Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United
Milk Cup Final, March 26, 1983
This was Manchester United's first ever League Cup Final. They arrived at Wembley to face a Liverpool side who were in danger of monopolising the competition with their third consecutive Final appearance.
Alan Kennedy (75)
Ronnie Whelan (98)
Norman Whiteside (12)
Milk Cup Final,
26 March 1983
Wembley,
Referee: George Courtney,
Att: 99,304
Like Spurs the previous year, Manchester United took an early lead against Liverpool after a superb strike from the young Norman Whiteside on 12 minutes.
With Liverpool desperately searching for an equaliser, full-back Alan Kennedy picked up the ball just inside the United half and sprinted towards the penalty box before unleashing an unstoppable drive past Gary Bailey with 15 minutes remaining.
United fans will claim that Bruce Grobbelaar should have been sent off for a terrible challenge on Gordon McQueen, for which he only received a yellow card. But, with extra time forced and United having to reshuffle following an injury to Kevin Moran, Ronnie Whelan stepped up to score the winner. The Irishman curled in a long range classic that will long be remembered in Liverpool folklore.
Key Figures
Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside would win the FA Cup twice with United, in 1983 and 1985. Injury problems and Alex Ferguson's tiring patience with the club's drinking culture eventually saw him leave for Everton in 1989. He finally lost his battle against injury and was forced to retire two years later at the premature age of 26.
Ronnie Whelan
Whelan's skill and industry in midfield would help Liverpool's all conquering team secure a succession of trophies over the following years, including five more League titles, two FA Cups and the European Cup. He eventually left the club in 1994 to become manager of Southend United.
Bob Paisley
This match will always be remembered for Bob Paisley collecting the trophy. As the team walked up the Wembley steps, team captain Graeme Souness stepped aside and requested the manager receive the honour of lifting the trophy. This was Bob Paisley's last ever cup final after announcing his decision to retire at the end if the season.
Did You Know...?
Norman Whiteside, then aged 18, became the youngest ever scorer in both the League Cup and FA Cup Finals that season.
This was only the second time that the League Cup had been staged under the moniker of the Milk Cup. Since then it has been called the Littlewoods Challenge Cup, Rumbelows Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, Worthington Cup and, as we now know it, the Carling Cup.
Liverpool still hold the record for League Cup wins with seven, while United are second with four titles.
What Happened Next
Manchester went on to win their first trophy under Ron Atkinson's management by taking the 1983 FA Cup. They repeated the feat two years later when Norman Whiteside's solitary goal gave them a 1-0 win over Everton.
Bob Paisley's final season ended on a high as they won the First Division title, giving the manager a record 21 prizes in nine years. His successor was long serving coach, Joe Fagan, who continued Liverpool's domination by winning a unique treble of the Championship, League Cup and European Cup the following season.
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