The Football League Centenary Trophy (also known as the Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy for sponsorship reasons) was an English football tournament held during the 1988–89 season to celebrate the 100th birthday of The Football League. The competition was played on a knockout basis between the top eight sides from the Football League First Division the previous season, with the final between Arsenal and Manchester United taking place at the birthplace of League football, Aston Villa's home ground, Villa Park on 9 October 1988.
Goals from Paul Davis and Michael Thomas gave Arsenal a 2–1 victory, with Clayton Blackmore the scorer for United.[1] Despite most of the country's leading clubs being involved, crowds for the Centenary Trophy were generally disappointing and only the semi-final match between Arsenal and Liverpool attracted more than 25,000.[2]
The Football League marked its centenary during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons with a number of events; an exhibition game between a Football League XI and a World XI in August 1987,[3] followed by a Centenary Friendly Tournament eight months later.[2][4] The final centrepiece was the Football League Centenary Trophy, a one-off tournament which commenced at the start of the 1988–89 season.[2] The clubs which qualified for the tournament were the previous season's top eight, as follows:[2]
The quarter-finals were staged over three days in August 1988. Liverpool recorded the biggest win of the round, defeating Nottingham Forest 4–1 at a half-capacity Anfield.[6] The home side rested striker John Aldridge and started Ian Rush who player-managerKenny Dalglish said "...needed some matches. We might as well get him as fit as we can, as quickly as we can."[6] All of Liverpool's four goals came in the second half; Barry Venison set them on their way to victory with a well-hit shot in the 50th minute.[6] Manchester United meanwhile secured a place in the semi-finals with a 1–0 win against Everton.[7]Gordon Strachan scored the game's only goal in the second half, heading in at the far post.[7] It was his first goal for the club, much to the delight and amusement of manager Alex Ferguson: "You're waiting for your first goal of the season, you've got people like [Brian] McClair and [Mark] Hughes on the park and it comes from Gordon Strachan's head!"[7] Newcastle United needed extra time to overcome their opponents Wimbledon; the tie was settled by Michael O'Neill's goal in the 109th minute.[8] Arsenal completed the semi-final line up with a 2–0 win away at Queens Park Rangers.[9]
The semi-finals were played over two days in September 1988. Arsenal faced Liverpool at their home ground, Highbury.[13] Injuries to eight first-team players, notably goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, defender Alan Hansen, and winger John Barnes meant the visitors fielded an unfamiliar side, one which required the involvement of Dalglish towards the end of the tie.[13] Arsenal took the lead just after the half-hour mark when a corner was flicked on by Alan Smith and Perry Groves was in space to nudge the ball past Mike Hooper.[13] Liverpool equalised in the second half through Steve Staunton, but Brian Marwood's volley restored Arsenal's lead and they held on for a place in the final.[13]
The second semi-final tie, between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford was decided in extra time.[14] A audience of just under 15,000 – "one of the smallest crowds to gather at Old Trafford for a senior fixture in many years" – saw two halves of insipid attacking football but stout defending.[15] Newcastle came close to scoring the winner two minutes before normal time was up, only for substitute Mirandinha to miss.[15] Defender Steve Bruce scored inside 44 seconds of extra time, and ten minutes later McClair headed in to give United a 2–0 win.[14]
The tournament reached its climax on 9 October 1988, when Arsenal competed against Manchester United. The match was held at Villa Park, considered the birthplace of the Football League. Before the match United captain Bryan Robson told a reporter there was "not so much pressure" on his teammates to win the competition, but noted the incentive of beating Arsenal as the winners stood to receive £50,000.[19] The first half, played under drizzle, saw Arsenal score twice in four minutes to take a commanding lead before the break.[20]Paul Davis broke the deadlock, before he turned provider and set Michael Thomas up to score their second.[21] Once the rain stopped and United introduced Strachan on to the field, both sides played at a frantic pace.[20] United ended the half strongly, and scored with six minutes of normal time remaining through Clayton Blackmore.[20] Strachan almost equalised but for Lee Dixon's intervention on the goal line.[20]
Journalist Ian Ridley praised the end-to-end nature of the final and felt it showcased the best of English football, writing in The Guardian: "[It] illustrated perfectly the major development in the modern game; the swiftness that English supporters demand and that excites overseas viewers."[21] In his match report, Steve Curry of the Daily Express summarised: "The League’s centenary celebrations have, overall, been a shambles, but this rousing finale at least left one worthwhile memory."[2]
^ abcdePye, Steven (4 January 2017). "How Arsenal won the Centenary Trophy, the least celebrated title in their history". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
^When the Football League took on the world…, England Memories, 7 August 2015
^What on earth was the Mercantile Credit Football Festival?, The Guardian, 10 June 2015
^. Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
^ abcBateman, Cynthia (30 August 1988). "Rush in and out of luck". The Guardian. London. p. 10.
