1976 Football League Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1976 Football League Cup Final took place between Manchester City
and Newcastle United
on 28 February 1976 at Wembley Stadium. It was the sixteenth final and the tenth Football League Cup
final to be played at Wembley. Manchester City won the match 2–1 to win the competition for the second time. The match is best known for its winning goal, an overhead kick
by Dennis Tueart
.
, and finishing runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers
in 1974. Manchester City made a slow start to their cup run, the second round tie against Norwich City
went to two replays, Manchester City winning the second replay 6–1 at Stamford Bridge
. A 2–1 home win against Nottingham Forest
in the third round set up a Manchester derby
against local rivals Manchester United
. City beat their neighbours 4–0 to reach the quarter-finals. A 4–2 win against Mansfield Town
secured a two-legged
semi-final against Middlesbrough
. City lost the away leg 1–0, but a comfortable 4–0 win at Maine Road
took them through to the final.
in the second round. Newcastle required a replay to overcome Bristol Rovers
in the third round, and then beat Queens Park Rangers
3–1 at Loftus Road
to reach the quarter-finals. A 1–0 win at home to fellow Magpies Notts County
secured a semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur
. The first leg of the semi-final resulted in a 1–0 defeat, but Newcastle overcame the deficit in the home leg by winning 3–1.
in the league. Colin Bell
was absent through injury, having suffered what later transpired to be a career-ending injury in the fourth round derby. Dave Watson was an injury doubt due to a slipped disc, but was selected despite his inability to train in the preceding week.
The opening goal was scored early in the match. Newcastle's Glenn Keeley
fouled Joe Royle
in the middle of the Newcastle half. The resulting free-kick was hoisted into the penalty area by Asa Hartford
, where it was headed across goal by Mike Doyle. Teenage winger Peter Barnes
then scored to give Manchester City the lead. Newcastle equalised in the 35th minute, Alan Gowling
finishing from a Malcolm Macdonald
cross. At the start of the second half a Manchester City attack led to the winning goal, scored by Dennis Tueart
, who had supported Newcastle as a boy. A ball by Willie Donachie
to the far post was headed across by Tommy Booth
. Tueart, with his back to goal, performed an overhead kick that bounced beyond Mike Mahoney
into the bottom left corner of the net. After the match Tueart described the goal as "the greatest of my career". No more goals were scored in the match, though Royle had an effort disallowed. City captain Doyle lifted the trophy, and Tony Book
became the first man to win the competition as both a player and a manager.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
NEWCASTLE UNITED:
|
GK
1
Mike Mahoney
DF
2
Irving Nattrass
DF
3
Alan Kennedy
DF
4
Stewart Barrowclough
DF
5
Glenn Keeley
MF
6
Pat Howard
MF
7
Mickey Burns
MF
8
Tommy Cassidy
FW
9
Malcolm Macdonald
FW
10
Alan Gowling
MF
11
Tommy Craig
(c)
Substitute:
FW
12
Paul Cannell
Manager:
Gordon Lee
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 28 February 1976 at Wembley Stadium. It was the sixteenth final and the tenth Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final to be played at Wembley. Manchester City won the match 2–1 to win the competition for the second time. The match is best known for its winning goal, an overhead kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
by Dennis Tueart
Dennis Tueart
Dennis Tueart was an English footballer who played for Sunderland, Manchester City, Stoke City and Burnley at club level. On the international scene, he won six full caps for England.-Career:...
.
Manchester City
The 1976 final was the third time Manchester City had reached Wembley in the competition after winning the competition in 1970 by defeating West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, and finishing runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in 1974. Manchester City made a slow start to their cup run, the second round tie against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
went to two replays, Manchester City winning the second replay 6–1 at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
. A 2–1 home win against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in the third round set up a Manchester derby
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
against local rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. City beat their neighbours 4–0 to reach the quarter-finals. A 4–2 win against Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
secured a two-legged
Two-legged match
In sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
semi-final against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. City lost the away leg 1–0, but a comfortable 4–0 win at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
took them through to the final.
