Two-Goal Elliott On Legendary League Cup Heroics

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Two-Goal Elliott On Legendary League Cup Heroics

It’s impossible to recall Leicester City’s 2000 League Cup victory without mentioning Matt Elliott.

2020-06-07T07:42:00.000Z

by Richard Mellor

Published

07 Jun, 2020

Two-Goal Elliott On Legendary League Cup Heroics

It’s impossible to recall Leicester City’s 2000 League Cup victory without mentioning Matt Elliott.

Richard Mellor

2020-06-07T07:42:00.000Z

Two-Goal Elliott On Legendary League Cup Heroics

It’s impossible to recall Leicester City’s 2000 League Cup victory without mentioning Matt Elliott.

Richard Mellor

2020-06-07T07:42:00.000Z

Two-Goal Elliott On Legendary League Cup Heroics

It’s impossible to recall Leicester City’s 2000 League Cup victory without mentioning Matt Elliott.

Richard Mellor

2020-06-07T07:42:00.000Z

Two-Goal Elliott On Legendary League Cup Heroics

It’s impossible to recall Leicester City’s 2000 League Cup victory without mentioning Matt Elliott.

Richard Mellor

2020-06-07T07:42:00.000Z

On 27 February, 2000, the former Oxford United man wrote his name into the Football Club’s history books after becoming the first captain to lift a major trophy at Wembley Stadium.

That record remains intact to this day, as do the Blue Army’s memories of a jubilant afternoon in the capital.

The Club’s supporters were no strangers to the Wembley Way walk, having witnessed glory and heartbreak throughout the 1990s.

From play-off success to last-minute defeats, no fanbase had seen more ups and downs beneath the famous Twin Towers during that decade, but at the turn of the millennium, another triumphant afternoon unfolded.

At the centre of it all was Elliott – an Epsom-born Scotland international who City had broken their transfer record for in January 1997.

He joined an eclectic mix of players under Martin O’Neill, and it was, in fact, their diverse nature that united them.

“We were a mixed bag of all sorts,” Elliott told LCFC TV. “The manager, just the staff, full stop. Steve Walford... he was a laid back but chirpy cockney. John Robertson was a footballing genius.

“And then Martin [O'Neill] was the intense character that he was you know, the personality of the Northern Irishman, the fieriness that came from him and the passion, so they were quite a mixed bag of all sorts themselves... Never mind the players!

“But we did have players of all sorts of ages, all sorts of backgrounds; [Ian] Marshall, Emile Heskey, Neil Lennon... another fiery Irishman. The cockney Turk, Muzzy Izzet. Gerry Taggart, again, another Irishman, Pegguy Arphexad and Theo [Zagorakis].

“All these different characters. Obviously, Walshy (Steve Walsh), a mainstay. Steve Guppy was relatively quiet, introvert, although, you know, good character himself. So, there was quite a mixed bag there, for sure, but it all seemed to gel together.”

The man who assembled City’s late ‘90s and early ‘00s squad, O’Neill, has, by many, been labelled as one of the most inspirational managers to play for, including Elliott.

The Irishman’s all-or-nothing mantra bred success, which materialised in two League Cup victories in the space of four years for the Foxes.

“Martin was very emotional,” said Elliott. “If he won, it was like you're on top of the world. It's like winning the World Cup. If you lost... it was doomsday. He would hardly even look at you, never mind speak to you, but that wasn't anything to be taken personally.

“It was just the way it was: so much emphasis on winning games. However that was. You didn't have to play pretty. You didn't have to be the better team. Just give your all, be committed and, if you come up on top, then it was a wonderful experience.

“If you lost, it was dejection, bordering on devastation, and it made you more determined to correct things next time around.

“Three points were three points and they're precious and look after them and give your all to achieve them in the league situation. [It was] similar in cup games. You could imagine in a semi-final, especially after the frustration of the year before, where we got it wrong, that's still resounded with us.

“We knew we had another opportunity, whoever the opponents might be, but your celebration is long and hard into the night! We had a regular haunt called Baffone in town, which is still going now. It's like an after nightclub, Italian restaurant/karaoke bar. I'll let you picture the scenes!”

With City’s fixture schedule packed with clashes against some of the greatest teams in the Premier League era, their focus shifted to cup campaigns, according to Elliott.

Three League Cup Finals in the space of four years, with two of them producing silverware, was evidence of their push in cup competitions.

