1985–86 Football League Cup

April 2014 Football League Cup 1985–86 Milk Cup, League Cup MilkCup.png The Milk Cup EnglandWales 92 Oxford United (1st title) Queens Park Rangers John Aldridge (5) 1984–85 1986–87 The 1985–86 Football League Cup (known as the Milk Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition began on 20 August 1985, and ended with the final on 20 April 1986 at the Old Wembley Stadium. The cup was won by Oxford United, who beat Queens Park Rangers 3–0 in the final, to win their first major cup silverware. It was Oxford United's first season in Division One. Goals from Trevor Hebberd, Ray Houghton and Jeremy Charles sealed the victory. TV coverage of this competition only began after Christmas following the "blackout" where no club matches were shown for the first half of the season,Remember the 1985 TV blackout? Only the Big Yin knew who McAvennie was, Simon Hart, The Independent, 22 October 2011When football fans did not see a single match on TV over Christmas, Steven Pye, The Guardian, 3 December 2019 and there was no UEFA Cup place for the winners as a result of the ban on English clubs that followed the Heysel Stadium disaster. First round A total of 56 teams took part in the First Round. All of the Third Division and Fourth Division sides entered, with eight of the Second Division clubs also starting in this round. The eight clubs consisted of the three teams promoted from the Third Division and the five teams finishing 15th to 19th in the Second Division from the 1984–85 season. Each tie was played across two legs. Home teamFirst LegSecond LegAgg.Away teamDatesFirst LegSecond LegAldershot1–32–23–5Leyton Orient20 August 19853 September 1985Bolton Wanderers4–11–15–2Stockport County20 August 19853 September 1985Bradford City2–24–3After Extra Time6–5Chesterfield21 August 19853 September 1985Bristol Rovers2–00–12–1Newport County20 August 19853 September 1985Burnley2–13–55–6Bury20 August 19853 September 1985Cambridge United1–10–21–3Brentford20 August 19853 September 1985Cardiff City2–11–33–4Swansea City20 August 19853 September 1985Charlton Athletic1–21–12–3Crystal Palace20 August 19853 September 1985Colchester United2–31–43–7Millwall21 August 19853 September 1985Crewe Alexandra3–34–37–6Carlisle United20 August 19853 September 1985Darlington3–20–03–2Scunthorpe United20 August 198510 September 1985Derby County3–00–23–2Hartlepool United21 August 19854 September 1985Halifax Town1–10–31–4Hull City20 August 19853 September 1985Hereford United5–10–25–3Bristol City21 August 19853 September 1985Mansfield Town2–04–46–4Middlesbrough21 August 19853 September 1985Notts County1–01–22–2Away goals ruleDoncaster Rovers20 August 19853 September 1985Peterborough United0–00–20–2Northampton Town21 August 19853 September 1985Plymouth Argyle2–10–22–3Exeter City20 August 19854 September 1985Preston North End2–13–15–2Blackpool20 August 19853 September 1985Reading1–30–21–5Bournemouth21 August 19853 September 1985Rotherham United1–31–52–8Sheffield United20 August 19853 September 1985Southend United1–10–21–3Gillingham20 August 19853 September 1985Torquay United1–22–23–4Swindon Town20 August 19853 September 1985Tranmere Rovers1–30–01–3Chester City28 August 19854 September 1985Walsall4–11–05–1Wolverhampton Wanderers20 August 19853 September 1985Wigan Athletic2–10–22–3Port Vale20 August 19852 September 1985Wrexham4–01–25–2Rochdale20 August 19853 September 1985York City2–12–14–2Lincoln City20 August 19854 September 1985 Second round A total of 64 teams took part in the Second Round, including the 28 winners from round one. The remaining Second Division clubs entered in this round, as well as the 22 sides from the First Division. Each tie was again played across two legs. Home teamFirst LegSecond LegAgg.Away teamDatesFirst LegSecond LegBrentford2–20–22–4Sheffield Wednesday25 September 198515 October 1985Brighton and Hove Albion5–22–07–2Bradford City25 September 19859 October 1985Bristol Rovers2–31–23–5Birmingham City24 September 19858 October 1985Bury1–21–22–4Manchester City25 September 19859 October 1985Chester City1–22–73–9Coventry City25 September 19859 October 1985Crewe Alexandra1–32–33–6Watford24 September 19858 October 1985Crystal Palace0–10–10–2Manchester United24 September 19859 October 1985Derby County2–01–13–1Leicester City25 September 19859 October 1985Everton3–22–05–2Bournemouth25 September 19857 October 1985Exeter City1–41–82–12Aston Villa25 September 19859 October 1985Fulham1–14–25–3Notts County24 September 19858 October 1985Gillingham1–31–22–5Portsmouth24 September 19858 October 1985Grimsby Town1–13–24–3York City24 September 19858 October 1985Hereford United0–01–21–2Arsenal25 September 19858 October 1985Ipswich Town3–14–17–2Darlington24 September 19858 October 1985Leeds United0–03–03–0Walsall25 September 19858 October 1985Liverpool3–05–28–2Oldham Athletic24 September 19859 October 1985Mansfield Town2–20–22–4Chelsea25 September 19859 October 1985Millwall0–00–00–0Southampton won 5–4 on