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1985 Football League Cup final

1985 Football League Cup Final
Event1984–85 Football League Cup
Date24 March 1985
VenueWembley Stadium, London
RefereeNeil Midgley (Manchester)
Attendance100,000
1984
1986

The 1985 Football League Cup Final was won by Norwich City. The Canaries defeated Sunderland 1–0 at Wembley Stadium on 24 March 1985 with an own goal scored by Gordon Chisholm, who deflected Asa Hartford's shot past goalkeeper Chris Turner.[1] Later in the second half, Clive Walker missed a penalty awarded for a handball by Norwich defender Dennis van Wijk.[2]

Looking back on the final, Norwich striker Mick Channon described the final as a "lovely day", and praised his teammates' skill, saying, "we had some tremendous players like Steve Bruce and Dave Watson in the middle of the defence, Asa Hartford in midfield and John Deehan up front with me." In the lead-up to Norwich's goal Sunderland defender David Corner was attempting to usher the ball out of play for a Sunderland goal kick. However, Norwich kept the ball in play and promptly scored. In November 2011 Corner looked back on the incident stating "I should have kicked the ball out" and that he doesn't "think there's a day goes by where that game isn't mentioned". He then went on to say "It was a great honour for me to be playing for my hometown club in a national final, but I have to hold my hands up and say the goal was my fault."[3] Norwich's victory was celebrated with an open-top bus parade.

Despite Norwich and Sunderland appearing in the final, they were both relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1984–85 season.[4]

As a result of the good faith shared between Norwich and Sunderland supporters during the final, the Friendship Trophy is contested every time the two clubs meet.[5]

Match details

Norwich City1–0Sunderland
Chisholm 46' (o.g.) Report (page 22)
Attendance: 100,000
Norwich City
Sunderland
GK 1 England Chris Woods
RB 2 England Paul Haylock
LB 3 Netherlands Dennis van Wijk
CB 4 England Steve Bruce
CM 5 England Peter Mendham
CB 6 England Dave Watson (c)
LW 7 England Mark Barham
FW 8 England Mick Channon
FW 9 England John Deehan
CM 10 Scotland Asa Hartford
RW 11 England Louie Donowa
Substitute:
DF 12 Republic of Ireland John Devine
Manager:
England Ken Brown
GK 1 England Chris Turner
RB 2 England Barry Venison (c)
LB 3 England Nick Pickering
DF 4 England Gary Bennett
DF 5 Scotland Gordon Chisholm
DF 6 England David Corner downward-facing red arrow
MF 7 England Peter Daniel
FW 8 Scotland Ian Wallace
FW 9 England David Hodgson
MF 10 England Steve Berry
LW 11 England Clive Walker
Substitute:
RW 12 England Howard Gayle upward-facing green arrow
Manager:
England Len Ashurst

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Replay if scores still level.
  • One named substitute.
  • Maximum of one substitution.

Route to the final

Norwich City
Round Opposition Score
2nd[6] Preston North End (a) 3–3
Preston North End (h) 6–1
Aggregate score 9–4
3rd Aldershot (h) 0–0
replay Aldershot (a) 4–0
4th Notts County (h) 3–0
5th Grimsby Town (a) 1–0
Semi-final[6] Ipswich Town (a) 0–1
Ipswich Town (h) 2–0
Aggregate score 2–1
Sunderland
Round Opposition Score
2nd[6] Crystal Palace (h) 2–1
Crystal Palace (a) 0–0
Aggregate score 2–1
3rd Nottingham Forest (a) 1–1
replay Nottingham Forest (h) 1–0[7]
4th Tottenham Hotspur (h) 0–0
replay Tottenham Hotspur (a) 2–1
5th Watford (a) 1–0
Semi-final[6] Chelsea (h) 2–0
Chelsea (a) 3–2
Aggregate score 5–2

Norwich and Sunderland 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 which saw First Division teams enter in this round. Norwich had reached the Football League Cup final on three occasions, winning one of them.[8] Sunderland had never reached a final – the closest they came was the 1962–63 edition where they were semi-finalists.[9] Norwich faced Preston North End in their second round tie, and played out a 3–3 stalemate in the first leg.[10] In the second leg they defeated Preston 6–1, a 9–4 victory on aggregate.[11] Having drawn the third-round game against Aldershot 0–0,[12] Norwich beat Aldershot in the replay 4–0 to progress to the next round.[13] A tie against Second Division side Notts County awaited Norwich in the fourth round, which they won 3–0.[14] They dispatched Grimsby Town 1–0 in the fifth round to set up an all East Anglian semi-final with Ipswich Town.[15] Ipswich had beaten Norwich 1–0 in the first leg,[16] but Norwich prevailed by winning 2–0 in the second leg, and 2–1 on aggregate.[17]

North East Sunderland began the tournament against Crystal Palace, winning it 2–1 on aggregate, which was the same score as the first leg.[18] Next Sunderland beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 in the third round replay,[13] having drawn 1–1 in the original match.[19] The fourth round went similarly the third, Sunderland played out a 0–0 draw at Roker Park forcing the game into a replay.[20] Goals from Gordon Chisholm and Clive Walker in the replay ensured that Sunderland would progress in the fifth round.[21] Sunderland beat Watford in the fifth round to seal a tie against Chelsea in the semi-finals.[22] Sunderland beat Chelsea 5–2 on aggregate and secured their first ever League Cup final spot.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ "Club History – 1970 to 1985". Norwich City F.C. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  2. ^ Simon Turnbull (27 May 1998). "Sunderland rue another year of dashed dreams". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Defender Corner's pre-match talk-in". Sunderland A.F.C. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  4. ^ "1984–85 and a symbolic season for supporters". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  5. ^ Scott Wilson (24 August 2009). "Sunderland enjoy Carrow Road stroll". The Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d The second round and the semi-finals were played over two legs
  7. ^ After Extra Time.
  8. ^ "Norwich City". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Sunderland". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  10. ^ "English League Cup round 2 1st leg". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  11. ^ "English League Cup round 2 2nd leg". Statto. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  12. ^ "English League Cup round 3". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  13. ^ a b "English League Cup round 3 replay". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  14. ^ "English League Cup round 4". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  15. ^ "English League Cup round 5". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  16. ^ "English League Cup Round SF 1st leg". Pride of Anglia. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  17. ^ "English League Cup Round SF 2nd leg". Pride of Anglia. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  18. ^ "English League Cup round 2". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  19. ^ "English Football League Round 3". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  20. ^ "English Football League Round 4". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  21. ^ "English League Cup round 4 replay". TheStatCat. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  22. ^ "English League Cup round 5". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  23. ^ "English League Cup SF 1st leg". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  24. ^ "English League Cup SF 2nd leg". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2012.