104-581: The Football League Centenary Tournament (also known as the Mercantile Credit Football Festival ) was a friendly tournament held from 16 to 17 April 1988 at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Football League . The tournament was won by First Division Nottingham Forest , who beat Sheffield Wednesday in the final on penalties. Their success was achieved despite manager Brian Clough not attending
208-724: A Rest of the World XI (featuring Diego Maradona and Gary Lineker ) in August 1987, Football League champions Everton facing Bayern Munich in a mid-season challenge match (at a time when English clubs were banned from UEFA competitions) with Everton winning 3–1, and the Football League Centenary Trophy between leading teams held at the start of the 1988–89 season (the final was won by Arsenal against Manchester United in October 1988). Other announced events, however, including
312-482: A League Cup came from Stanley Rous , who saw the competition as a consolation for clubs who had already been knocked out of the FA Cup. However, it was not Rous who came to implement it, but Football League Secretary Alan Hardaker . Hardaker initially proposed the competition as a way for the clubs to make up for lost revenue due to a reduction in matches played, for when the league was to be reorganised. The reorganisation of
416-647: A jump over 13 single decker city buses, an accident which resulted in his initial retirement from his daredevil life. In 1992, the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) drew a sellout of 80,355 when SummerSlam was hosted at Wembley Stadium. In the main event, English wrestler Davey Boy Smith won the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart . As of April 2023, WWE considers this to be their seventh largest live gate in history behind only WrestleMania 32 (2016), which drew
520-420: A million spectators compared to the previous season. It was established at a time when tensions between the Football League and The Football Association were high. The biggest disagreement was about how revenue was shared between the clubs. 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
624-473: A nationwide series of fun runs, a gala classical music concert at the Royal Albert Hall , and a pop music event at Wembley Arena , never took place. The celebrations, which were sponsored by Mercantile Credit, were criticised for being overly drawn-out and uninspiring. The Football League Centenary Tournament was originally announced as a six-a-side tournament involving all 92 League teams, affording many
728-502: A number of upsets over a nine-year stretch; whilst playing in the third tier in 1997–98 they defeated Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday 4–3 on aggregate over both legs before knocking out fellow Premier League side (and League Cup holders) Leicester City 3–1. In 2001–02 they beat current holders Liverpool at Anfield with a 2–1 win in extra time. Four years later they recorded another giant killing by defeating Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 at home, by this time Grimsby were playing in
832-510: A position in Europe was on offer, as was a final at Wembley Stadium , the competition's standing was improved and in the 1968–69 season only Manchester United declined to participate. Everton chose not to compete in 1970–71 so that they could concentrate their efforts on the European Cup. Entry was made compulsory for all Football League teams the following year. Liverpool have won the cup on
936-625: A record for the continent's top football tournament until the inauguration of the new Wembley Stadium in 2007. The first two were 1963 final between Milan and Benfica , and the 1968 final between Manchester United and Benfica. In 1971 , it again hosted the final, between Ajax and Panathinaikos , and once more in 1978 , this time between Liverpool and Club Brugge , another in 1992 , when Barcelona played Sampdoria . Wembley has also hosted two European Cup Winners' Cup finals : in 1965 , when West Ham United defeated 1860 Munich , and in 1993 , when Parma defeated Royal Antwerp . It
1040-641: A reported 101,763, WrestleMania III (1987), which drew a reported 93,173, WrestleMania 35 , which drew 82,265, WrestleMania 39 (2023) Night 2 and Night 1, which drew 81,395 and 80,497, respectively, and WrestleMania 29 (2013), which drew 80,676 fans. EFL Cup The EFL Cup , often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition in men's domestic football in England . Organised by
1144-422: A revival in respect for the trophy, as the larger Premier League clubs have come to dominate the competition again, and the development nature of the competition has begun to be viewed as a positive for the clubs involved. Premier League giants Manchester City (6), Manchester United (5), Liverpool (5) and Chelsea (3) between them won 19 editions of the tournament between 2001 and 2024. The original idea for
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#17330862089291248-576: A riot at the European Cup final, resulting in the death of 39 spectators. That year's winners of the League Cup were Norwich City , who would otherwise have played in a European competition for the first time in the 1985–86 season . Oxford United , Arsenal , Luton Town and Nottingham Forest also missed out on the chance to compete in the UEFA Cup as League Cup holders over the next four years. Even when
1352-530: A system of byes based on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds and defers the entry of teams still involved in Europe. Winners not only receive the EFL Cup, of which there have been three designs, the current one also being the original, but also qualify for European football: from 1966–67 until 1971–72 the winners received a place in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup , from 1972–1973 until
