1985–86 Associate Members' Cup

December 2014 May 2026 Associate Members Cup 1985–86 Freight Rover Trophy EnglandWales 1984–85 1986–87 The 1985–86 Associate Members' Cup, known as the 1985–86 Freight Rover Trophy, was the fifth staging of a secondary football league tournament, and the third staging of the Associate Members' Cup, a knock-out competition for English football clubs in the Third Division and the Fourth Division. The winners were Bristol City and the runners-up were Bolton Wanderers. The competition began on 14 January 1986 and ended with the final on 24 May 1986 at Wembley Stadium. In the first round, there were two sections split into eight groups: North and South. In the following rounds each section gradually eliminates teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists faced each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy. Preliminary round Northern Section main WDL Q n y y Group 1 North Group 1 BOL Bolton Wanderers CRE Crewe Alexandra STO Stockport County 1 1 0 3 2 1 0 1 4 2 0 1 1 2 6 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Crewe Alexandra 4–1 Stockport County 20 Jan Stockport County 2–2 Bolton Wanderers 28 Jan Bolton Wanderers 1–0 Crewe Alexandra main WDL Q n y y Group 2 North Group 2 DAR Darlington BRN Burnley CHE Chesterfield 1 1 0 3 1 1 1 0 3 2 0 0 2 1 4 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Darlington 2–0 Chesterfield 21 Jan Chesterfield 1–2 Burnley 13 Mar Burnley 1–1 Darlington main WDL Q n y y Group 3 North Group 3 SCU Scunthorpe United HAL Halifax Town LIN Lincoln City 2 0 0 6 3 0 1 1 3 4 0 1 1 2 4 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 15 Jan Lincoln City 1–3 Scunthorpe United 21 Jan Scunthorpe United 3–2 Halifax Town 11 Feb Halifax Town 1–1 Lincoln City main WDL Q n y y Group 4 North Group 4 ROT Rotherham United HAR Hartlepool United YOR York City 1 1 0 3 0 1 0 1 3 5 0 1 1 2 3 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan York City 0–0 Rotherham United 21 Jan Rotherham United 3–0 Hartlepool United 28 Jan Hartlepool United 3–2 York City main WDL Q n y y Group 5 North Group 5 TRA Tranmere Rovers PRE Preston North End BRY Bury 2 0 0 4 1 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 1 4 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 20 Jan Tranmere Rovers 2–0 Preston North End 29 Jan Preston North End 2–0 Bury 26 Feb Bury 1–2 Tranmere Rovers main WDL Q n y y Group 6 North Group 6 WIG Wigan Athletic ROC Rochdale CHE Chester City 2 0 0 8 0 1 0 1 1 6 0 0 2 0 3 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 20 Jan Rochdale 1–0 Chester City 22 Jan Chester City 0–2 Wigan Athletic 28 Jan Wigan Athletic 6–0 Rochdale main WDL Q n y y Group 7 North Group 7 PTV Port Vale WRE Wrexham BLP Blackpool 1 1 0 4 2 0 2 0 3 3 0 1 1 3 5 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 21 Jan Wrexham 1–1 Port Vale 23 Jan Blackpool 2–2 Wrexham 10 Feb Port Vale 3–1 Blackpool main WDL Q n y y Group 8 North Group 8 DON Doncaster Rovers MAN Mansfield Town NOT Notts County 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 complete y 15em 16 Jan Notts County 1–0 Doncaster Rovers 21 Jan Doncaster Rovers 1–0 Mansfield Town 11 Mar Mansfield Town 1–0 Notts County main WDL Q n y y Group 8 North Group 8 play-off MAN Mansfield Town NOT Notts County DON Doncaster Rovers 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 4 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 17 Mar Mansfield Town 4–2 Doncaster Rovers 20 Mar Notts County 0–1 Mansfield Town Southern Section main WDL Q n y y Group 1 South Group 1 LEY Leyton Orient BOU Bournemouth REA Reading 2 0 0 6 1 1 0 1 6 3 0 0 2 0 8 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Leyton Orient 3–1 Bournemouth 21 Jan Bournemouth 5–1 Reading 6 Mar Reading 0–3 Leyton Orient main WDL Q n y y Group 2 South Group 2 NOR Northampton Town COL