Football League Group Cup

Football League Group Cup
A Football League Group Cup game between Reading (blue and white) and Oxford United (yellow and blue) at Reading's Elm Park in August 1981.
Status	cancelled
Genre	sporting event
Date(s)	over New Year
Frequency	annual
Country	UK
Inaugurated	1981–1982 (1981–1982)
Most recent	1982–1983 (1982–1983)

The Football League Group Cup was a short-lived football competition which first took place during the 1981–1982 season. For English clubs it was a replacement for the Anglo-Scottish Cup, which had been discontinued due to the withdrawal of Scottish League clubs. For the 1982–83 season it was renamed as the Football League Trophy.

It is considered as the forerunner of the Associate Members Cup (which later became renamed as the Football League Trophy, and has had various sponsored names), which commenced from the 1983–84 season, although some sources regard the Football League Group Cup as the same as the later League Trophy tournaments.

In each season there were 32 participants, split into eight regional groups of four teams each, with three round-robin games played by each side. The eight group winners qualified for the quarter finals, and the knockout stages were played as a single leg, with the game going to extra time and penalties if necessary. The final was played on the home ground of one of the two teams.

The following 32 sides played in the competition, and these are sub-divided according to the League division they played in that season.

The tournament was won by Grimsby Town, who defeated Wimbledon 3–2 in the final at Blundell Park on Tuesday 6 April 1982.

The following 32 sides played in the competition, and these are sub-divided according to the League division they played in that season.

The tournament was won by Millwall, who defeated Lincoln City 3–2 in the final at Sincil Bank on Wednesday 20 April 1983.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.