1456-537: A track that was difficult to pass on which often led to processional racing. Among those who never performed well there despite their credentials include 1973 World Champion Jerzy Szczakiel (who won his title at home in Poland and two weeks later under difficult circumstances failed to score in the World Team Cup Final at Wembley), while others such as Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen often seemed to find their best form at
1560-456: Is best known for hosting football matches, having hosted the FA Cup Final annually as well as numerous England International fixtures. The Empire Stadium was built in exactly 300 days at the cost of £750,000. Described as the world's greatest sporting arena, it was ready only four days before the "White Horse" final in 1923. The FA had not considered admission by ticket, grossly underestimating
1664-457: The 1992 Rugby League World Cup final between Great Britain and Australia (since beaten by the 74,468 attendance for the 2013 RLWC Final at Old Trafford ). The Mal Meninga -led Australian team won the game 10–6 on the back of a Steve Renouf try in the north-east corner and Meninga's goal kicking. The 1995 World Cup Final between England and Australia was also played at Wembley with 66,540 spectators watching Australia win 16–8. The final of
1768-447: The 1999 Challenge Cup was the last to be played at the stadium and was attended by 73,242 fans, with the annual fixture moving to other grounds ( Murrayfield Stadium , Millennium Stadium and Twickenham ) before returning to the new Wembley upon its completion in 2007. Wembley was the main venue for the 1948 Summer Olympics , with Fanny Blankers-Koen and Emil Zátopek among the notable winners in athletics . The Stadium also hosted
1872-517: The 2024 final to win their tenth League Cup. Although the League Cup is one of the four domestic trophies attainable by English league teams, it is regarded as of lower prestige than the league title or the FA Cup . League Cup winners receive £100,000 prize money (awarded by the Football League) with the runners-up receiving £50,000, considered relatively insignificant to top-flight teams, compared to
1976-519: The British Empire Exhibition of 1924–25. First known as the "British Empire Exhibition Stadium" or simply the "Empire Stadium", it was built by Sir Robert McAlpine for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 (extended to 1925). The stadium cost £750,000 (equivalent to approximately £46 million in 2020) and was constructed on the site of a folly called Watkin's Tower . The architects were Sir John Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton and
2080-468: The Czech Republic 2–1 with the first international golden goal in football history. Germany had earlier defeated England on penalties in the semi-final after a 1–1 draw, with Gareth Southgate having his penalty saved against England in the shoot-out. England's final two competitive matches played at the stadium resulted in 0–1 defeats for England to Scotland and Germany respectively. The first defeat
2184-529: The Empire Stadium ) was a football stadium in Wembley , London , best known for hosting important football matches. It stood on the same site now occupied by its successor and by its predecessor, Watkin's Tower . Wembley hosted the FA Cup final annually, the first in 1923 , which was the stadium's inaugural event, the League Cup final annually, five European Cup finals, the 1966 World Cup final , and
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#17330862089292288-699: The English Football League (EFL), it is open to any club within the top four levels of the English football league system —92 clubs in total—comprising the top-level Premier League , and the three divisions of the English Football League's own league competition ( Championship , League One and League Two ). First held in 1960–61 as the Football League Cup , it is one of the three top-tier domestic football competitions in England alongside
2392-447: The Football League as the English Football League in 2016, the tournament was rebranded as the EFL Cup from the 2016–17 season onwards. The tournament is played over seven rounds, with single-leg ties throughout, except for the semi-finals. The final is held at Wembley Stadium , which is the only leg in the competition played at a neutral venue and on a weekend (Sunday). The first two rounds are split into North and South sections, and
2496-547: The Premier League and FA Cup . It concludes in late-February, long before the other two major competitions, which end in May. It was introduced by the league as a response to the increasing popularity of European football, and to also exert power over the FA. It also took advantage of the roll-out of floodlights, allowing the fixtures to be played as midweek evening games. With the renaming of
2600-573: The RFL held its Challenge Cup Final at Wembley from 1929 onwards. The stadium was also regularly used by the sport for major international matches, such as Great Britain versus Australia . In 1949 the France national rugby league team became the first France national team of any sport to win at Wembley. The largest crowd for a Challenge Cup Final at Wembley was set in 1985 when Wigan beat Hull F.C. 28–24 in front of 99,801 spectators, which as of 2017 remains
2704-646: The St. Louis Cardinals played the first game on 6 August 1983. The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys played the last game on 8 August 1993. The United States Football League also played an exhibition game there on 21 July 1984 between the Philadelphia Stars and Tampa Bay Bandits . The London Monarchs of the World League of American Football played at the venue in 1991 and 1992. Wembley hosted World Bowl '91 ,