^ abcdBall, Peter (30 August 1988). "United's comfort drawn from an unlikely source". The Times. p. 33.
^ abLacey, David (30 August 1988). "O'Neill swings the balance back in Newcastle's favour". The Times. p. 33.
^ abLacey, David (1 September 1988). "Arsenal stay in credit". The Guardian. London. p. 14.
^ abc"Today's fixtures". The Times. 29 August 1988. p. 29.
^"Matchdetails from Liverpool – Nottingham Forest played on Monday 29 August 1988". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
^"Today's fixtures". The Times. 31 August 1988. p. 32.
^ abcdJones, Stuart (21 September 1988). "Arsenal chase away the pale shadow of League champions". The Times. p. 44.
^ abcBateman, Cynthia (22 September 1988). "Bruce at the second try". The Guardian. London. p. 18.
^ abRoss, Ian (22 September 1988). "Late reward for the diehards". The Times. p. 44.
^"Today's fixtures". The Times. 20 September 1988. p. 44.
^"Matchdetails from Arsenal – Liverpool played on Tuesday 20 September 1988". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
^"Today's fixtures". The Times. 21 September 1988. p. 44.
^Rosenthal, Jim (presenter), Moore, Brian (commentator) (9 October 1988). Soccer Highlights: Mercantile Credit Trophy Final (Television production). ITV. See also YouTube footage, from 40 seconds in.
^ abcdeJones, Stuart (10 October 1988). "Davis the villain departs the stage as a centenary hero". The Times. p. 40.
^ abRidley, Ian (10 October 1988). "Arsenal end League party with style and grace". The Guardian. London. p. 14.
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The Football League Centenary Trophy also known as the Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy for sponsorship reasons was an English football tournament held during the 1988 89 season to celebrate the 100th birthday of The Football League The competition was played on a knockout basis between the top eight sides from the Football League First Division the previous season with the final between Arsenal and Manchester United taking place at the birthplace of League football Aston Villa s home ground Villa Park on 9 October 1988 Football League Centenary TrophyTournament detailsCountryEnglandDates29 August 9 October 1988Teams8Final positionsChampionsArsenalRunner upManchester UnitedTournament statisticsMatches played7Goals scored17 2 43 per match Attendance130 025 18 575 per match Top goal scorer s Brian Marwood 2 goals Goals from Paul Davis and Michael Thomas gave Arsenal a 2 1 victory with Clayton Blackmore the scorer for United 1 Despite most of the country s leading clubs being involved crowds for the Centenary Trophy were generally disappointing and only the semi final match between Arsenal and Liverpool attracted more than 25 000 2 Contents 1 Background 2 Matches 2 1 Quarter finals 2 2 Semi finals 2 3 Final 3 Goalscorers 4 ReferencesBackground editThe Football League marked its centenary during the 1987 88 and 1988 89 seasons with a number of events an exhibition game between a Football League XI and a World XI in August 1987 3 followed by a Centenary Friendly Tournament eight months later 2 4 The final centrepiece was the Football League Centenary Trophy a one off tournament which commenced at the start of the 1988 89 season 2 The clubs which qualified for the tournament were the previous season s top eight as follows 2 First Division table 5 Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts1 Liverpool 40 26 12 2 87 24 63 902 Manchester United 40 23 12 5 71 38 33 813 Nottingham Forest 40 20 13 7 67 39 28 734 Everton 40 19 13 8 53 27 26 705 Queens Park Rangers 40 19 10 11 48 38 10 676 Arsenal 40 18 12 10 58 39 19 667 Wimbledon 40 14 15 11 58 47 11 578 Newcastle United 40 14 14 12 55 53 2 56Matches editQuarter finals edit The quarter finals were staged over three days in August 1988 Liverpool recorded the biggest win of the round defeating Nottingham