Oxford United lifting the cup
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Event | 1985–86 Football League Cup | ||||||
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Date | 20 April 1986 | ||||||
Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
Referee | Keith Hackett | ||||||
Attendance | 90,396 | ||||||
The 1986 Football League Cup Final (known at the time as the Milk Cup) was a football match held on 20 April 1986 between Oxford United and Queens Park Rangers. Oxford won the match 3–0 to capture the League Cup – their first major honour. Trevor Hebberd opened the scoring in the first half, and Ray Houghton added a second. Jeremy Charles scored the third following up when John Aldridge had a shot saved by QPR goalkeeper Paul Barron. The match was played at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,396 spectators.
Because UEFA voted that the ban on English clubs in European competitions (beginning after the Heysel disaster in May 1985) would continue for a second season, Oxford United were denied a place in the 1986–87 UEFA Cup.
Oxford United and Queens Park Rangers were both playing in the First Division and both entered the competition at the second round stage, under the tournament format in place at the time. Oxford had never previously progressed past the quarter finals, which they reached in the 1969–70 and 1983–84 seasons. Queens Park Rangers, on the other hand, were victorious in the 1967 final where they defeated West Bromwich Albion. In the second round, Oxford defeated Northampton Town of the Fourth Division 4–1 on aggregate after two legs. The 2–1 away victory at County Cricket Ground was Oxford's first and only away win at Northampton in cup competitions.