Colchester United SOU Southend United 2 0 0 5 2 1 0 1 5 3 0 0 2 2 7 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Colchester United 4–1 Southend United 21 Jan Northampton Town 2–1 Colchester United 13 Mar Southend United 1–3 Northampton Town main WDL Q n y y Group 3 South Group 3 GIL Gillingham BRE Brentford DER Derby County 1 1 0 3 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 15 Jan Brentford 0–0 Derby County 22 Jan Derby County 0–2 Gillingham 29 Jan Gillingham 1–1 Brentford main WDL Q n y y Group 4 South Group 4 HER Hereford United BRI Bristol Rovers SWI Swindon Town 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 2 3 0 1 1 2 3 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 15 Jan Hereford United 2–0 Bristol Rovers 21 Jan Bristol Rovers 2–1 Swindon Town 11 Mar Swindon Town 1–1 Hereford United main WDL Q n y y Group 5 South Group 5 CAM Cambridge United PET Peterborough United ALD Aldershot 2 0 0 5 1 1 0 1 3 4 0 0 2 0 3 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Aldershot 0–1 Cambridge United 17 Jan Cambridge United 4–1 Peterborough United 17 Apr Peterborough United 2–0 Aldershot main WDL Q n y y Group 6 South Group 6 BRI Bristol City WAL Walsall PLY Plymouth Argyle 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 2 2 0 1 1 0 1 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Bristol City 0–0 Plymouth Argyle 21 Jan Plymouth Argyle 0–1 Walsall 28 Jan Walsall 1–2 Bristol City main WDL Q n y y Group 7 South Group 7 SWA Swansea City NPT Newport County CAR Cardiff City 1 1 0 3 1 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 3 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em 20 Jan Swansea City 1–1 Newport County 21 Jan Newport County 1–0 Cardiff City 28 Jan Cardiff City 0–2 Swansea City main WDL Q n y y Group 8 South Group 8 TOR Torquay United WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers EXE Exeter City 1 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 2 #ccffcc A complete y 15em 14 Jan Exeter City 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 22 Jan Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Torquay United 29 Jan Torquay United 1–0 Exeter City Quarter-finals Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team18 FebruaryWigan Athletic3–0Rotherham United10 MarchScunthorpe United1–1Port ValePort Vale won 4–3 on penaltiesAfter extra-time.11 MarchBolton Wanderers2–1Tranmere Rovers27 MarchDarlington3–0Mansfield Town Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team19 FebruarySwansea City1–0Torquay United24 FebruaryGillingham2–0Cambridge United24 MarchLeyton Orient1–2Hereford United27 MarchBristol City3–2Northampton Town Area semi-finals Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team26 MarchPort Vale1–2Wigan Athletic1 MayDarlington0–3Bolton Wanderers Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team2 AprilBristol City3–0Gillingham2 AprilHereford United0–0Swansea CityHereford United won 5–4 on penalties Area finals Northern Area final 6 May 1986 Wigan Athletic 0–1 https://www.11v11.com/matches/wigan-athletic-v-bolton-wanderers-06-may-1986-291672/ Bolton Wanderers Springfield Park, Wigan 6,976 9 May 1986 Bolton Wanderers (3) 2 – 1 (1) https://www.11v11.com/matches/bolton-wanderers-v-wigan-athletic-09-may-1986-291673/ Wigan Athletic Burnden Park, Bolton 12,120 Southern Area final 6 May 1986 Hereford United 2–0 Bristol City Edgar Street, Hereford 7,608 9 May 1986 Bristol City (3) 3 – 0 (2) https://www.11v11.com/matches/bristol-city-v-hereford-united-09-may-1986-291675/ Hereford United Ashton Gate, Bristol 11,558 Final 1986 Associate Members' Cup final 24 May 1986 Bristol City 3–0 Bolton Wanderers Report Riley , Pritchard Wembley Stadium, London 54,502 G.Tyson (Sunderland) Notes General statto.com Specific Category:EFL Trophy seasons Associate Members' Cup Associate Members' Cup