Forest 4 1 at a half capacity Anfield 6 The home side rested striker John Aldridge and started Ian Rush who player manager Kenny Dalglish said needed some matches We might as well get him as fit as we can as quickly as we can 6 All of Liverpool s four goals came in the second half Barry Venison set them on their way to victory with a well hit shot in the 50th minute 6 Manchester United meanwhile secured a place in the semi finals with a 1 0 win against Everton 7 Gordon Strachan scored the game s only goal in the second half heading in at the far post 7 It was his first goal for the club much to the delight and amusement of manager Alex Ferguson You re waiting for your first goal of the season you ve got people like Brian McClair and Mark Hughes on the park and it comes from Gordon Strachan s head 7 Newcastle United needed extra time to overcome their opponents Wimbledon the tie was settled by Michael O Neill s goal in the 109th minute 8 Arsenal completed the semi final line up with a 2 0 win away at Queens Park Rangers 9 29 August 198815 00 BST 10 Liverpool4 1Nottingham ForestVenison nbsp 50 Molby nbsp 70 pen Houghton nbsp 75 Barnes nbsp 84 11 Webb nbsp 90 Anfield LiverpoolAttendance 20 141Referee G Tyson Sunderland 29 August 198815 00 BST 10 Manchester United1 0EvertonStrachan nbsp 66 7 Old Trafford ManchesterAttendance 16 439Referee G Alpin Westmorland County 29 August 198819 30 BST 10 Newcastle United1 0 a e t WimbledonO Neill nbsp 109 8 St James Park NewcastleAttendance 17 141Referee Keith Hackett South Yorkshire 31 August 198819 45 BST 12 Queens Park Rangers0 2Arsenal 9 Adams nbsp 3 Marwood nbsp 76 Loftus Road LondonAttendance 10 019Referee Roger Milford Somerset Semi finals edit The semi finals were played over two days in September 1988 Arsenal faced Liverpool at their home ground Highbury 13 Injuries to eight first team players notably goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar defender Alan Hansen and winger John Barnes meant the visitors fielded an unfamiliar side one which required the involvement of Dalglish towards the end of the tie 13 Arsenal took the lead just after the half hour mark when a corner was flicked on by Alan Smith and Perry Groves was in space to nudge the ball past Mike Hooper 13 Liverpool equalised in the second half through Steve Staunton but Brian Marwood s volley restored Arsenal s lead and they held on for a place in the final 13 The second semi final tie between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford was decided in extra time 14 A audience of just under 15 000 one of the smallest crowds to gather at Old Trafford for a senior fixture in many years saw two halves of insipid attacking football but stout defending 15 Newcastle came close to scoring the winner two minutes before normal time was up only for substitute Mirandinha to miss 15 Defender Steve Bruce scored inside 44 seconds of extra time and ten minutes later McClair headed in to give United a 2 0 win 14 20 September 198819 45 BST 16 Arsenal2 1LiverpoolGroves nbsp 33 Marwood nbsp 82 17 Staunton nbsp 80 Highbury LondonAttendance 29 135Referee John Martin Wessex 21 September 198819 30 BST 18 Manchester United2 0 a e t Newcastle UnitedBruce nbsp 91 McClair nbsp 101 14 Old Trafford ManchesterAttendance 14 968Referee John Key South Yorkshire Final edit The tournament reached its climax on 9 October 1988 when Arsenal competed against Manchester United The match was held at Villa Park considered the birthplace of the Football League Before the match United captain Bryan Robson told a reporter there was not so much pressure on his teammates to win the competition but noted the incentive of beating Arsenal as the winners stood to receive 50 000 19 The first half played under drizzle saw Arsenal score twice in four minutes to take a commanding lead before the break 20 Paul Davis broke the deadlock before he