He explained: “We were doing well and cup competitions as an extension of our progress, you get recognition for it. Not that we were particularly looking for that, but you know, there was only two realistic avenues for success, in terms of winning a competition, a major competition.

“For us, the Premier League was out of sight. It was nice just to be involved in it. [It was] even better to be in the top-half, but we had no expectations or ambitions of winning it in truth.

“Europe was an exciting prospect, never to be attained, via league position, but we knew that we could bring relative glory to the Club by winning one of the major trophies via the cup competition and subsequently get into Europe. So, the incentive was there.

“We were a mixed bag. We were a young group. We were that young, but we were hungry. We were motivated, you know, because of the way our careers had gone individually and because we had Martin at the top, who'd done it all and was still very hungry.”

Their run in the League Cup saw them dismiss Crystal Palace, Grimsby Town, Leeds United and Fulham en route to a semi-final clash with Aston Villa over two legs, with Elliott on target in the second leg to win it for Leicester at Filbert Street.

“We knew we had had a chance at that stage and long before,” said Elliott. “We had the upper hand against Aston Villa in the league over a period of time, which gave us the confidence going into that semi-final, and even more so going into the second leg at home on an even playing field.

“We've got the draw away, which was a big result. Any sort of victory was going take us through to Wembley. Despite, in their view, being a bigger club with the big name players, we felt that we had more than enough to cope with the situation and that proved to be the case.

“Again, I was employed up front. 'Needs must' as much as anything, really. We still had the injuries to key players. [We had] key players not even featuring. So, it's all hands to the pump and Martin stuck me up front again just to cause a bit of a commotion more than anything, really, cause a few problems.

“I could link-up play a little bit, win the odd header, but it wasn't something he was going to persevere with for too long but used on occasion. I remember the ball coming in... I was being marked by sadly, no longer with was, Ugo Ehiogu, it was who was actually marking me I remember the ball coming in, Heskey laying it off to Sav, Sav into Muzzy... Muzzy wriggling around, a nice little touch, it went over and the referee could have blown up for a foul... thankfully, in hindsight, he didn't.

“Sav's put in a deep, swirling cross, almost just into an area. [With] a little bit of movement, I've managed to wriggle free of Ugo Ehiogu and it's a nice, well-contacted header into the far stick. It was one of those you know, as soon as it leaves your forehead I knew it was going into the back of the net.

“David James is a giant... he's 6ft 5ins, long-limbed, athletic, agile... still nowhere near it. Unlucky, David! That was a nice sight to see.

“A nice little celebration, where my momentum just carried me, a big smile on my face and being jumped on by all the lads. Even though it was early in the game, relatively, before half-time, we took that lead and it almost felt as if we weren't going to relinquish it.”

City’s success against Villa proved to be extremely satisfying for Elliott, who had to listen to his doubters prior to the match, before scoring the all-important winner.

He recalled: “Ron Atkinson, who was ex-manager of Aston Villa, commentated on the first game, it was Midweek Sports Special and I remember, I got home on the Wednesday night and watched the game, brief highlights, not a lot to report...

“Ron Atkinson said: 'Leicester City are extremely, extremely lucky to still be in this tie. They've come here with no ambition. Talk about square pegs in round holes They've even got Matt Elliott playing up front!'

“So, I heard that and I thought: 'It's true, Ron, but slightly harsh, but okay, we'll take it on the chin and see how things go'.

“Then in the second leg, I scored the winner, we're celebrating with a lap of honour around the pitch with all the fans, everyone is looking forward to Wembley and I run down the tunnel to go and enjoy the atmosphere in the changing room and who so I see on the right-hand side, having an interview with Gary Newbon, who was the presenter of the Midweek Sports Special? Ron Atkinson, live on telly.

“[He's] obviously, not feeling too good about Villa going out. I had little trot down the tunnel. I thought: ‘Shall I?’ I had a little rewind and popped my head around [and said:] 'Hi Ron, square pegs, round holes. See you at Wembley, mate!' He begrudgingly gave me a little bit of a smile, but I had a little chuckle to myself. I enjoyed that one!”

That sweet feeling buoyed Elliott and his team-mates, as they prepared for a third trip to Wembley in four seasons.

O’Neill’s preparatory methods had an aura about them, setting the final apart from their regular fixture calendar, and included some cultural trips to the theatre, too.

