Outside the Box – Football on TV: A lack of fanfare for the Final but Swansea make worthy champions nevertheless

There was a time in football, about six or seven years ago when it all became a bit tedious. Mourinho’s Chelsea and Fergie’s United were so far ahead of everybody else that those two goliaths monopolised the English game completely. It seemed as though every piece of silverware was theirs to ...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Middlesbrough 2 Bolton 1 2004

Squarefootballs Steve Coulter ends his look back at classic League Cup finals by taking a look back at Middlesbroughs victory over Bolton Wanderers in 2004. Potential England managers Steve McClaren and Sam Allardyce locked horns but McClaren won and ultimately went on to manage the national team w...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Leicester City 2 Tranmere Rovers 1 2000

Bradford City and Swansea City will battle it out for the first major piece of silverware of the season this afternoon at Wembley with Phil Parkinson and Michael Laudrup looking to cement their place in their clubs history. Thirteen years ago Leicester City and Tranmere Rovers clashed in the League...

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Bradford City v Swansea City: Can the Bantams stun the Swans at Wembley?

This wasnt the glamour final everyone was expecting but what a final it will be. League Two Bradford City have defied the odds to reach Wembley and will face Premier League Swansea City who are looking to win their first major piece of silverware and avoid being victims of another Capital One Cup gi...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Birmingham City 2 Arseanl 1 2011

This was the day when Arsenal were widely expected to end their trophy drought. Unfortunately Birmingham City never read the script. This afternoon Premier League Swansea City clash with League Two Bradford City in the final of the Capital One Cup and the Welsh side will have to be careful not to b...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Aston Villa 3 Man United 1 1994

League Two Bradford City have been given no hope in beating Swansea City at Wembley this afternoon, but cup finals in England dont always go to plan. Just ask Manchester United! Squarefootballs Steve Coulter has been looking back at some of the competitions most classic finals. Here he turns his s...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Sheffield Wednesday 1 Man United 0 1991

The first piece of silverware will be decided this afternoon when League Two Bradford City take on Premier League Swansea City at Wembley. The Swans are strong favourites for victory, but nothing can be taken for granted in this competition. Here Squarefootballs Steve Coulter takes a look back at w...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Luton Town 3 Arsenal 2 1988

Bradford City and Swansea City lock horns at Wembley on Sunday to claim the first major piece of silverware of the season. Swansea City will enter the game as favourites, but this competition has a habit of causing upsets in the final. Here Squarefootballs Steve Coulter takes a look back at the day...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Oxford United 3 QPR 0 1986

Football is full of fairytale stories. Wimbledon in 1988 is arguably the biggest. Climbing their way through the Football League to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final. But a close second is Oxford United, who hit the top flight and beat QPR in the final of the League Cup in 1986. As we continue our...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Wolves 1 Nottingham Forest 0 1980

Wolves are currently staring consecutive relegations in the face, but lets look back at some happier times as we build up to this weekends Capital One Cup Final between Bradford City and Swansea City. The Molineux side took on Brian Cloughs legendary Nottingham Forest side, but came out on top than...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Man City 2 Newcastle 1 1976

League Two Bradford City and Premier League Swansea City lock horns on Sunday in the fial of the Capital One Cup. Both teams would have only dreamt of Wembley at the start of the season, but this weekend their dreams will become reality. The Capital One Cup has produced a number of magical moments ...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Stoke City 2 Chelsea 1 1972

This weekend sees League Two Bradford City and Premier League Swansea City locking horns in the final of the Capital One Cup. The Welsh side should be too strong for the Bantams, but Arsenal and Aston Villa have both fallen to Phil Parkinsons side this season and must not be underestimated. There h...

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Classic League Cup Finals: Swindon 3 Arsenal 1 1969

Bradford City entertain Swansea City at Wembley in the final of the Capital One Cup this weekend, but Squarefootballs Steve Coulter has taken a look back at some of the competitions biggest finals. This years competition has had more shocks than a night on Albert Square, but the League Cup has al...

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Classic League Cup Finals: QPR 3 West Brom 2

League Two Bradford City and Premier League Swansea City lock horns on Sunday in the Capital One Cup, a competition that has produced more shocks than a Hollywood thriller. To mark the big occasion, Squarefootballs Steve Coulter has highlighted some of the best League Cup Finals from the compet...

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Bradford and Luton aim to rewrite history

I am never going again. Most football fans have uttered those five little words in their lives. Within a week were back in the old routine. No doubt thousands of Bradford City and Luton Town fans have considered turning their backs on their club down the years.You could hardly blame the Valley...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Not-so-safety Hazard means the game’s integrity takes another kicking

There just aren’t enough programmes on TV that include adults kicking children are there? Since the good old days of exploitation and corporal punishment were deemed “unacceptable”, we’ve slowly evolved into a culture in which little toe rags run around doing whatever the hell they please. Sm...

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Aston Villa: Can Villa fans still stand up for manager Paul Lambert?

Never before has a victory tasted so bitter – never before has a game started so brightly and ended in such abject disappointment. It is seriously hard to put into words the heartbreak felt by Villa fans who made the journey to Aston in the snow and ice on Tuesday night to see their side capitula...