2808-412: The away goals rule and penalties being adopted instead. The semi-finals were the exception to this, with level ties being replayed until 1986–87 , after which the away goals rule and penalties were introduced. The semi-finals, when played over two legs, would apply the away goals rule only after extra time. From 2018–19 , extra time was scrapped for all rounds except the final, and the away goal rule
2912-447: The final of Euro 1996 . Brazilian footballer Pelé once said of the stadium: "Wembley is the cathedral of football. It is the capital of football and it is the heart of football", in recognition of its status as the world's most famous football stadium. The stadium also hosted many other sports events, including the 1948 Summer Olympics , rugby league's Challenge Cup final, and the 1992 and 1995 Rugby League World Cup finals . It
3016-496: The 104 turnstiles into the stadium, far exceeding its official 127,000 capacity. The crowds overflowed onto the pitch as there was no room on the terraces. Estimates of the number of fans in attendance range from 240,000 to well over 300,000. It was thought that the match would not be played because of the number of spectators inside the stadium that had spilled onto the pitch, until mounted police, including Police Constable George Scorey and his white horse, Billy , slowly pushed
3120-635: The 2019–20 season in the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) and starting with the 2020–21 season in the UEFA Conference League . Should the winner also qualify for Europe through other means at the end of the season, this place is transferred to the highest-placed Premier League team that has not already qualified for European competition. The most successful club in the competition are current holders Liverpool , who defeated Chelsea 1–0 in
3224-628: The 39 steps needed to be climbed to reach the Royal box and collect a trophy (and winners'/losers' medals). In 1934, the Empire Pool was built nearby. The "Wembley Stadium Collection" is held by the National Football Museum . The stadium closed in October 2000 and demolition commenced in December 2002, completing in 2003 for redevelopment . The top of one of the twin towers was erected as a memorial in
Football League Centenary Tournament - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-513: The Final of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1968 , 1970 and 1973 won by Great Britain (1968 and 1973) and Sweden (1970). The speedway track at Wembley Stadium was 345 metres (377 yards) in length and was notoriously difficult to ride for those not used to it. Despite regularly being used for World Championship and other British championship meetings, Wembley long had a reputation as
3432-538: The Football League , the Argonauts . In March 1998, Arsenal made a bid to purchase Wembley in the hope of gaining a larger stadium to replace their Highbury ground , which had a capacity of less than 40,000 and was unsuitable for expansion. However, the bid was later abandoned in favour of building the 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium , which was opened in 2006. On 20 May 2000, the last FA Cup final to be played at
3536-483: The Football League more negotiating power with the FA and UEFA. Hardaker threatened UEFA with a boycott of the UEFA Cup , unless UEFA gave the League Cup winner European qualification. As a result of the negotiating tactics, UEFA provided the League Cup winner with a place in the European competitions, providing the team was in the first division. Tottenham Hotspur were the first team to qualify for Europe by virtue of winning
3640-533: The Football League propose next season to implement their useless Football League Cup to be played in midweek. It gets the players, the clubs and the public nowhere." Aston Villa were the inaugural winners in 1960–61 , defeating Rotherham United 3–2 in the final over two legs. Football in England was considered to be of a low quality, compared to what was being played on the continent, as relatively unfashionable clubs Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers were England's representatives in Europe that year, having lifted
3744-528: The League Cup than in the FA Cup due to the absence of non-league sides and the fact that big clubs often field more inexperienced sides in the early rounds. However, there have been some notable upsets, the final of 1966–67 saw Division Three side Queens Park Rangers come from 2–0 down at half time to win 3–2 against top-flight West Bromwich Albion in the first League Cup Final to be hosted at Wembley Stadium. Two years later in 1968–69 , Third Division side Swindon Town beat Arsenal 3–1 after extra time in
3848-605: The League Cup was 10,556, just higher than the average gate in the Third Division. The total attendance of the Football League competition had fallen by 4 million from the previous season. Richards is reputed to have told Hardaker that he foresaw 'the League Cup final being held at Wembley, but that it wouldn't be during his lifetime'. The first League Cup final to be held at Wembley was Third Division Queens Park Rangers's win over First Division West Bromwich Albion on 4 March 1967. Richards died in 1968. The first League Cup
3952-489: The League Cup's winners. England and France are the only UEFA members to offer a European berth to the winners of their second cup competitions until 2020, when Coupe de la Ligue was suspended indefinitely, meaning England is the only UEFA member to do so. This has allowed the League Cup to retain popularity, especially with fans of clubs for whom success in cup competitions offers their only realistic chance of qualifying for Europe. Giant-killings are less well remembered in
4056-463: The Saturday. Arguably the biggest success story was Division Four side Tranmere Rovers , who a year earlier had almost been relegated out of the Football League. They defeated top-flight sides Wimbledon and Newcastle United , before taking Forest to a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals. Despite the hopes of the Football League, the tournament was poorly attended, with attendance figures of 41,500 on