Newcastle United
1976 was Newcastle's first League Cup final appearance. Their previous best in the competition was reaching the quarter finals, achieved the preceding season. Their 1975–76 League Cup campaign started with a 6–0 demolition of Fourth Division SouthportSouthport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
in the second round. Newcastle required a replay to overcome Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
in the third round, and then beat Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
3–1 at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
to reach the quarter-finals. A 1–0 win at home to fellow Magpies Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
secured a semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. The first leg of the semi-final resulted in a 1–0 defeat, but Newcastle overcame the deficit in the home leg by winning 3–1.
Match summary
Manchester City fielded a lineup unchanged from their previous match, a 3–0 home win against EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the league. Colin Bell
Colin Bell
Colin Bell MBE , is a former English football player who was born in Hesleden, County Durham, England. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" , and Nijinsky after the famous racehorse , Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player...
was absent through injury, having suffered what later transpired to be a career-ending injury in the fourth round derby. Dave Watson was an injury doubt due to a slipped disc, but was selected despite his inability to train in the preceding week.
The opening goal was scored early in the match. Newcastle's Glenn Keeley
Glenn Keeley
Glenn Matthew Keeley , is an English footballer who played as a central defender in the Football League....
fouled Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
in the middle of the Newcastle half. The resulting free-kick was hoisted into the penalty area by Asa Hartford
Asa Hartford
Richard 'Asa' Hartford is a retired Scottish international midfielder and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.-Early career:He first played for Drumchapel...
, where it was headed across goal by Mike Doyle. Teenage winger Peter Barnes
Peter Barnes (footballer)
Peter Simon Barnes is an English former international footballer, and the son of footballer Ken Barnes. A textbook journeyman player, he played for numerous clubs across England, Wales, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Ireland, and the United States...
then scored to give Manchester City the lead. Newcastle equalised in the 35th minute, Alan Gowling
Alan Gowling
Alan Edwin Gowling is a former English footballer who played as a forward for many clubs in the north of England.-Football career:...
finishing from a Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
cross. At the start of the second half a Manchester City attack led to the winning goal, scored by Dennis Tueart
Dennis Tueart
Dennis Tueart was an English footballer who played for Sunderland, Manchester City, Stoke City and Burnley at club level. On the international scene, he won six full caps for England.-Career:...
, who had supported Newcastle as a boy. A ball by Willie Donachie
Willie Donachie
William Donachie is a Scottish former professional footballer. He won 35 full caps for Scotland, playing in the 1978 World Cup.-Career:...
to the far post was headed across by Tommy Booth
Tommy Booth
Tommy Booth is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester City and Preston North End, and was capped four times for England at under-23 level.Booth was born in Middleton, Lancashire...
. Tueart, with his back to goal, performed an overhead kick that bounced beyond Mike Mahoney
Mike Mahoney (footballer)
Mike Mahoney is a retired English football goalkeeper who played professionally in England and the United States.In 1967, Mahoney began his professional career with Bristol City. He saw limited play before being acquired by Torquay United In August 1970. He played for Torquay until March 1975,...
into the bottom left corner of the net. After the match Tueart described the goal as "the greatest of my career". No more goals were scored in the match, though Royle had an effort disallowed. City captain Doyle lifted the trophy, and Tony Book
Tony Book
Anthony Keith Book is a retired English footballer and manager who was born in Bath, 4 September 1934. Book spent a large part of his career in Non-League football with his home town club Bath City, before entering league football with Plymouth Argyle. At the age of 31, he joined First Division...
