The First Of Many

On September 26, 1960 the new League Cup was born. Primarily invented to take advantage of floodlighting and barren midweeks, what was to become one of the most competitive knock-out competitions in the world arrived in tandem with the swinging sixties.

The first two games were at Eastville, Bristol Rovers’ famous old home, and at Upton Park, where West Ham beat Charlton 3-1.

But it was down in Bristol where Maurice Cook, the Fulham centre forward, scored the first ever goal in the competition after just nine minutes. Sadly for the striker, Rovers went on to win 2-1.