4160-708: The St Leger from 1928 until 1998 after which it moved to Wimbledon Stadium and the Trafalgar Cup from 1929 until 1998 after which it moved to Oxford Stadium . In 1931 the famous greyhound Mick the Miller won the St Leger. Wembley's owners' refusal to cancel the regular greyhound racing meant that the match between Uruguay and France in the 1966 FIFA World Cup was played at White City . The National Football League (NFL) held nine preseason American football games at Wembley between 1983 and 1993. The Minnesota Vikings and
4264-581: The all-encircling roof, made from aluminium and translucent glass, were added in 1963. In 1977 fences were erected around the pitch following the England vs Scotland match when Scotland fans invaded the pitch and vandalised the pitch and goalposts. These fences were taken down following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. The stadium's distinctive Twin Towers became its trademark and nickname. Also well known were
Football League Centenary Tournament - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-527: The ban was lifted in 1990, League Cup winners did not participate in European competitions for two more years, when Manchester United won the trophy and qualified for the UEFA Cup anyway, as they had finished second in the league. In the previous two seasons, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday had both been prevented from competing in the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners, due to the gradual reintegration of English clubs in European competitions. In 2016–17 ,
4472-438: The competition to give young players valuable big-game experience. Consequently, it began to be described sarcastically by many fans as the " Mickey Mouse cup ". However, in 2010, in response to Arsène Wenger 's claim that a League Cup win would not end his trophy drought, Alex Ferguson described the trophy as worth winning. After a period of decline when the competition's future was regularly questioned, recent years have seen
4576-478: The competition was renamed the EFL Cup as part of the Football League's rebranding to become the English Football League . In the early 21st century, following restructuring of European football, particularly of its international club competitions, the UEFA Champions League , UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League , there were considerations of removing the prize of European qualification from
4680-581: The competition, narrowly, 1–0, against Arsenal . In 1995–96 , Manchester United were beaten 3–0 at home by York City in the second round, first leg; United could only win 3–1 in the second leg and went out 4–3 on aggregate (York went on to repeat the achievement against Everton the following year). United went on to win the FA Premier League and FA Cup double and did not lose another home game that season, while York narrowly avoided relegation to Division Three (fourth tier). Grimsby Town recorded
4784-481: The competition. Although Leeds United had won the competition before Tottenham, Leeds qualified for Europe based on league position. The winners of the 1966–67 and 1968–69 editions , Queen's Park Rangers and Swindon Town did not participate in Europe, as they were not in the First Division. Prior to the agreement with UEFA, the competition was not considered worthy of the larger clubs' attention. However, once
4888-441: The correspondent felt the League Cup's introduction was adding to existing problems. The Times published on 30 May 1960: "Where a drastic reduction is required in an attempt to raise quality, no doubt quantity and a further spread of mediocrity will be the dose. Where men like Count Bernabeu with his wider horizons, think in terms of a European League for the future in which a lead could surely now be given jointly by our leaders,
4992-499: The crowds back to the sides of the field of play to allow the match to kick off just 45 minutes late. In honour of Billy, the footbridge outside the new Wembley Stadium has been named the White Horse Bridge . The official attendance is often quoted as 126,047. The match saw a 2–0 victory for Bolton Wanderers, with David Jack scoring the first ever goal at Wembley. The 1953 FA Cup final between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers
5096-704: The demolition of the old Wembley . Between 1967 and 1997 , finals that finished level after extra time were replayed at an alternative venue until a winner was decided. The only final to require two replays was the 1977 final between Aston Villa and Everton . The venues that hosted replays were Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield , Old Trafford and Maine Road in Manchester and Villa Park in Birmingham. Since 1998 , finals that have finished level after extra time have been decided by penalty shoot-out. Until 1999–2000 ,
5200-580: The early decades, and continued to attract crowds of several thousand up until the early 1960s. The stadium staged its last greyhound race meeting in December 1998 with the owners, the Greyhound Racing Association , citing economic reasons and the lack of plans for a greyhound track in the stadium's redevelopment. Two of the biggest events in the greyhound racing calendar were the St Leger and Trafalgar Cup . Both were originally held at Wembley,
5304-576: The early years when this was settled on a home and away basis) and in later years the Associate Members' Cup and the Football League promotion play-off finals (in the early years of play-offs they were home and away fixtures). The 1988 final of the Middlesex Charity Cup was also played there. Prior to the 1923 Wembley stadium, international football games had been played by England at various stadia. Most early internationals (including
