1988–89 Football League Cup Explained

Football League Cup
Year:	1988–89
Other Titles:	League Cup, Littlewoods Challenge Cup
Country:	England Wales
Num Teams:	92
Winners:	Nottingham Forest
Count:	3
Second:	Luton Town
Scoring Leader:	David Platt (6)
Prev Season:	1987–88
Next Season:	1989–90

The 1988–89 Football League Cup (known as the Littlewoods Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 29th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition started on 29 August 1988 and ended with the final on 9 April 1989.

The final was contested by First Division teams Nottingham Forest and holders Luton Town at Wembley Stadium in London.

First round

First leg

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	1–0		30 August 1988
	1–0		30 August 1988
	1–0		30 August 1988
	2–1		30 August 1988
	1–2		30 August 1988
	0–1		30 August 1988
	1–1		30 August 1988
	0–0		30 August 1988
	1–1		30 August 1988
	1–1		30 August 1988
	2–2		30 August 1988
	0–1		30 August 1988
	2–2		30 August 1988
	0–3		29 August 1988
	2–0		30 August 1988
	5–0		30 August 1988
	3–2		30 August 1988
	3–3		30 August 1988
	1–1		31 August 1988
	3–2		30 August 1988
	2–2		30 August 1988
	2–0		30 August 1988
	0–1		29 August 1988
	0–1		30 August 1988
	0–3		31 August 1988
	0–0		29 August 1988
	3–2		30 August 1988
	0–0		30 August 1988

Second leg

width=175	Home Team	width=50	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date	width=75	Agg
	0–0		6 September 1988	0–2
	1–0^[1] ^[2]		6 September 1988	3–3
	3–0		6 September 1988	4–1
	1–0^[3]		6 September 1988	3–2
	0–1		7 September 1988	0–3
	0–0		7 September 1988	0–1
	2–1		6 September 1988	5–4
	3–1		7 September 1988	3–2
	1–1		6 September 1988	3–4
	2–0		6 September 1988	3–1
	0–1		7 September 1988	0–2
	3–1		6 September 1988	5–2
	2–2^[4] ^[5]		6 September 1988	3–3
	2–2^[6]		6 September 1988	4–5
	2–1		7 September 1988	3–2
	1–0		6 September 1988	1–5
	5–0		6 September 1988	5–0
	0–2		7 September 1988	3–2
	3–2		6 September 1988	6–2
	1–0		6 September 1988	1–0
	3–1		7 September 1988	4–1
	1–0		6 September 1988	2–0
	2–0^[7]		6 September 1988	4–2
	4–0		6 September 1988	4–0
	0–2		20 September 1988	1–2
	1–1		5 September 1988	2–1
	3–0		6 September 1988	5–2
	2–2^[8]		6 September 1988	3–4

Second round

First leg

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width= 125	Date
	0–4		27 September 1988
	0–2		27 September 1988
	0–2		27 September 1988
	3–1		27 September 1988
	2–0		27 September 1988
	2–0		27 September 1988
	1–0		28 September 1988
	3–0		27 September 1988
	1–2		28 September 1988
	4–1		28 September 1988
	1–2		27 September 1988
	1–1		28 September 1988
	1–0		28 September 1988
	1–1		27 September 1988
	1–0		28 September 1988
	0–0		28 September 1988
	3–0		27 September 1988
	1–1		27 September 1988
	2–0		28 September 1988
	6–0		28 September 1988
	1–1		27 September 1988
	2–4		28 September 1988
	1–2		27 September 1988
	1–0		26 September 1988
	2–2		27 September 1988
	3–0		28 September 1988
	1–1		28 September 1988
	0–1		28 September 1988
	4–1		27 September 1988
	3–0		27 September 1988
	0–3		27 September 1988
	1–2		27 September 1988

