The 1968–69 Football League Cup was the ninth season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition ended with the final on 15 March 1969.
The final was contested by Third Division team Swindon Town and First Division side Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London. Roger Smart gave Swindon a surprise lead in the first half but Bobby Gould equalised for Arsenal in the 85th minute. In extra-time, Don Rogers scored twice for Swindon, leading them to a 3–1 victory.
Calendar Of the 91 teams, 37 received a bye to the second round (teams ranked 1st–38th in the 1967–68 Football League, excluding Manchester United who did not compete) and the other 54 played in the first round. Semi-finals were two-legged. RoundMain dateFixtures ClubsNew entries this roundOriginalReplays First Round14 August 1968 27 12 91 → 64 54 Second Round 4 September 1968 32 8 64 → 32 37 Third Round25 September 1968 162 32 → 16 none Fourth Round16 October 1968 8 2 16 → 8 none Fifth Round30 October 1968 4 1 8 → 4 none Semi-finals20 November & 4 December 1968 4 1 4 → 2 none Final 15 March 19691 0 2 → 1 none
First round
Ties Home team Score Away team Date Aldershot 2–4 Brentford 14 August 1968 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 1–6 Southend United 13 August 1968 Bradford City 3–2 Hartlepool 14 August 1968 Bradford Park Avenue 0–3 Darlington 13 August 1968 Brighton & Hove Albion 2–0 Oxford United 14 August 1968 Bristol City 2–0 Newport County 13 August 1968 Bristol Rovers 0–2 Swansea Town 13 August 1968 Bury 1–1 Stockport County 13 August 1968 Chester 0–0 Tranmere Rovers 13 August 1968 Colchester United 2–0 Reading 13 August 1968 Crewe Alexandra 1–1 Northampton Town 14 August 1968 Derby County 3–0 Chesterfield 13 August 1968 Doncaster Rovers 0–0 Peterborough United 14 August 1968 Gillingham 2–2 Orient 14 August 1968 Grimsby Town 0–0 Notts County 14 August 1968 Halifax Town 0–3 Hull City 14 August 1968 Lincoln City 2–1 Mansfield Town 14 August 1968 Luton Town 3–0 Watford 14 August 1968 Plymouth Argyle 0–0 Exeter City 14 August 1968 Preston North End 1–1 Oldham Athletic 14 August 1968 Scunthorpe United 2–1 Rotherham United 13 August 1968 Southport 2–2 Barrow 14 August 1968 Swindon Town 2–1 Torquay United 13 August 1968 Walsall 2–0 Shrewsbury Town 13 August 1968 Workington 2–1 Rochdale 14 August 1968 Wrexham 2–0 Port Vale 14 August 1968 York City 3–4 Barnsley 14 August 1968
Replays Home team Score Away team Date Barrow 1–3After Extra Time Southport 19 August 1968 Crewe Alexandra 1–0 Northampton Town 21 August 1968 Exeter City 0–0 Plymouth Argyle 21 August 1968 Orient 3–0 Gillingham 20 August 1968 Notts County 0–1 Grimsby Town 21 August 1968 Oldham Athletic 0–1 Preston North End 21 August 1968 Peterborough United 1–0 Doncaster Rovers 19 August 1968 Stockport County 1–0 Bury 19 August 1968 Tranmere Rovers 2–2 Chester 21 August 1968
Second Replays Home team Score Away team Date Plymouth Argyle 0–1 Exeter City 26 August 1968 Tranmere Rovers 1–1 Chester 26 August 1968
Third replay Home team Score Away team Date Chester 1–2 Tranmere Rovers 28 August 1968
Second round
Ties Home team Score Away team Date Arsenal 1–0 Sunderland 4 September 1968 Aston Villa 1–4 Tottenham Hotspur 4 September 1968 Barnsley 1–1 Millwall 3 September 1968 Birmingham City 0–1 Chelsea 3 September 1968 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 Stoke City 4 September 1968 Bradford City 1–1 Swindon Town 4 September 1968 Brentford 3–0 Hull City 4 September 1968 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–1 Luton Town 4 September 1968 Bristol City 1–0 Middlesbrough 4 September 1968 Carlisle United 2–0 Cardiff City 4 September 1968 Colchester United 0–1 Workington 4 September 1968 Coventry City 2–0 Portsmouth 3 September 1968 Crystal Palace 3–1 Preston North End 4 September 1968 Darlington 1–2 Leicester City 4 September 1968 Derby County 5–1 Stockport County 4 September 1968 Everton 4–0 Tranmere Rovers 3 September 1968 Exeter City 3–1 Sheffield Wednesday 4 September 1968 Grimsby Town 1–1 Burnley 4 September 1968 Huddersfield Town 0–0 Manchester City 3 September 1968 Ipswich Town 2–4 Norwich City 3 September 1968 Leeds United 1–0 Charlton Athletic 4 September 1968 Orient 1–0 Fulham 3 September 1968 Liverpool 4–0 Sheffield United 4 September 1968 Nottingham Forest 2–3 West Bromwich Albion 3 September 1968 Peterborough United 4–2 Queens Park Rangers 4 September 1968 Scunthorpe United 2–1 Lincoln City 3 September 1968 Southampton 3–1 Crewe Alexandra 4 September 1968 Southport 0–2 Newcastle United 2 September 1968 Walsall 1–1 Swansea Town 3 September 1968 West Ham United 7–2 Bolton Wanderers 4 September 1968 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Southend United 4 September 1968 Wrexham 1–1 Blackpool 4 September 1968
