The English League Cup

The League Cup competition was the brainchild of Alan Hardaker, who was secretary of the Football League from 1957 to 1979. Hardaker, known as the Godfather of Football, realised a tournament based on two-legged ties would be more financially attractive to lower league members, as opposed to the FA Cup where a small club could go several seasons without ever benefiting from a money spinning home tie.

Of course, this new cup did not impress the survival of the fittest brigade in the top division, and six of them immediately refused to enter.

European qualification was the proverbial carrot dangled in front of the winners for the 1966 competition it was then that the ‘big boys’ started taking an interest. This was the last final to be decided over two legs. The format was unnecessary as the growing popularity of the tournament meant it could now be decided at a neutral venue and the Twin Towers beckoned.

The fact that 98,000 fans packed into Wembley for the 1967 final was conclusive proof that the League Cup was now extremely popular. In just seven years it had earned the right to stand alongside the FA Cup as a showpiece final. In every subsequent year, Wembley would be a sell-out.

In 1982 the competition blazed the trail for sponsorship deals in football, and after a tie-up with the Milk Marketing Board, it became the Milk Cup. The very next year the league linked up with photographic firm Canon and, some time later, the FA Cup followed suit with insurance firm AXA. Over the next few seasons the League Cup would adopt a number of sponsorship guises, including the Littlewoods Cup, Rumbelows Cup and the Coca-Cola Cup.