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#17330862089295408-435: The final to win the trophy. In 1974–75 , Fourth Division side Chester beating defending league champions Leeds United 3–0 on their surprise run to the semi-finals. Former League club and now defunct Scarborough defeated Chelsea 4–3 on aggregate in October 1989, while a Fourth Division club. In 1992–93 , Scarborough then defeated Coventry City (then a top-tier side) 3–2 on aggregate, before ultimately going out of
5512-530: The final was played in late March or early April. Thereafter it has been played in late February or early March. Since 1989–90 , the best player in the League Cup final has been presented with the Alan Hardaker Trophy , named after Alan Hardaker , the former secretary of the Football League who devised the Football League Cup. John Terry , Ben Foster , Vincent Kompany and Virgil van Dijk are
5616-530: The final, where they were beaten by Swansea City . In their centenary year, Swansea became the first team from outside England to win the League Cup on 24 February 2013, when they beat Bradford City 5–0 to win their first major English trophy. In the 2022–23 competition, Gillingham (then ranked 22nd in League Two) eliminated Brentford (then ranked 11th in the Premier League) in the third round on penalties;
5720-589: The first competition sponsor – the Milk Marketing Board, who chose to award their own trophy from 1981–82 to 1985–86. The next sponsor, Littlewoods, also chose to award their own trophy, from 1986–87 until 1989–90 . Later sponsors have used the original. In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, 15 matches will be broadcast live by Sky Sports through 2024 with highlights from the several matches on ITV Sport beginning in 2022/23. This competition
5824-416: The first day and 17,000 for the second in a stadium capable of holding 100,000. The attendance situation was not helped by leading London clubs such as Arsenal , Tottenham Hotspur , West Ham United and Chelsea not qualifying for the tournament. The centenary of the Football League was marked by a number of events between mid-1987 and 1988, including a match at Wembley between a Football League XI and
5928-427: The first ever international football match (1870)) were played at The Oval , which opened in 1845 as the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club and would in 1880 host the first Test match played in England. For the first 27 years, the only International England games played at Wembley were fixtures against Scotland, with other games played elsewhere until 1951. The first team other than Scotland to face England at
6032-423: The fourth tier. Manchester United have also been knocked out by Southend United and Coventry City in 2006–07 and 2007–08 respectively: in the match against Southend they fielded a strong side with 10 internationals, bucking a trend they had themselves started during the 1990s. In the 2014–15 season, Manchester United fielded five international players but lost 4–0 in the second round (in which they entered
6136-474: The hallowed turf. The pitch was surrounded by wooden beams and little damage was caused. Though the venue was not traditionally a regular host of rugby union matches, England played a friendly against Canada on 17 October 1992, as their regular home stadium at Twickenham was undergoing redevelopment. Wales played their Five Nations and autumn international home matches at Wembley (as Twickenham Stadium would not accommodate them) while Cardiff Arms Park
6240-513: The head engineer Sir Owen Williams . The original intention was to demolish the stadium at the end of the Exhibition, but it was saved at the suggestion of Sir James Stevenson , a Scot who was chairman of the organising committee for the Empire Exhibition. The ground had been used for football as early as the 1880s. At the end of the exhibition, which proved to be a financial disappointment,
6344-733: The inaugural World Bowl , where the Monarchs defeated the Barcelona Dragons 21–0. From 1958 until the mid-1970s, hurling and gaelic football tournaments known as the "Wembley Tournaments" were held at Wembley Stadium to bring the Irish sports to expatriates in Britain at the time. Several Gaelic football games were played in Wembley Stadium, most of them exhibition matches, most notably Kerry and Down in 1961. In April 1970 this show jumping event
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#17330862089296448-461: The last single-legged tie to require a replay was played in 1996–97. Until 1974–75 , two-legged ties that remained level after extra time in the second leg would be replayed; in that time, three ties reached a third replay. Between 1975–76 and 1979–80 , ties would still be replayed, but a penalty shoot-out would be used to settle ties that could not be decided after a replay; replays of two-legged matches were finally abolished for 1980–81 , with
6552-411: The league was not immediately forthcoming; however, the cup competition was introduced regardless. The trophy was paid for personally by Football League President Joe Richards, who was proud of the competition, and he had his own name engraved on it. Richards described the competition's formation as an "interim step" on the way to the league's re-organisation. Richards' priority was the reorganisation of
6656-476: The leagues, "perhaps by cutting down the number of clubs in each division, as has already been suggested, and even given more consideration to the system of four up and four down". Hardaker felt that the Football League needed to adapt to the times, as the English game was losing prestige. He felt that the Football League should take the lead in revitalising football in the nation: "It must be obvious to all of you that
