| League Cup, Worthington Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | England Wales |
| Teams | 92 |
| Defending champions | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Leicester City(3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Tranmere Rovers |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Top goal scorer(s) | David Kelly (8 goals) |
The1999–2000 Football League Cup (known as theWorthington Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 40th staging of theFootball League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92football clubs.
The competition began on 10 August 1999, and ended with the final on 27 February 2000, the last final to be held at theold Wembley Stadium. For the first time in English football history, the entire draw for each round was made after the first round.[1] This meant each team could plot their route to the final as well as predicting future opponents.
The tournament was won byLeicester City, who beatTranmere Rovers 2–1 in the final, thanks to two goals fromMatt Elliott, sandwiched by an equaliser fromDavid Kelly.[2]
The 70First,Second andThird Division clubs (with the exception of Blackburn Rovers and Charlton Athletic, who were relegated from the Premiership last season) compete from the first round. Each section is divided equally into a pot of seeded clubs and a pot of unseeded clubs. Clubs' rankings depend upon their finishing position in the1998–99 season.
1 Team at home in the 1st leg is denoted as the home team
The 35 winners from the first round joined the 13Premier League clubs not participating in European competition, along with Blackburn Rovers And Charlton Athletic in round two. First leg matches were played on 14 and 15 September, second leg matches were played on 21 and 22 September.
1 Team at home in the 1st leg is denoted as the home team
The 25 winners from the second round joined the sevenPremiership clubs participating in European competition in round three. Matches were played on 12 and 13 October.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 3–0 | Manchester United | 13 October 1999 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 0–1 | Huddersfield Town | 13 October 1999 |
| 3 | Derby County | 1–2 | Bolton Wanderers | 13 October 1999 |
| 4 | Leeds United | 1–0 | Blackburn Rovers | 13 October 1999 |
| 5 | Leicester City | 2–0 | Grimsby Town | 13 October 1999 |
| 6 | Middlesbrough | 1–0 | Watford | 13 October 1999 |
| 7 | Sheffield Wednesday | 4–1 | Nottingham Forest | 13 October 1999 |
| 8 | Southampton | 2–1 | Liverpool | 13 October 1999 |
| 9 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–1 | Crewe Alexandra | 13 October 1999 |
| 10 | West Ham United | 2–0 | Bournemouth | 13 October 1999 |
| 11 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Preston | 12 October 1999 |
| 12 | Bradford City | 2–3 | Barnsley | 12 October 1999 |
| 13 | Wimbledon | 3–2 | Sunderland | 12 October 1999 |
| 14 | Birmingham City | 2–0 | Newcastle United | 12 October 1999 |
| 15 | Tranmere Rovers | 2–0 | Oxford United | 12 October 1999 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 1–2 | Fulham | 12 October 1999 |
Most matches were played on 30 November 1 December with one played on 15 December.
| Birmingham City | 2–3 | West Ham United |
|---|---|---|
Hyde 8'Grainger 44' | Lomas 21' Kitson 87'Cole 89' |
| Middlesbrough | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Ricard 8',83' (pen.) | Henry 38' Šuker 80' | |
| Penalties | ||
Ricard Ziege Gascoigne | 3–1 | Šuker VivasUpsonSylvinho |
| Aston Villa | 4–0 | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| Watson 22' Joachim 66'Dublin 72',90' |
| Leicester City | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | ||
| Gunnlaugsson Elliott Impey Zagorakis Izzet | 4–2 | WoodgateHarteKellyBowyer |
The four matches were played between 14 December and 12 January.
| West Ham United | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Lampard 47' | Taylor 80',118' Joachim 93' |
NOTE: This match was a replay after West Ham were ordered to replay the match after fielding an ineligible player in the original tie. West Ham had won the original tie on penalties.[3]
| Leicester City | 3–3 (a.e.t.) | Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall 85',111' Walsh 87' | Report | Peschisolido 58' Horsfield 75'Coleman 92' |
| Penalties | ||
| Gunnlaugsson Savage Fenton | 3–0 | ColemanTrollopeHorsfield |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2–1 | Wimbledon |
|---|---|---|
| Guðjohnsen 34' Johansen 39' (pen.) | Report | Cort 17' |
| Tranmere Rovers | 2–1 | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| Kelly 37' Parkinson 71' | Report | Ziege 79' |
The semi-final draw was made in December 1999 after the conclusion of the quarter finals. Unlike the other rounds, the semi-final ties were played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The first leg matches were played on 12 and 25 January 2000, the second leg matches were played on 26 January and 2 February 2000. Tranmere Rovers reached the first major cup final of their history with a fine win over Bolton Wanderers, while Leicester City's victory over Aston Villa gave them their third appearance in the competition's final in four years.
| Tranmere Rovers | 3–0 | Bolton Wanderers |
|---|---|---|
| Henry 5' Mahon 20' (pen.)Kelly 70' | Report |
Tranmere Rovers won 4–0 on aggregate
Leicester City won 1–0 on aggregate
The 2000 Worthington Cup Final was played on 27 February 2000 and was contested betweenLeicester City andTranmere Rovers atWembley Stadium. Leicester won the game 2–1.
| Leicester City | 2–1 | Tranmere Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Elliott 29',81' | Report | Kelly 77' |