Are you curious about the Football League Super Cup and its significance in English football history? This article dives deep into the details of this short-lived competition, exploring its origins, format, and ultimate fate. At CAUHOI2025.UK.COM, we strive to provide accurate and insightful information to satisfy your curiosity.
The Football League Super Cup, while intended to compensate for a devastating ban, ultimately failed to capture the imagination of fans and was scrapped after just one season.
1. The Dark Days of English Football: The Genesis of the Super Cup
In 1985, English football was facing a severe crisis. The glory of the 1966 World Cup victory was fading, marred by tragedies like the Bradford City stadium fire, where 56 fans perished, and the Heysel disaster, where 39 Juventus supporters died due to rioting Liverpool fans before the European Cup final. This led to UEFA imposing an indefinite ban on all English clubs from European competitions.
The ban posed a significant financial threat to English clubs. Six teams had qualified for European competitions for the 1985-86 season, but their efforts were rendered meaningless. Everton, the league champions, were denied a place in the European Cup, causing considerable frustration among fans.
2. A Brainwave? The Football League’s Super Cup Solution
The Football League sought a solution to compensate the affected clubs. Their idea was to create a domestic tournament called the Super Cup, offering financial and sporting consolation.
The six clubs that would have participated in European competitions were invited:
- Everton (League Champions)
- Liverpool (UEFA Cup qualifier)
- Southampton (UEFA Cup qualifier)
- Tottenham (UEFA Cup qualifier)
- Norwich (League Cup winners)
- Manchester United (FA Cup holders)
For Everton, who had anticipated facing European giants like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus, the prospect of playing against Second Division Norwich was hardly a satisfying substitute.
3. A Tournament Structure: Groups, Semi-Finals, and a Final
The Super Cup’s format involved splitting the six teams into two groups of three. Each team would play the others in their group twice. The top two teams from each group would then advance to a two-legged semi-final, followed by a two-legged final. This was intended to be a distraction from the regular league season, which consisted of 42 matches, as well as the FA Cup and League Cup competitions.
Rumor has it that Everton and Liverpool were strategically placed in separate groups. Group 1 comprised Everton, Manchester United, and Norwich, while Group 2 consisted of Liverpool, Southampton, and Tottenham.
4. Sponsorship Woes: From Football League Super Cup to ScreenSport Super Cup
Initially, the Football League struggled to find a sponsor for the tournament. David Lacey of The Guardian noted the lack of a sponsor, referring to it as the Football League Super Cup “for want of a better name.” A potential sponsorship deal with a brewery fell through, perhaps due to the association with the Heysel disaster, which followed heavy drinking in Brussels.
Eventually, the cable sports channel ScreenSport agreed to sponsor the tournament, renaming it the ScreenSport Super Cup. However, the name lacked the gravitas of a serious competition among the country’s top teams.
5. ScreenSport: A Short-Lived Sponsor
ScreenSport, launched in 1984, was acquired by WH Smith in 1987 and later renamed The European Sports Network. The channel struggled and was eventually shut down by its new owner, Eurosport, in 1993, as Sky gained dominance over English football broadcasting.
6. Lack of Interest: A Tournament Lost in the Gloom
Interest in the Super Cup remained low, partly due to the demanding league campaign and the overall negativity surrounding English football. Disputes between clubs and broadcasters like the BBC and ITV over money meant games were not televised until the new year. The threat of a genuine Super League also loomed large.
The failure of the Super Cup to capture the public’s imagination was even used as an argument against the viability of a Super League. However, it did lead to the creation of the equally uninspiring Full Members Cup, a consolation competition for those who missed out on the Super Cup.
7. The British Cup: A Super Cup Alternative That Never Materialized
At one point, as negotiations to prevent a Super League continued, there was a proposal to replace the Super Cup with the British Cup, a competition involving clubs from both England and Scotland. However, this idea never came to fruition.
8. Manchester United’s Initial Optimism: A Hopeful Prediction
Before Manchester United’s first Super Cup match, chairman Martin Edwards expressed his hope that the tournament would “only last for a year,” naively believing that UEFA might lift the ban on English clubs by then. His prediction proved accurate, although not for the reasons he anticipated.
9. Everton’s Reality Check: A Breathtaking Spectacle
Manchester United started the league season strongly and expected to easily advance through their Super Cup group, with Norwich seen as the weakest team. However, their opening match against Everton at Old Trafford in September proved to be a rude awakening. Despite United’s earlier FA Cup final victory over Everton, the Toffees sought revenge and delivered a stunning performance.
Although described by The Guardian as “a breathtaking spectacle replete with dramatic incident, subtle skills and half-a-dozen excellent goals,” only 33,859 fans attended, a low turnout for United. Everton won 4-2, with Kevin Sheedy scoring a memorable goal from 25 yards.
10. Howard Kendall’s Disdain: “What a Waste of Time This Is”
The crowd at United’s match against Everton was the largest of the group stage. In October, Everton defeated Norwich 1-0 in front of a meager 10,329 fans at Goodison Park. Everton’s manager, Howard Kendall, was equally unenthusiastic, famously telling his team, “What a waste of time this is – out you go.”
11. Norwich’s Surprise Victory: Turning the Group on Its Head
Three weeks later, Norwich shocked Everton with a 1-0 victory, putting pressure on Manchester United. However, due to the tournament’s odd format, two months passed between United’s first and second games. Against Norwich at home, United needed a Gordon Strachan penalty to secure a 1-1 draw.
12. Injury-Ridden United: Apathy Sets In
By this point, Manchester United was struggling with injuries. Four weeks later, they traveled to Everton with a depleted squad. The Guardian’s Patrick Barclay noted that fans were “compiling an all-star XI” of injured players. Frank Stapleton had to play in defense, and his own goal settled the match in favor of Everton, who topped the group with nine points.