Replays Home team Score Away team Date Blackpool 3–0 Wrexham 9 September 1968 Burnley 6–0 Grimsby Town 10 September 1968 Luton Town 4–2 Brighton & Hove Albion 11 September 1968 Manchester City 4–0 Huddersfield Town 11 September 1968 Millwall 3–1 Barnsley 9 September 1968 Stoke City 0–1 Blackburn Rovers 11 September 1968 Swansea Town 3–2 Walsall 10 September 1968 Swindon Town 4–3 Bradford City 10 September 1968
Third round
Ties Home team Score Away team Date Brentford 0–2 Norwich City 24 September 1968 Blackpool 1–0 Manchester City 25 September 1968 Carlisle United 0–3 Leicester City 24 September 1968 Chelsea 0–0 Derby County 25 September 1968 Everton 5–1 Luton Town 24 September 1968 Leeds United 2–1 Bristol City 25 September 1968 Orient 0–1 Crystal Palace 24 September 1968 Liverpool 2–0 Swansea Town 25 September 1968 Peterborough United 2–1 West Bromwich Albion 25 September 1968 Scunthorpe United 1–6 Arsenal 25 September 1968 Southampton 4–1 Newcastle United 25 September 1968 Swindon Town 1–0 Blackburn Rovers 24 September 1968 Tottenham Hotspur 6–3 Exeter City 25 September 1968 West Ham United 0–0 Coventry City 25 September 1968 Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–1 Millwall 25 September 1968 Workington 0–1 Burnley 25 September 1968
Replays Home team Score Away team Date Coventry City 3–2 West Ham United 1 October 1968 Derby County 3–1 Chelsea 2 October 1968
Fourth round
Ties Home team Score Away team Date Arsenal 2–1 Liverpool 15 October 1968 Blackpool 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 16 October 1968 Burnley 4–0 Leicester City 16 October 1968 Coventry City 2–2 Swindon Town 16 October 1968 Crystal Palace 2–1 Leeds United 16 October 1968 Everton 0–0 Derby County 16 October 1968 Norwich City 0–4 Southampton 16 October 1968 Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 Peterborough United 16 October 1968
Replays Home team Score Away team Date Derby County 1–0 Everton 23 October 1968 Swindon Town 3–0 Coventry City 21 October 1968
Fifth round
Ties Home team Score Away team Date Arsenal 5–1 Blackpool 29 October 1968 Burnley 2–0 Crystal Palace 30 October 1968 Derby County 0–0 Swindon Town 30 October 1968 Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 Southampton 30 October 1968
Replay Home team Score Away team Date Swindon Town 1–0 Derby County 5 November 1968
Semi-finals
First leg Home team Score Away team Date Arsenal 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur 20 November 1968 Burnley 1–2 Swindon Town 20 November 1968
Second leg Home team Score Away team Date Agg Swindon Town 1–2 Burnley 4 December 1968 3–3 Tottenham Hotspur 1–1 Arsenal 4 December 1968 1–2
Replay Home team Score Away team Date Burnley 2–3 Swindon Town 18 December 1968
Final
The final was held at Wembley Stadium, London on 15 March 1969.
ArsenalYellow shirts/Blue shorts/Yellow socks1 — 3(after extra time)Swindon TownWhite shirts/White shorts/White socksManager: Bertie Mee Team: Wilson (GK) Storey McNab McLintock Ure Simpson off 71' Radford Sammels Court Gould Armstrong Substitutes: Graham on 71' Scorers: Bobby Gould 86'Half-time:0–1
Competition:Football League Cup (Final)
Date:15:00 BST Saturday 15 March 1969
Venue:Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 98,189
Match rules:90 minutes.30 minutes extra-time if necessary.Match replayed if scores still level.One named substitute.Manager: Danny Williams Team: Downsborough (GK) Thomas Trollope Butler Burrows Harland Heath Smart Smith off 77' Noble Rogers Substitutes: Penman on 77' Scorers: Roger Smart 35' Don Rogers 104', 119'
References
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