1981–82 Football League Group Cup

The 1981–82 Football League Group Cup was the first edition of the tournament that replaced the Anglo-Scottish Cup. It was won by Grimsby Town, who beat Wimbldeon 3–2 in the final at Blundell Park.

1981–82 Football League Group Cup

Country	England  Wales
Dates	15 August 1981 – 6 April 1982
Teams	32
Champions	Grimsby Town (1st title)
Runners-up	Wimbledon
Third place	Burnley
Fourth place	Shrewsbury Town
Championship match score	3–2
Matches played	55
Goals scored	131 (2.38 per match)
1982–83 → All statistics correct as of 6 April 1982.

First round

Group A

Home team Result Away team Date Burnley 4–2 Carlisle United 15 August 1981 Preston North End 2–1 Blackpool 15 August 1981 Carlisle United 1–0 Blackpool 18 August 1981 Preston North End 0–1 Burnley 18 August 1981 Blackpool 0–0 Burnley 22 August 1981 Carlisle United 3–0 Preston North End 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Burnley 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 1 8 Carlisle United 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 1 7 Preston North End 3 1 0 2 2 5 -3 0 3 Blackpool 3 0 1 2 1 3 -2 0 1

Group B

Home team Result Away team Date Bradford City 2–1 Hull City 15 August 1981 Hartlepool United 0–1 Rotherham United 15 August 1981 Hull City 0–1 Rotherham United 18 August 1981 Hartlepool United 0–1 Bradford City 19 August 1981 Bradford City 3–0 Rotherham United 22 August 1981 Hull City 1–0 Hartlepool United 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Bradford City 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 1 10 Rotherham United 3 2 0 1 2 3 -1 0 6 Hull City 3 1 0 2 2 3 -1 0 3 Hartlepool United 3 0 0 3 0 3 -3 0 0

Group C

Home team Result Away team Date Grimsby Town 1–0 Chesterfield 15 August 1981 Sheffield United 2–1 Doncaster Rovers 15 August 1981 Doncaster Rovers 2–0 Chesterfield 18 August 1981 Grimsby Town 2–0 Sheffield United 18 August 1981 Chesterfield 1–1 Sheffield United 21 August 1981 Doncaster Rovers 0–2 Grimsby Town 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Grimsby Town 3 3 0 0 5 0 +5 0 9 Doncaster Rovers 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 0 3 Sheffield United 3 1 1 1 3 4 -1 0 3 Chesterfield 3 0 1 2 1 4 -3 0 1

Group D

Home team Result Away team Date Lincoln City 1–1 Notts County 15 August 1981 Norwich City 2–2 Peterborough United 15 August 1981 Lincoln City 0–1 Norwich City 18 August 1981 Peterborough United 3–1 Notts County 19 August 1981 Norwich City 3–0 Notts County 22 August 1981 Peterborough United 3–1 Lincoln City 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Peterborough United 3 2 1 0 8 4 +4 2 9 Norwich City 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 1 8 Lincoln City 3 0 1 2 2 5 -3 0 3 Notts County 3 0 1 2 2 7 -5 0 1

Group E

Home team Result Away team Date Bolton Wanderers 0–2 Shrewsbury Town 15 August 1981 Bury 1–2 Chester 15 August 1981 Bury 2–2 Bolton Wanderers 18 August 1981 Shrewsbury Town 1–0 Chester 18 August 1981 Bury 3–2 Shrewsbury Town 22 August 1981 Chester 1–2 Bolton Wanderers 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Shrewsbury Town 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 0 6 Bury 3 1 1 1 6 6 0 1 5 Bolton Wanderers 3 1 1 1 4 5 -1 0 4 Chester 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 0 3

Group F

Home team Result Away team Date Newport County 0–0 Torquay United 15 August 1981 Plymouth Argyle 0–0 Bournemouth 15 August 1981 Bournemouth 1–1 Torquay United 18 August 1981 Newport County 2–1 Plymouth Argyle 18 August 1981 Torquay United 1–1 Plymouth Argyle 21 August 1981 Bournemouth 0–0 Newport County 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Newport County 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 0 5 Bournemouth 3 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 3 Torquay United 3 0 3 0 2 2 0 0 3 Plymouth Argyle 3 0 2 1 2 3 -1 0 2

Group G

Home team Result Away team Date Oxford United 0–1 Aldershot 15 August 1981 Watford 4–1 Reading 15 August 1981 Oxford United 2–4 Watford 19 August 1981 Reading 4–0 Aldershot 19 August 1981 Aldershot 1–1 Watford 22 August 1981 Reading 2–0 Oxford United 22 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Watford 3 2 1 0 9 4 +5 2 9 Reading 3 2 0 1 7 4 +2 1 7 Aldershot 3 1 1 1 2 5 -3 0 4 Oxford United 3 0 0 3 2 7 -5 0 0

Group H

Home team Result Away team Date Orient 2–0 Southend United 15 August 1981 Wimbledon 4–0 Gillingham 15 August 1981 Orient 0–1 Wimbledon 18 August 1981 Gillingham 0–0 Southend United 19 August 1981 Gillingham 1–1 Orient 22 August 1981 Southend United 1–2 Wimbledon 24 August 1981

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Wimbledon 3 3 0 0 7 1 +6 1 10 Orient 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 0 4 Gillingham 3 0 2 1 1 5 -4 0 2 Southend United 3 0 1 2 1 4 -3 0 1

Quarter-finals

Home team	Result	Away team	Date
Burnley	2–1	Watford	8 December 1981
Newport County	0–2	Grimsby Town	8 December 1981
Bradford City	1–1[note 1]	Shrewsbury Town	9 December 1981
Peterborough United	0–1	Wimbledon	3 February 1982

Semi-finals

Home team	Result	Away team	Date
Grimsby Town	2–1	Shrewsbury Town	19 January 1982
Wimbledon	5–0	Burnley	16 February 1982

Final

6 April 1982

19:30 BST

Grimsby Town	3 – 2	Wimbledon

Blundell Park, Cleethorpes

Attendance: 3,423

Notes

1. Shrewsbury Town won 4-3 on penalties

References

• "Football League Group Cup 1981/1982". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 5 September 2017.