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Bradford, Chelsea, Leeds, Swansea or Villa: Who will win the Capital One Cup?

Aston Villa, Bradford City and Swansea City all booked their place in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup in midweek and will be joined in the hat next week by either Champions League holders Chelsea or Championship side Leeds United. But who is going to win the tournament? When you get to this ...

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Aston Villa: Are the Villans on their way to Wemley?

Two League Cup semi-finals in four seasons is good going for any team but for a side that has seen as much turmoil as Villa over the past few years it’s close to a miracle. Perhaps that is going a little overboard but having seen five managers come in during that time, while the sid...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A feelgood Focus for Muamba is the highlight of the BBC’s wonky weekend of football

As ever it was a big weekend in the Barclays Premier League. This after another extraordinary week in football with those League Cup games ending in rugby scores, referees accused of all kinds of ungodly crimes, Andrey Arshavin actually being of some use, and even Ashley Cole managing to go ...

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Aston Villa: Could a good run in the League Cup change Villa’s fortunes this season?

No-one’s getting too carried away but Villa are just two more rounds away from a trip to Wembley – just two rounds. There’s nothing like a good cup run to bring the feelgood factor back to a club and Villa’s win against Swindon Town could be just the ticket. The League Cup brings back so...

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Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Spurs or Sunderland: Who will win the Capital One Cup this year?

Liverpool are the most successful club in League Cup history. They won the competition for the eighth time last season as Kenny Dalglish’s men beat Cardiff City in an epic game that had to be settled on penalties. The competition enters its second round this week and, although some teams may dec...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Youth vs. experience at Wembley as Sky take on the BBC in a battle of broadcasters

So, it was a giddily exciting weekend as the competition that ranks just above the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in most clubs’ priorities came down to its final two contenders; the mighty Merseysiders from Liverpool and the Championship underdogs of Cardiff. As is customary in these circumstances, th...

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Liverpool: Has Dirk Kuyt Finally Had His Moment In The Sun?

Winning’. That one word, especially in football, implies memories of glory and wild, crazy nights of trophy-a-lofting glory. The long road to the final finally bearing its fruits with those precious moments of elation. Many players never receive these cup medals or memories. Sure, they receiv...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A prosperous week for Liverpool in the cups but off the field is a different story

The days leading up to the weekend’s FA Cup Fourth Round ties were not particularly pleasant for many football fans, a week in which the unseemly and murky face of football was glaringly apparent. Many column inches were devoted to the tax-evasion trial of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, as well as th...

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How can the FA and League Cups regain their magic?

I am not sure who had the worst week, Manchester City or the two English cup competitions. A comparatively modest crowd of 36,017 witnessed City’s defeat in the first leg of Carling Cup semi-final. The low turn out even drew comment from BBC pundit and former England striker Alan Shearer. After a w...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Southampton Lose Again While Bristol Rovers Stage Goal of the Season

Saturdays Championship results would have delighted the bookmakers as both Southampton and West Ham United went down to unexpected defeats. Middlesbrough and Leeds United were both beneficiaries as the top two lost, while Doncasters victory threw more gloom towards Coventry City. Nigel Adkins has e...

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Can Arsenal or Liverpool will win the Carling Cup?

It’s getting down to the business end of the Carling Cup and the quarter-final draw has produced some mouth-watering games. The pick of the bunch are rejuvenated Arsenal taking on Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Emirates and Kop kings Liverpool hosting AVB’s Chelsea. But who is the sma...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A bad week for JT just gets worse and worse as the news hacks attack!

It’s been a bad old week for Chelsea and England captain John Terry hasn’t it? The on-going racism row between Terry and his accuser Anton Ferdinand has been front and back page news since the incident occurred a week ago and the story shows no signs of halting. Like most I have seen the footage...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Huddersfield and Wednesday March On

Charlton Athletic have set the pace in League One but two of their closest rivals are putting together a pair of remarkable sequences. Sheffield Wednesday have now made it seven wins from seven games at Hillsborough and, in West Yorkshire, Huddersfield Town are still to be beaten. The Terriers un...

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Manchester United: 10 Handy Facts About Aldershot Town

Aldershot Towns pairing with Manchester United in the Carling Cup is a dream tie for a team that only came into the Football League in 2008, just 16 years after the original Aldershot club went bust in mid-season. With that in mind, here are 10 handy facts on The Shots. 1. Aldershot FC folded in 1...

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Arsenal: 10 Handy Facts About Shrewsbury Town

Confidence is low at Arsenal but surely Shrewsbury Town wont pose a threat at the Emirates tonight will they? Arsene Wenger may feel the need to rest some of his main stars and the Shrews have made a confident start to the season, so it might be a tricky encounter. An upset is unlikely, but if the ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Morning Glory could soon be a thing of the past for the guys at Soccer AM

Morning. The time of day when we, as human beings, fall into two distinct categories. On one hand you may be an enterprising, full-blooded marauder, charging about here there and everywhere with an unbounded vitality and zest for adventure. Alternatively, you might be a feckless layabout. Those of u...

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Who will win the Carling Cup?