13. Manchester United’s Exit: No Tears Shed
Although Manchester United grew increasingly disinterested in the Super Cup, Norwich needed only to avoid a two-goal defeat in their final game against United to progress to the semi-finals. At Carrow Road, 15,449 fans watched Norwich take on a weakened United side.
Norwich won 1-0, eliminating United, who had only one point from their four games. According to The Guardian, United “gave the ball away with depressing regularity and lacked inspiration,” suggesting they simply did not care.
14. Tottenham’s Disappointing Turnout: Boycotting the Super Cup
Predictably, the other group was won by Liverpool. However, attendances remained low, with no game attracting even 15,000 spectators. In September, 11,549 saw Tottenham beat Southampton 2-1 at White Hart Lane, their lowest home crowd in any competition for 39 years.
Tottenham’s manager, Peter Shreeves, expressed his disappointment, stating, “We hoped for a crowd between 15,000 and 18,000 so it was a bit disappointing. But we certainly won’t lose money on tonight’s gate. Some of our fans told me they would boycott the game because they felt they’d been robbed of a European place.”
15. Liverpool’s Dominance: A Performance of Coordinated Skill
The crowd was even smaller for Tottenham’s game against Liverpool, with only 10,078 attending. Liverpool won 3-0, showcasing “coordinated skill and finishing power.” Mark Lawrenson scored a memorable solo goal, capping off a 40-yard run with a low drive past Pat Jennings.
16. Southampton’s Damning Verdict: A So-Called Super Cup
Liverpool comfortably progressed through the group stages, with their only dropped points coming in a 1-1 draw against Southampton. Southampton’s fans delivered a harsh verdict on the competition when only 4,680 watched them lose 3-1 to Tottenham. Patrick Barclay dismissively referred to it as a “so-called Super Cup.”
17. Semi-Final Apathy: Tottenham Fans’ Continued Protest
After the group stages, only Everton, Liverpool, and Tottenham remained. However, interest remained low, particularly among Tottenham fans, who seemed determined to reject the competition. An astonishing 7,548 fans attended the first leg of their semi-final against Everton at White Hart Lane, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
18. Fixture Congestion: A Semi-Final Delayed by Months
On the same day, Liverpool drew 1-1 with Norwich in the first leg of their semi-final. However, due to heavy fixture congestion, the second leg was delayed until May 6, a waiting period that dwarfed the Europa League. By this time, Liverpool was focused on a crucial title run-in and an FA Cup final against Everton.
19. Liverpool’s Final Berth: A Merseyside Derby Awaits
Liverpool secured their place in the final with a 3-1 victory over Norwich, with goals from Kevin MacDonald, Jan Molby, and Craig Johnston. Everton defeated Tottenham 3-1 in the second leg of their semi-final, setting up an all-Merseyside final.
20. A Farcical Final: Played at the Start of the Following Season
Due to fixture congestion and the early finish to the English season for the 1986 World Cup, the Super Cup final was played at the start of the following season. This meant that Liverpool had already won the league title, beaten Everton in the FA Cup final, and shared the Charity Shield by the time the final took place.
21. Liverpool’s First-Leg Victory: Rush Scores Twice
On September 16, 1986, almost a year after the first Super Cup match, Liverpool and Everton met at Anfield for the first leg of the final. Liverpool won 3-1, with Ian Rush scoring twice.
22. Everton’s Reserves: An Unnecessary Burden
The game was an unwelcome distraction for Everton, who were struggling with injuries and forced to field reserve players. Rush put Liverpool ahead early, and although Kevin Sheedy equalized with a free-kick, Steve McMahon and Rush added further goals for Liverpool.
23. Liverpool’s Emphatic Victory: Rush’s Hat-Trick
Two weeks later, 26,068 fans attended the second leg at Goodison Park. Liverpool ran riot, with Rush scoring a hat-trick to become the Super Cup’s top scorer with seven goals. Steve Nicol added Liverpool’s third, and despite Everton winning two penalties, Liverpool won 7-2 on aggregate.
24. The Super Cup’s Demise: Unloved and Unlamented
The Super Cup was canceled after a season (and a bit). Everton had to settle for winning the league title instead, a prize that likely eased their disappointment.
25. The Football League Super Cup: FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Football League Super Cup:
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What was the Football League Super Cup? The Football League Super Cup was a short-lived English football tournament created in 1985 as compensation for English clubs banned from European competition.
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Why was it created? It was created to provide financial and sporting compensation to the six English clubs that had qualified for European competitions but were unable to participate due to the UEFA ban.
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How long did it last? The tournament only lasted for one season (1985-86).
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Who participated in the Super Cup? Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Norwich City, and Manchester United.
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Who won the Super Cup? Liverpool won the Super Cup, defeating Everton in the two-legged final.
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Why was the Super Cup canceled? It was canceled due to a lack of interest from fans and clubs, as well as fixture congestion.
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What was the attendance like at Super Cup matches? Attendances were generally low, reflecting the lack of interest in the tournament.
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Was the Super Cup considered a prestigious competition? No, it was not considered a prestigious competition and was largely viewed as a consolation prize.
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Did any other competitions emerge as a result of the Super Cup? Yes, the Full Members Cup was created as a consolation competition for clubs that missed out on the Super Cup.
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Where can I find more information about English football history? CAUHOI2025.UK.COM offers a wealth of information on various aspects of English football history.
Conclusion: A Forlorn Experiment in English Football History
The Football League Super Cup stands as a curious footnote in English football history. Conceived in response to a crisis, it ultimately failed to capture the imagination of fans and quickly faded into obscurity. Its short existence serves as a reminder of a turbulent period in the game and the challenges faced by clubs and authorities alike.
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