penaltiesSouthampton25 September 19858 October 1985Newcastle United0–01–11–1Barnsley25 September 19858 October 1985Nottingham Forest4–03–07–0Bolton Wanderers25 September 19858 October 1985Leyton Orient2–00–42–4Tottenham Hotspur23 September 198530 October 1985Oxford United2–12–04–1Northampton Town25 September 19858 October 1985Preston North End1–11–22–3Norwich City30 September 19859 October 1985Queens Park Rangers3–05–18–1Hull City24 September 19858 October 1985Sheffield United1–21–32–5Luton Town24 September 19858 October 1985Shrewsbury Town2–32–04–3Huddersfield Town24 September 19858 October 1985Sunderland3–21–34–5Swindon Town24 September 19858 October 1985West Bromwich Albion1–02–23–2Port Vale24 September 19858 October 1985West Ham United3–03–26–2Swansea City24 September 19858 October 1985Wimbledon5–01–26–2Blackburn Rovers24 September 19858 October 1985Wrexham0–10–10–2Stoke City24 September 19858 October 1985 Third round A total of 32 teams took part in the Third Round, all 32 winners from round two. Unlike the previous two rounds, this round was played over one leg. Ties Home teamResultAway teamDateBirmingham City1–1Southampton29 October 1985Chelsea1–1Fulham29 October 1985Coventry City0–0West Bromwich Albion29 October 1985Derby County1–2Nottingham Forest30 October 1985Grimsby Town0–2Ipswich Town29 October 1985Leeds United0–3Aston Villa30 October 1985Liverpool4–0Brighton and Hove Albion29 October 1985Luton Town0–2Norwich City29 October 1985Manchester City1–2Arsenal30 October 1985Manchester United1–0West Ham United29 October 1985Oxford United3–1Newcastle United30 October 1985Portsmouth2–0Stoke City29 October 1985Shrewsbury Town1–4Everton29 October 1985Swindon Town1–0Sheffield Wednesday29 October 1985Tottenham Hotspur2–0Wimbledon6 November 1985Watford0–1Queens Park Rangers29 October 1985 Replays Home teamResultAway teamDateSouthampton3–0Birmingham City6 November 1985Fulham0–1Chelsea6 November 1985West Bromwich Albion4–3Coventry City6 November 1985 Fourth round A total of 16 teams took part in the Fourth Round, all 16 winners from round three. Once again this round was played over one leg. Ties Home teamResultAway teamDateArsenal0–0Southampton19 November 1985Aston Villa2–2West Bromwich Albion19 November 1985Chelsea2–2Everton26 November 1985Ipswich Town6–1Swindon Town26 November 1985Liverpool2–1Manchester United26 November 1985Oxford United3–1Norwich City19 November 1985Queens Park Rangers3–1Nottingham Forest25 November 1985Tottenham Hotspur0–0Portsmouth19 November 1985 Replays Home teamResultAway teamDateSouthampton0–3Arsenal26 November 1985West Bromwich Albion1–2Aston Villa26 November 1985Everton1–2Chelsea10 December 1985Portsmouth0–0Tottenham Hotspur27 November 1985 2nd Replay Home teamResultAway teamDateTottenham Hotspur0–1Portsmouth10 December 1985 Fifth round The eight winners from the Fourth Round took part in the Fifth Round. Once again this round was played over one leg. Ties Home teamResultAway teamDateAston Villa1–1Arsenal22 January 1986Liverpool3–0Ipswich Town21 January 1986Oxford United3–1Portsmouth22 January 1986Queens Park Rangers1–1Chelsea22 January 1986 Replays Home teamResultAway teamDateArsenal1–2Aston Villa4 February 1986Chelsea0–2 after extra timeQueens Park Rangers29 January 1986 Semi-finals As with the first two rounds, the semi-final ties were played over two legs. Favourites Liverpool, in search of a unique domestic treble, were surprisingly beaten by QPR, while Oxford United eased past Aston Villa in the other semi-final. First leg 12 February 1986 Queens Park Rangers 1–0 Liverpool Fenwick 22 Loftus Road, London 15,051 George Courtney (Spennymoor) 4 March 1986 Aston Villa 2–2 Oxford United Birch 33Stainrod 56 John Aldridge 8 57 pen Villa Park, Birmingham 23,098 Joe Worrall (Warrington) Second leg 5 March 1986 Liverpool 2–2 Queens Park Rangers McMahon 42Johnston 69 Whelan 58 o.g. Gillespie 84 o.g. Anfield, Liverpool 23,863 David Hutchinson (Harrogate) QPR win 3–2 on aggregate 12 March 1986 Oxford United 2–1 Aston Villa Phillips 57Charles 73 Walters 87 Manor Ground, Oxford 13,989 Alan Robinson (Waterlooville) Oxford win 4–3 on aggregate Final 1986 Football League Cup Final 20 April 1986 Oxford United 3–0 Queens Park Rangers Hebberd 40Houghton 52Charles 86 Wembley Stadium, London 90,396 Keith Hackett References General http://www.soccerbase.com/cup2.sd?seasonid=137&competitionid=60 English League Cup 1985/1986 3 February 2009 Soccerbase 28 February 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090228215116/http://www.soccerbase.com/cup2.sd?competitionid=60&seasonid=137 dead https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engleagcuphistfull.html England League Cup Full Results 1960–1996 3 February 2009 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation https://web.archive.org/web/20090221012511/http://rsssf.com/tablese/engleagcuphistfull.html 21 February 2009 live Specific External links Official Carling Cup website April 2014 Category:EFL Cup seasons League Cup Cup