The Carling Cup may not be valued that highly by the big boys in European action, but try telling Birmingham City fans that winning this tournament doesn’t matter. The draw for the third round of the competition was made over the weekend and, with all the big boys now in, it threw up a number of mo...

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Would you like to write for Squarefootball?

Do you live, breathe and sleep football? Do you have a passion for writing and want your views to be read by a potential audience of millions? Then we at Squarefootball Towers would love to hear from you. Whether you follow Aberdeen or Accrington Stanley, West Ham United or Wolfsburg, we can offer ...

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Why is the League Cup less important than the FA Cup?

In an earlier article I backed a change to a British League Cup because the League Cup is less valuable than the FA Cup - heres why its less valuable. The League Cup has less history; in England and Scotland the competition was derived to generate money to help pay for and justify the floodlights t...

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British League Cup makes sense for an undervalued competition

The latest discussion of a British League Cup has been started by an ongoing desire for Scottish teams to be able to regularly able to compete with English ones. This would improve cash flow to Scottish clubs by improved attendances and possibly TV revenue. It would also provide fresh challenges to ...

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Accrington Pull Out A Plum Tie

There may be Premiership teams who think of the Carling Cup as small beer but down in League Two its a big opportunity to raise the profile and add some much-needed revenue to the coffers. Accrington Stanley received an immediate reward for their excellent away win at Doncaster Rovers this week whe...

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Get on side and sport your colours for Shelter this World Cup

In celebration of this years FIFA World Cup, housing and homelessness charity Shelter are teaming up with Nationwide Building Society, Official England Team sponsor, to launch their fantastic footy fundraiser, Strip4Shelter. Shelter is asking people across the country to replace their regular work ...

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Expect Manchester City to beat Arsenal

The stakes are different for Arsene Wenger and Mark Hughes ahead of tonight's League Cup tie; whereas Mark Hughes is fighting off the latest speculation about his tenure Wenger is progressing serenely through the season - even if some pundits are over-egging his difficulties. With a weakened strike...

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Manchester City: Could Carling Cup exit signal the end for Hughes?

Mark Hughes has only once tasted defeat as Manchester City manager this season but the former Blackburn Rovers boss could well find himself on the managerial scrapheap if he fails to beat Arsenal and book Citys place in the last four of theCarling Cup. Hull City became the seventh team in a row to ...

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Tottenham Hotspur: Carling Cup success or top four finish? You decide!

High-flying Tottenham Hotspur travel to the home of the champions and Carling Cup holders Manchester United tonight in a match that could potentially see them being just 180 minutes away from their third Wembley final in as many years. Unfortunately for those Spurs fans who have shelled out good mon...

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Carling Cup Last Eight Throws Up Intriguing Ties

The Carling Cup may take a lot of stick but these days the competition has developed an unexpected afterlife. For the elite its no longer a priority but it is useful as a test ground for their up and coming players,plus as a game for disgruntled bench warmers Equally, there are some ambitious clubs...

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Strong Chelsea team should see off Bolton

Chelsea has named a strong line-up for tonight's League Cup game with Bolton; and unusually named in well in advance. It's almost as if Carlo Ancelotti has decided that Bolton will field a weakened side and that Chelsea will get the job done regardless of the exact nature of the opposition. It is ...

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Ngog could be the matchwinner for Liverpool at Arsenal

It was evident last night when Manchester United made 11 changes and still beat Barnsley 2-0 that the major clubs have such dominant squads that the only real danger that they face is if they either don't take this competition seriously, play extremely poorly or come across another major club. Only...

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Manchester United look for a reaction at Barnsley

Barnsley lie 20th in the Championship and surely Ipswich and Reading have too much quality to remain mired in the relegation zone for much longer. Barnsley is coming off the backs of defeats to Bristol City (3-2) and Nottingham Forest (1-0) and Mark Robins will be considering the merits of the leag...

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League Cup Final 2009: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur - 13 opinions on the game

The 2008/9 League Cup final is between two traditional cup teams in Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur; can United run onto towards the quintuple or will Spurs give its fans something to cheer about in a dismal season? We've asked our prediction panel for their thoughts on the first English tr...

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Tottenham; Hull, Shakhtar or Man Utd - which game is more important? You decide!

Tottenham Hotspur has a week that will define its season. A league game against Hull that could see either the north London club or the east Yorkshire side ease themselves clear of relegation concerns; a Uefa cup tie against Shakhtar Donetsk that Spurs will need to be at its best to survive and the...

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Nani offers good goal value against Derby

It is always tough to pre-guess Sir Alex Ferguson's teams ahead of big games, and with Chelsea to play on Sunday it is fairly certain that some stars will be rested against Derby tonight. Danny Welbeck may well get another start, but whether Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney or Berbatov start is something of ...

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Will Roman Pavlyuchenko get motivated by transfer dealings?

Totenham appear close, tonight, to re-signing Jermain Defoe for around £15m. There are other reports linking the club with Defoes Portsmouth strike partner, Peter Crouch. Which leaves the two expensive senior forwards, Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko, in a bit of a sticky situation. Pavlyuchenko ...

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