6760-465: The major honours ahead of much bigger clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United . Richards referred to the appetite for European football as 'continental fever'. He was keen for the league to re-establish itself: 'We must be prepared to put the interests of the League and the game before individual clubs.' Sixteen clubs opposed the competition's creation, thirty-one approved it. The average attendance across
6864-531: The match around for Blackpool, who had trailed 3–1 to Bolton Wanderers before fighting back to win the match. It remained the only hat-trick ever scored in an FA Cup Final at the original Wembley. The FA Cup final was played there in April or May until 2000 (excluding the 1970 replay when Chelsea beat Leeds United at Old Trafford ). It was also the venue for finals of the FA Amateur Cup , League Cup (except for
6968-466: The most occasions with ten victories, and both they and Manchester City have won four League Cups in successive years. Liverpool completed two trebles of trophy wins, in 1983–84 and 2000–01 , winning the League Cup in both of these years. English clubs lost their place in European competitions for an indefinite period in 1985 as a result of the Heysel disaster , where Liverpool fans had taken part in
7072-491: The number of fans who arrived at the 104 gates on match day. However, after this match, every event apart from the 1982 replay was ticketed. The first event held at the stadium was the 1923 FA Cup final on 28 April between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United . This is known as the White Horse Final . Such was the eagerness to attend the final at the new national stadium that vast numbers of people crammed through
7176-498: The old Wembley saw Chelsea defeat Aston Villa with the only goal scored by Roberto Di Matteo . The final competitive club match there was the 2000 First Division play-off final on 29 May, between Ipswich Town and Barnsley , a 4–2 win resulting in promotion to the Premier League for Ipswich. The last club match of all was the 2000 Charity Shield , in which Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2–0. The last international match
7280-401: The only players to win the award more than once. From 1981 to the present (except from 1960 to 1981 and in 2016–17), the League Cup has attracted title sponsorship, which meant, unlike its older sibling the FA Cup , the League Cup was named after its sponsor , giving it the following names: The winners receive the EFL Cup, of which there have been three designs – the current one also being
7384-419: The opportunity to play at the national stadium for the first time. It was subsequently changed to an 11-a-side competition featuring only 16 teams, who qualified based on points accrued from League games during a specified time window. The following teams participated in the tournament: The first day of competition consisted of the opening round and quarter-finals; matches were 40 minutes in duration. Seven of
7488-400: The original, a three-handled Georgian-style urn with a separate plinth (added later). Designed and manufactured by Mappin & Webb , it weighs 2.976 kg and measures 27 cm by 20.5 cm. It is worth around £20,000. It was used until the 1980–81 competition, before coming back into use ever since the 1990–91 competition. The reason for the break in usage was the introduction of
7592-408: The park on the north side of Overton Close in the nearby Saint Raphael's Estate. The cities of Birmingham and Coventry launched bids to become the new home of England's football team following disputes and a political row regarding the new Wembley's construction. These bids were ultimately unsuccessful as the FA chose in 2002 to keep the national team at the new Wembley once completed. Wembley
7696-423: The season have received a bye to the third round; the remaining Premier League teams enter at the second round, and the remaining Football League teams enter at the first round. If the number of byes causes an odd number of teams to enter a round, another team may be given a bye (usually the highest-placed team of those relegated from the Premier League the previous season) or a preliminary round may be played between
7800-410: The second highest rugby league attendance in England behind only the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay at Bradford 's Odsal Stadium when a then world record attendance of 102,575 saw Warrington defeat Halifax 8–4 (the original 1954 cup final at Wembley, drawn 4–4, was played in front of 81,841 fans). The stadium set the international record crowd for a rugby league game when 73,631 turned out for
7904-416: The semi-finals, which have been two-legged since the competition began. The final was two-legged from 1961 to 1966 , but has been single-legged ever since. The first round was two-legged from 1975–76 to 2000–01 , and the second round was two-legged from 1979–80 to 2000–01 . Single-legged matches would be replayed as necessary until 1993–94 , when penalties were introduced to settle the first replay;
8008-504: The semifinals and finals of the Olympic hockey and football tournaments, the Prix des Nations event in the equestrian competition, and a demonstration match of lacrosse. Motorcycle speedway first took place at Wembley in 1929, and operated until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, a few days before the 1939 World Championship Final was due to be held, but it was cancelled as a result of
8112-407: The site at Wembley was considered by many to be a vast ' white elephant '. It was bought by a property speculator, James White , who planned to sell off the buildings for redevelopment, including the stadium which had been the centrepiece of the exhibition. Arthur Elvin , an ex- RFC officer who had worked in a tobacco kiosk at the exhibition and had previous experience working for a scrap metal firm,
