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1980 Football League Cup Final
Event	1979–80 Football League Cup
Date	15 March 1980
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Referee	David Richardson (Great Harwood)
Attendance	96,527
	← 1979 1981 →

The 1980 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1979–80 Football League Cup, the 20th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League. The match was played at Wembley Stadium on 15 March 1980, and was contested by League Cup holders and European champions Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[1]

Wolves won the match 1–0 thanks to an Andy Gray goal in the 67th minute.

As both League Cup and European Cup holders, Nottingham Forest had entered the match as clear favourites, although in the league table, Wolves were level on points with them with a game in hand. Victory here would have given the club a hat trick of League Cup wins, and they retained the European Cup at the end of the season. By contrast, Wolves' last silverware had been their League Cup win six years earlier and they had finished a lowly 18th in the First Division in the previous campaign, whilst Forest had ended runners-up.

Match summary

Living up to their tag of favourites, Nottingham Forest took the game to Wolves and created several opportunities, all denied by Bradshaw in the Wolves goal, as Francis shot across him and Gray's mazy run through was just halted. Birtles' driven attempt at a scrambled corner was also parried away by the keeper, while Wolves' attacks largely came to nothing.

The second half started more evenly and Wolves were the first to get the ball into the net, as Richards and Carr bundled it in after Shilton had flapped at a cross, only for a foul to be awarded against Wolves. In the 67th minute, a long ball upfield by Daniel created confusion in the Forest defence, as Needham and Shilton collided with one another, leaving Gray with the simplest of chances to prod the ball into the empty net.

Forest now pressed hard for the equaliser but were thwarted by the resilient mass of Wolves' defence, as they cleared the ball after several goalmouth scrambles. In a break from the Forest onslaught, Wolves almost extended their lead further when Berry hit the woodwork. Nonetheless, the Molineux men held on to upset the odds and claim their second League Cup triumph.

The cup was then presented by then-FA Chairman Sir Harold Thompson to Wolves captain Emlyn Hughes. This completed Hughes' personal achievement of having won every major domestic honour during his career.

Match details

15 March 1980
15:00 GMT

Nottingham Forest	0–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers
		Gray 67'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 96,527

Referee: David Richardson (Great Harwood)

Nottingham Forest

Wolverhampton Wanderers



	1	Peter Shilton
	2	Viv Anderson
	3	Frank Gray
	4	John McGovern (c)
	5	David Needham
	6	Kenny Burns
	7	Martin O'Neill
	8	Ian Bowyer
	9	Garry Birtles
	10	Trevor Francis
	11	John Robertson
Substitute:
	12	John O'Hare
Manager:
Brian Clough



	1	Paul Bradshaw
	2	Geoff Palmer
	3	Derek Parkin
	4	Peter Daniel
	5	Emlyn Hughes (c)
	6	George Berry
	7	Kenny Hibbitt
	8	Willie Carr
	9	Andy Gray
	10	John Richards
	11	Mel Eves
Substitute:
	12	Colin Brazier
Manager:
John Barnwell

Match officials

Assistant referees:
- M.J.R. Barker (Oswestry)
- B.A. Champion (Bristol)
Reserve referee: B.H. Daniels (Brentwood)

Match rules

90 minutes
30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
Replay (at Manchester United) if scores still level
One named substitute
Maximum of 1 substitution

Road to Wembley

Nottingham Forest

Round 2 (1st leg)	Blackburn Rovers	1–1	Nottingham Forest
Round 2 (2nd leg)	Nottingham Forest	6–1	Blackburn Rovers
Round 2 (2nd leg)	(Nottingham Forest won 7–2 on aggregate)
Round 3	Middlesbrough	1–3	Nottingham Forest
Round 4	Bristol City	1–1	Nottingham Forest
Round 4 (Replay)	Nottingham Forest	3–0	Bristol City
Round 5	West Ham United	0–0	Nottingham Forest
Round 5 (Replay)	Nottingham Forest	3–0	West Ham United (a.e.t.)
Semi-final (1st leg)	Nottingham Forest	1–0	Liverpool
Semi-final (2nd leg)	Liverpool	1–1	Nottingham Forest
Semi-final (2nd leg)	(Nottingham Forest won 2–1 on aggregate)

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Round 2 (1st leg)	Burnley	1–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Round 2 (2nd leg)	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2–0	Burnley
Round 2 (2nd leg)	(Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–1 on aggregate)
Round 3	Crystal Palace	1–2	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Round 4	Queens Park Rangers	1–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Round 4 (Replay)	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1–0	Queens Park Rangers
Round 5	Grimsby Town	0–0	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Round 5 (Replay)	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1–1	Grimsby Town (a.e.t.)
Round 5 (2nd replay)	Grimsby Town	0–2	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Semi-final (1st leg)	Swindon Town	2–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Semi-final (2nd leg)	Wolverhampton Wanderers	3–1	Swindon Town
Semi-final (2nd leg)	(Wolverhampton Wanderers won 4–3 on aggregate)