turned provider and set Michael Thomas up to score their second 21 Once the rain stopped and United introduced Strachan on to the field both sides played at a frantic pace 20 United ended the half strongly and scored with six minutes of normal time remaining through Clayton Blackmore 20 Strachan almost equalised but for Lee Dixon s intervention on the goal line 20 Journalist Ian Ridley praised the end to end nature of the final and felt it showcased the best of English football writing in The Guardian It illustrated perfectly the major development in the modern game the swiftness that English supporters demand and that excites overseas viewers 21 In his match report Steve Curry of the Daily Express summarised The League s centenary celebrations have overall been a shambles but this rousing finale at least left one worthwhile memory 2 9 October 198815 00 BST 22 Arsenal2 1Manchester UnitedDavis nbsp 36 Thomas nbsp 40 20 Blackmore nbsp 84 Villa Park BirminghamAttendance 22 182Referee George Courtney County Durham Goalscorers edit nbsp John Barnes pictured in 2012 scored his only goal of the tournament for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest Rank Name Team Goals1 nbsp Brian Marwood Arsenal 22 nbsp Tony Adams Arsenal 1 nbsp John Barnes Liverpool nbsp Clayton Blackmore Manchester United nbsp Steve Bruce Manchester United nbsp Paul Davis Arsenal nbsp Perry Groves Arsenal nbsp Ray Houghton Liverpool nbsp Brian McClair Manchester United nbsp Jan Molby Liverpool nbsp Michael O Neill Newcastle United nbsp Gordon Strachan Manchester United nbsp Michael Thomas Arsenal nbsp Barry Venison Liverpool nbsp Neil Webb Nottingham ForestReferences editGeneral Rollin Jack 1989 Rothmans Football Yearbook 1989 1990 London Queen Anne Press ISBN 0 356 17910 9 Specific Rollin 1989 p 604 a b c d e Pye Steven 4 January 2017 How Arsenal won the Centenary Trophy the least celebrated title in their history The Guardian Retrieved 2 May 2017 When the Football League took on the world England Memories 7 August 2015 What on earth was the Mercantile Credit Football Festival The Guardian 10 June 2015 English Division One old table Statto Organisation Archived from the original on 3 April 2016 Retrieved 7 October 2017 a b c Bateman Cynthia 30 August 1988 Rush in and out of luck The Guardian London p 10 a b c d Ball Peter 30 August 1988 United s comfort drawn from an unlikely source The Times p 33 a b Lacey David 30 August 1988 O Neill swings the balance back in Newcastle s favour The Times p 33 a b Lacey David 1 September 1988 Arsenal stay in credit The Guardian London p 14 a b c Today s fixtures The Times 29 August 1988 p 29 Matchdetails from Liverpool Nottingham Forest played on Monday 29 August 1988 LFCHistory net Retrieved 10 October 2017 Today s fixtures The Times 31 August 1988 p 32 a b c d Jones Stuart 21 September 1988 Arsenal chase away the pale shadow of League champions The Times p 44 a b c Bateman Cynthia 22 September 1988 Bruce at the second try The Guardian London p 18 a b Ross Ian 22 September 1988 Late reward for the diehards The Times p 44 Today s fixtures The Times 20 September 1988 p 44 Matchdetails from Arsenal Liverpool played on Tuesday 20 September 1988 LFCHistory net Retrieved 10 October 2017 Today s fixtures The Times 21 September 1988 p 44 Rosenthal Jim presenter Moore Brian commentator 9 October 1988 Soccer Highlights Mercantile Credit Trophy Final Television production ITV See also YouTube footage from 40 seconds in a b c d e Jones Stuart 10 October 1988 Davis the villain departs the stage as a centenary hero The Times p 40 a b Ridley Ian 10 October 1988 Arsenal end League party with style and grace The Guardian London p 14 Tomorrow The Times 9 October 1988 p 54 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Football League Centenary Trophy amp oldid 1205950898, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
