswich Town0--1Leicester City
Robins  42'
Portman Road, Ipswich
Attendance: 19,000
Stockport County2–2Southampton
Armstrong  25'
Cavaco  26'		 Østenstad  16'  85'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 9,840

Replay
Southampton1–2Stockport County
Le Tissier  9' Angell  63'
Mutch  83'
The Dell, Southampton
Attendance: 13,428

Semi-finals

The semi-final draw was made in January 1997 after the conclusion of the quarter finals. Unlike the other rounds, the semi-final ties were played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The first leg matches were played on 18 and 26 February 1997, the second leg matches were played on 11 and 12 March 1997. Leicester City went through on away goals to reach their first cup final in 28 years at the expense of Wimbledon, while Division Two underdogs Stockport gave Middlesbrough a run for their money, going out by a single goal.

First leg
Leicester City0–0Wimbledon
Filbert Street, Leicester
Attendance: 16,021
Stockport County0–2Middlesbrough
Beck  73'
Ravanelli  79'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 11,778

Second leg
Wimbledon1–1Leicester City
Gayle  23' Grayson  53'
Attendance: 17,810

Leicester City win on away goals

Middlesbrough0–1Stockport County
Connelly  6'
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Attendance: 29,633

Middlesbrough win 2–1 on aggregate

Final
Main article: 1997 Football League Cup Final

The 1997 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played on 6 April 1997 and was contested between Leicester City and Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium. Leicester won 1–0 in the replay at Hillsborough on 16 April 1997. This was the last year that the Football League Cup Final was decided by a replay.

Leicester City1–1 (a.e.t.)Middlesbrough
Heskey  118' Report Ravanelli  95'
Attendance: 76,757

Replay
Leicester City1–0 (a.e.t.)Middlesbrough
Claridge  100' Report
Attendance: 39,428

References
  1. Moore, Glenn (7 April 1997). "Heskey levels at the last to deflate Juninho". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
  2. Moore, Glenn (17 April 1997). "Claridge's five-star silver service". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
  3. After Extra Time
  4. Oldham Athletic F.C. won 5–4 on penalties
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