8216-594: The speedway track were supplied by Richard Biffa Ltd whose operating base at the time was in Wembley Hill Road. Richard Biffa later became Biffa Waste Services. The Lions were formed by the Wembley Stadium chairman Sir Arthur Elvin . Between 1936 and 1960 Wembley hosted all of the first 15 finals of the Speedway World Championship . It hosted another nine World Finals before the last one at Wembley took place in 1981 in front of 92,500 fans, just shy of
8320-495: The stadium before it too was demolished. He was able to finance this by forming the 'Wembley Stadium and Greyhound Racecourse Company'. He raised the money to buy the stadium at the original price he had agreed with White, then immediately sold it back to the company, leaving him with a healthy personal profit. Instead of cash, he received shares in the company, which gave him the largest individual stake in Wembley Stadium, and subsequently became chairman. The electric scoreboard and
8424-444: The stadium. The track itself was located inside of the greyhound racing track, but intersected the stadium's playing field at the corners. The pits were located in the tunnel at the eastern end of the stadium. The track record at Wembley will forever be held by Denmark's World Champion of 1984 , 1985 & 1988 Erik Gundersen . In Heat 6 of the 1981 World Final, Gundersen set the 4-lap record (clutch start) of 66.8 seconds. As this
8528-450: The teams were 79 places apart in the English football league system . The League Cup is open to all 92 members of the Premier League and English Football League and is divided into seven rounds, organised so that 32 teams remain by the third round (with the exception of the 1961–62 competition). The fixtures in every round except the final are determined by a random draw. Since 1996–97 , teams involved in European competition during
8632-469: The time has come to do something, and it is up to the Football League to give the lead. I hope the Press will not immediately assume that the League is going to fall out with the F.A. or anybody else... the time has come for our voice to be heard in every problem which affects the professional game." The League Cup competition was established at a time when match-day attendances were dwindling. The league had lost
8736-435: The title), Ronnie Moore (New Zealand), Ove Fundin (Sweden), Barry Briggs (New Zealand), Peter Craven (England), Björn Knutson (Sweden), Ole Olsen (Denmark), Bruce Penhall (United States – the winner of the 1981 World Final), and legendary New Zealand rider Ivan Mauger . With four wins, Sweden's Ove Fundin won the most World Championships at Wembley, winning in 1956 , 1960 , 1963 and 1967 . Wembley also hosted
8840-459: The tournament) against third-tier side MK Dons . In 2010, Liverpool were humbled again by Northampton Town , one of the lowest placed teams in League Two. In the 2012–13 competition, League Two (fourth tier) side Bradford City eliminated three Premier League sides from the competition, becoming the lowest-ranked team to do so since Rochdale in 1961–62 . However, their luck finally ran out in
8944-552: The twelve matches ended up drawn (five of them goalless) and required a sudden-death penalty shootout. Teams winning on penalties are indicated by a †. The semi-finals and final were played on the Sunday. Matches were 60 minutes long. Isherwood, Glen (18 September 2006). Wembley: The Complete Record 1923-2000 . Sportsbooks. p. 512. ISBN 978-1-899807-42-0 . Wembley Stadium (1923) The former Wembley Stadium ( / ˈ w ɛ m b l i / ; originally known as
9048-539: The two teams promoted from the Football Conference the previous season (or, if only one team is promoted, that team would play against the lowest-placed team not to be relegated from the Football League the previous season); preliminary rounds have only been necessary in the 2002–03 and 2011–12 competitions. Up to 1995–96 , all teams were involved by the second round, although some received byes to that stage. Matches in all rounds are single-legged, except for
9152-595: The venue was Argentina. In 1956 and 1971, it was the venue of the home matches of the Great Britain national football team for the qualification matches to the Summer Olympic Games against Bulgaria . In 1966, it was the leading venue of the FIFA World Cup . It hosted nine matches, including the final , where tournament hosts England won 4–2 after extra time against West Germany . Seven years later, Wembley
9256-484: The venue's record speedway attendance of 95,000 set at the 1938 World Final . Riders who won the World Championship at Wembley include; inaugural champion Lionel Van Praag (Australia), Jack Milne (United States), Bluey Wilkinson (Australia), Tommy Price (England), Freddie Williams (Wales), Jack Young (Australia – the first two-time winner, first back-to-back winner and the first second division rider to win
9360-509: The war. The Wembley Lions returned in 1946 and operated in the top flight until the end of the 1956 season winning a number of League titles. A short lived revival saw the Lions in the British League in the 1970 and 1971 seasons . Lionel Van Praag ( 1936 ), Tommy Price ( 1949 ), and Freddie Williams ( 1950 and 1953 ), all won World Championships whilst riding for Wembley. The ashes for
9464-482: The winter. The League Cup was introduced in the 1960–61 season specifically as a mid-week floodlit tournament to replace the Southern Professional Floodlit Cup . The League Cup was criticised by the better-endowed clubs. The Times ' correspondent at the time felt that the League Cup was a step in the wrong direction; the European Cup had been formed five years prior to the League Cup and
