THE CARLING CUP

Carling Cup

AN OVERVIEW
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or Carling Cup, is an English football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout (single elimination) basis. Unlike the FA Cup where 762 teams entered in 2008–09 only 92 clubs can enter—the 20 clubs of the Premier League, and the 72 clubs of The Football League, which organises the competition. Unlike the FA Cup, the semi-finals are played over two legs. The winners qualify for the UEFA Europa League, if they have not qualified for European competition in some other way. (If the winner qualifies for the Champions League, the UEFA Europa League spot is given to the team that finishes highest in the Premier League that has not already qualified for a European competition.) Manchester United are the current holders


HISTORY

During the late 1950s, the majority of senior English clubs equipped their grounds with floodlights. This opened up the opportunity to exploit weekday evenings throughout the winter. The League Cup was introduced in the 1960–61 season specifically as a mid-week floodlit tournament. In the early years of the competition, many of the top teams declined to take part. It was only when automatic entry to the UEFA Cup was promised to the winners that the full League membership took part.

In the last 10 years, following restructuring of European football, and the introduction of the restructured format of the UEFA Champions League, the League Cup was threatened with losing its UEFA Cup slot for its winners. It has retained it thus far however, and along with France is the only nation to offer a UEFA cup slot to its second cup competition winners. Therefore it retains enough importance and popularity, especially with fans of clubs for whom the League Cup offers a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe.

Aston Villa were the inaugural winners in 1960–61. Liverpool have won the cup on the most occasions with seven victories including four successive trophies in the early 1980s. They have appeared ten times in the final overall, also a record. Thanks to winning the competition, Liverpool were able to complete two trebles of trophy wins, in 1984 and 2001. The present holders are Manchester United, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 on penalties after the 2009 final finished goalless after extra time.



Winners

Liverpool won 7
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003

Aston Villa won 5
1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996

Tottenham Hotspur won 4
1971, 1973, 1999, 2008 1982, 2002, 2009

Nottingham Forest won 4
1978, 1979, 1989, 1990 1980, 1992

Chelsea won 4
1965, 1998, 2005, 2007 1972,

Manchester United won 3
1992, 2006, 2009

Leicester City won 3
1964, 1997, 2000

Arsenal won 2
1987, 1993

Norwich City won 2
1962, 1985

Manchester City won 2
1970, 1976

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2
1974, 1980

West Bromwich Albion won 1
1966

Middlesbrough won 1
2004

Birmingham City won 1
1963

Queens Park Rangers won 1
1967

Leeds United won 1
1968

Stoke City won
1972

Luton Town won 1
1988

Sheffield Wednesday won 1
1991

Swindon Town won 1
1969

Oxford United won 1
1986

Blackburn Rovers won 1
2002