became the first man to win the competition as both a player and a manager.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | MANCHESTER CITY: | ||
| GK | 1 | Joe Corrigan Joe Corrigan Joseph Thomas Corrigan , is a former football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City and England.-Career:... |
|
| DF | 2 | Ged Keegan Ged Keegan Gerard "Ged" Keegan is a former English footballer who played as a right-back. He joined Manchester City as a trainee in 1973 and made his debut in March 1975 in a 2–1 defeat against Carlisle United. He made a total of 37 Football League appearances for the club, scoring two goals... |
|
| DF | 3 | Willie Donachie Willie Donachie William Donachie is a Scottish former professional footballer. He won 35 full caps for Scotland, playing in the 1978 World Cup.-Career:... |
|
| DF | 4 | Mike Doyle (c) |
|
| DF | 5 | Dave Watson |
|
| MF | 6 | Alan Oakes Alan Oakes Alan Arthur Oakes is an English footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Thanks to a further six year stint at Chester , Oakes played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history.-Permanent Fixture with Man City:Oakes signed for Manchester City on... |
|
| MF | 7 | Peter Barnes Peter Barnes (footballer) Peter Simon Barnes is an English former international footballer, and the son of footballer Ken Barnes. A textbook journeyman player, he played for numerous clubs across England, Wales, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Ireland, and the United States... |
|
| MF | 8 | Tommy Booth Tommy Booth Tommy Booth is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester City and Preston North End, and was capped four times for England at under-23 level.Booth was born in Middleton, Lancashire... |
|
| FW | 9 | Joe Royle Joe Royle Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team... |
|
| MF | 10 | Asa Hartford Asa Hartford Richard 'Asa' Hartford is a retired Scottish international midfielder and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.-Early career:He first played for Drumchapel... |
|
| FW | 11 | Dennis Tueart Dennis Tueart Dennis Tueart was an English footballer who played for Sunderland, Manchester City, Stoke City and Burnley at club level. On the international scene, he won six full caps for England.-Career:... |
|
| Substitute: | |||
| DF | 12 | Kenny Clements Kenny Clements Kenneth Henry "Kenny" Clements is an English former footballer who played as a defender in the Football League for Manchester City, in two spells, between 1971 and 1979 and between 1985 and 1988, Oldham Athletic, Bury and Shrewsbury Town, and was briefly player-manager of League of Ireland club... |
|
| Manager: | |||
| Tony Book Tony Book Anthony Keith Book is a retired English footballer and manager who was born in Bath, 4 September 1934. Book spent a large part of his career in Non-League football with his home town club Bath City, before entering league football with Plymouth Argyle. At the age of 31, he joined First Division... |
|||
Mike MahoneyMike Mahoney (footballer)
Mike Mahoney is a retired English football goalkeeper who played professionally in England and the United States.In 1967, Mahoney began his professional career with Bristol City. He saw limited play before being acquired by Torquay United In August 1970. He played for Torquay until March 1975,...
Irving NattrassIrving Nattrass
Irving Nattrass , was a midfielder for Newcastle and MiddlesbroughBorn in Fishburn, England Nattrass attended Ferryhill Grammar School and Signed with Newcastle at age 16 on an apprenticeship....
Alan KennedyAlan Kennedy
Alan Phillip Kennedy is a former footballer who played for Liverpool during their halcyon days in the late 1970s and early 1980s and had a knack of scoring in major cup finals....
Stewart BarrowcloughStewart Barrowclough
Stewart Barrowclogh is an English footballer who played as a winger.A skilful and dynamic winger, Barrowclough began his career with his hometown club Barnsley and his performances from a handful of first-team appearances caught the eye of clubs in higher divisions...
Glenn KeeleyGlenn Keeley
Glenn Matthew Keeley , is an English footballer who played as a central defender in the Football League....
Pat HowardPat Howard (footballer)
Patrick "Pat" Howard is an English former professional footballer who played as a central defender.Born in Dodworth, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Howard made more than 500 appearances in the Football League. He started his career at Barnsley, spending seven seasons there before signing for Newcastle...
Mickey BurnsMickey Burns
Michael Edward "Mickey" Burns is an English former professional footballer.-Career:A former England amateur international, Burns was signed to Blackpool from the very successful amateur side Skelmersdale United in 1969 by Les Shannon...
Tommy CassidyTommy Cassidy
Thomas Cassidy is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Newcastle United and is now a football manager....
Malcolm MacdonaldMalcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
Alan GowlingAlan Gowling
Alan Edwin Gowling is a former English footballer who played as a forward for many clubs in the north of England.-Football career:...
Tommy CraigTommy Craig
Thomas "Tommy" Craig is a Scottish football coach and former player who is currently the assistant manager of Scottish club St. Mirren. Craig had an 18 year playing career as a midfielder, playing over 100 league games for English clubs and...
(c)
Paul CannellPaul Cannell
Paul Cannell is an English former footballer who played as a forward for Newcastle United between 1972 and 1978. He made 62 appearances and scored 18 goals, before moving to the United States...
Gordon LeeGordon Lee (footballer)
Gordon Francis Lee is a former English footballer and football manager.A right-back during his playing days, he moved from Hednesford Town to Aston Villa in 1955...