Second leg

width=175	Home Team	width=50	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date	width=75	Agg
	3–0		12 October 1988	5–1
	5–0		12 October 1988	7–0
	2–1^[9]		12 October 1988	3–2
	4–3		12 October 1988	5–6
	2–0		11 October 1988	6–2
	0–1		11 October 1988	1–2
	2–2		11 October 1988	2–5
	1–4		11 October 1988	1–7
	2–1		11 October 1988	3–2
	2–2		12 October 1988	3–6
	0–4		12 October 1988	0–10
	3–1		11 October 1988	7–1
	2–0		12 October 1988	4–1
	1–3		11 October 1988	1–6
	3–0		11 October 1988	3–1
	3–1		12 October 1988	5–2
	5–0		12 October 1988	6–0
	2–0		12 October 1988	2–3
	4–0^[10]		11 October 1988	4–2
	3–6		12 October 1988	3–7
	0–3		11 October 1988	0–5
	3–1		12 October 1988	5–3
	3–1^[11] ^[12]		12 October 1988	3–3
	3–1		11 October 1988	4–2
	1–2		11 October 1988	1–3
	1–2^[13] ^[14]		11 October 1988	3–3
	2–1		11 October 1988	3–2
	1–0		11 October 1988	1–0
	1–3		12 October 1988	1–4
	2–2		11 October 1988	3–6
	2–1		12 October 1988	5–1
	0–1		12 October 1988	2–1

Third round

Ties

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	3–1		2 November 1988
	1–1		2 November 1988
	4–1		1 November 1988
	1–1		8 November 1988
	2–0		1 November 1988
	0–2		2 November 1988
	2–0		2 November 1988
	1–1		2 November 1988
	4–2		2 November 1988
	3–2		2 November 1988
	2–1		2 November 1988
	2–2		2 November 1988
	0–0		1 November 1988
	1–0		1 November 1988
	5–0		1 November 1988
	2–1		2 November 1988

Replays

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	0–0^[15]		9 November 1988
	1–2^[16]		9 November 1988
	0–2		29 November 1988
	0–1		22 November 1988
	1–0		22 November 1988

2nd Replay

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	2–1		23 November 1988

Fourth round

Ties

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	6–2		30 November 1988
	3–1		14 December 1988
	1–0		29 November 1988
	0–0		30 November 1988
	3–1		29 November 1988
	0–0		30 November 1988
	2–1		29 November 1988
	4–1		30 November 1988

Replays

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	2–1		14 December 1988
	0–1		14 December 1988

Fifth Round

Ties

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	0–1		18 January 1989
	1–1		18 January 1989
	5–2		18 January 1989
	2–1		18 January 1989

Replay

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	1–2^[17]		25 January 1989

Semi-finals

Nottingham Forest, flying high in the First Division, had a narrow victory over Third Division underdogs Bristol City in the semi-finals, while holders Luton Town enjoyed a comfortable triumph over West Ham United in both legs.

First leg

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date
	1–1		15 February 1989
	0–3		12 February 1989

Second leg

width=175	Home Team	width=20	Score	width=175	Away Team	width=125	Date	width=75	Agg
	0–1^[18]		26 February 1989	1–2
	2–0		1 March 1989	5–0

Final

See main article: 1989 Football League Cup final.

References

General

• Web site: English League Cup 1988/1989 . 23 January 2012 . Soccerbase.
• Web site: England League Cup Full Results 1960–1996 . 23 January 2012 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
• Web site: English League Cup 1988–1989 : Results . 23 January 2012 . Statto . https://web.archive.org/web/20100109054356/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/league-cup/1988-1989/results . 9 January 2010 . dead . dmy-all .

Specific

Notes and References

1. After Extra Time
2. [Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]
3. After Extra Time
4. After Extra Time
5. [Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]
6. After Extra Time
7. After Extra Time
8. After Extra Time
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11. After Extra Time
12. [Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]
13. After Extra Time
14. [Leyton Orient F.C.|Leyton Orient]
15. After Extra Time
16. After Extra Time
17. After Extra Time
18. After Extra Time