9568-505: The £2 million prize money of the FA Cup, which is in turn eclipsed by the Premier League's television money (awarded on final league position) and consequent participation in the Champions League. Some clubs have repeatedly fielded a weaker side in the competition, making the opportunity for giant-killing of the larger clubs more likely. Many teams in the Premier League , Arsenal and Manchester United in particular, have used
9672-454: Was also the venue for Arsenal 's home Champions League matches in 1998–99 and 1999–2000 . It has hosted clubs' home matches on two other occasions; in 1930, when Leyton Orient played two home Third Division South matches while their Lea Bridge Stadium was undergoing urgent remedial works; and in 1930–31 for eight matches by non-League Ealing A.F.C. It was also to be the home of the amateur club which made several applications to join
9776-441: Was also the venue for numerous music events, including the 1985 Live Aid charity concert. In what was the first major WWF (now WWE ) pay-per-view to take place outside North America, it hosted the 1992 SummerSlam . The stadium's first turf was cut by King George V and it was first opened to the public on 28 April 1923. Much of Humphry Repton 's original Wembley Park landscape was transformed in 1922–23 during preparations for
9880-506: Was being rebuilt as the Millennium Stadium in the late 1990s (a deal reciprocated for FA Cups during the construction of the new Wembley Stadium). In total there were seven internationals. Wembley was a regular venue for greyhound racing . It was the first sport Sir Arthur Elvin introduced to the stadium. The opening meeting was in 1927. The greyhound racing provided the stadium with its main source of regular income, especially in
9984-434: Was dubbed the "Matthews final" after Blackpool's winger Stanley Matthews . At age 38, he was making his third and ultimately his final attempt at winning an FA Cup medal. In the previous six years, he failed to earn a winner's medal against Manchester United in 1948 and Newcastle United in 1951 . It featured a hat-trick by Blackpool's Stan Mortensen in his side's 4–3 win, with Matthews almost single-handedly turning
10088-668: Was employed by White to oversee the sale of the buildings and the clearance of the Wembley site. The stadium had gone into liquidation after it was pronounced "financially unviable". After nine months, having earned a good sum from selling various buildings on the site, Elvin agreed to buy the stadium from White for a total of £127,000 as a £12,000 downpayment and the balance plus interest payable over ten years. Facing personal bankruptcy, White killed himself at his home, King Edward's Place , in 1927. This caused financial complications for Elvin, requiring him to raise money within two weeks to buy
10192-581: Was held at Wembley Stadium. This left the grass turf in poor condition for the FA Cup Final a week later. The stadium also staged women's field hockey matches in which England appeared in their annual match between 1951 and 1969 and then from 1971 to 1991. On 18 June 1963, Wembley hosted a heavyweight boxing match between London native boxer Henry Cooper and American rising star Muhammad Ali in front of 35,000 spectators. On 26 May 1975, in front of 90,000 people, Evel Knievel crashed while trying to land
10296-562: Was in the play off for the Euro 2000 qualifiers in November 1999, but England still went through as they won the other leg 2–0 at Hampden Park . However, the final match at Wembley was the opening qualifier for the 2002 World Cup , and defeat prompted the resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan at the end of the match after 18 months in charge. In all, the stadium hosted five European Cup finals,
10400-480: Was on 7 October, in Kevin Keegan's last game as England manager . England were defeated 0–1 by Germany, with Dietmar Hamann scoring the last goal at the original Wembley. On that day, Tony Adams made his 60th Wembley appearance, a record for any player. Adams also claimed England's final goal at the stadium, having scored in the previous home fixture against Ukraine on 31 May. In the sport of rugby league ,
10504-467: Was scrapped for the semi-final, with level ties going straight to a penalty shoot-out. For the first six seasons of the Football League Cup, the final was played over two legs, with each leg being played at the home ground of each finalist. Since 1967 , the final has been played as a single match at Wembley Stadium , although the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was used between 2001 and 2007 , following
10608-493: Was the last time the stadium was used for speedway racing, it remains the track record. Two meetings were held at Wembley in 1974 promoted by Trevor Redmond . The first meeting held featured BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars and National Hot Rods . The second meeting featured the BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars World Final with F1s in support. Before the first meeting the Wembley groundsman threatened to resign over possible damage to
10712-615: Was the venue for a specially arranged friendly between teams called "The Three" and "The Six" to celebrate the United Kingdom joining the European Economic Community . The match finished 2–0 to "The Three". In 1996, it was the principal venue of UEFA Euro 1996 , hosting all of England's matches, as well as the tournament's final, where Germany won the UEFA European Championship for a third time after defeating
10816-411: Was won in 1960–61 by Aston Villa who, at the time, held the overall record for major trophies won in England. The next three finals, however, saw the trophy won by clubs who had never won a major trophy before. One of them, Norwich City , had yet to even play in the First Division, while their opponents Rochdale had played no higher than the Third Division. The introduction of the League Cup gave
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