“From memory, waking up that day, we used to stay at Burnham Beaches, which is where England used to stay on their training camp prior to big games and Martin used to like developing that sense of a big-game atmosphere,” Elliott said.

“We'd go to the theatre two nights before in London's West End. I think it was that year we went to Saturday Night Fever, which was quite funny. All the lads were going.

“Most of them don't want to get involved in the theatre I was quite happy to. I've been a few times myself, I quite enjoy it, but they were grumbling and moaning. 'What are we doing going to the theatre? What a load of old tosh this is!’

“But before you knew it, Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gees you look around over your shoulder and there's 30 lads up, giving it all the old finger pointing and everything... the old John Travolta bits and some of the staff were up. Maybe even Martin was up dancing as well! I might be inventing that, but that was good night.

“You know, again, team bonding, preparation, relaxing us for the final. But just coming to the stadium, as it was, what a sight. When you're coming, driving over in the coach, you come over the top of the hill you used to be able to see the Twin Towers.

“When you saw that, that was the stuff of dreams because we'd experienced it before, the majority of us, at one level or another, but whenever it occurred, it still got you, because as a kid you used to watch like everyone else, the FA Cup day from 9am in the morning until 6pm at night.

“It just sticks so vividly in your mind and when you see it rising up over the hill. Like I say, the Twin Towers appear, you can see the rest of the stadium. You can see people walking a long like little ants, really. They're just going about their business and the supporters are flocking to the stadium. It really kicks in. It's a special, special feeling.”

For the central defender, with experience came the ability to stem the flow of nervousness with momentous matches on the horizon, and embrace the moment, rather than fearing it.

“By this stage of my career, I was excited by it, rather than intimidated by it,” Elliott said. “I remember all the fanfare, all the pyrotechnics going off and everything, it was a real glitzy occasion.

“A bit too much, a bit over the top, really, but proud to lead Leicester out, proud to walk behind Martin O'Neill, who was our inspiration, and proud to lead out my team-mates as well, ready for action.

“But once that that happens, you just want the game to get going. Things were to eventually go beyond my wildest dreams, to go so well in terms of scoring two goals, which you never dream of.

“It perhaps runs through your head: 'Wouldn't it be nice to score a goal in a Wembley cup final'. But, as a centre-half especially, you don't even think about two. But strangely, that's what happened.

“To lift the cup, which I was told later on, I still remain to this day the only person to lift a major trophy for Leicester City at Wembley. Any other successes have been via replays. That's quite a special achievement in itself. Just to lift any cup for Leicester at Wembley [is] the stuff of dreams.

“I was Man of the Match, scored the goals, like I say, and it was just one of those days where everything just fell into place.

“On top of that, my youngest was due to be born that day and his mum was thinking, I was going to go to the hospital if he was born that day and I'd miss the final... was never going to happen! I went along with it up to a point.

“I said: 'Don't worry. I'll sort Martin out if there's a problem'. But there was no way I was missing this final! Thankfully, he waited three days, so I could enjoy the celebrations of winning the cup and all that went with that.

“So, we had a few days having a good time... three days later, my youngest son's born and another few days having a good time. That was a long old week, as you can imagine! And on top of that, again, my father, who was an inspiration to me, as is the case with a lot of sons and fathers, I absolutely loved him to bits.

“He's no longer with us anymore and he backed me first and last goalscorer. He liked a little flutter here and there... 20 pounds on each, it came together, doubled up... 600 quid. That was in his back pocket as well, as well as a little medal and a Man of the Match trophy and the Worthington Cup to boot.

“It was just a special day, really. After that, everything was downhill, to be honest, I should have packed in there and then. Some people will say I did!”

When Elliott lifted the League Cup, it was a moment of realisation – that an unlikely troop of men, led by O’Neill, had righted the wrongs from the 1999 final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur to cement their status as one of the country’s most successful sides around the turn of the century.

Recalling the crowning moment, Elliott said: “As I was walking up the steps, things sink into a level, I suppose, not fully. Of course, you know, that would take a little while but the realisation of what we'd achieved.

“I wasn't involved in the '97 victory against Middlesbrough. I was cup tied, although I was playing regularly in the Premier League. So, I missed out on that in some senses, I missed out the following year with a capitulation against Grimsby and then against Tottenham, we got it wrong.

“So, I'm thinking: 'We're pushing our luck here!' There's only so many chances you're going to get to get a major trophy. I never thought I would be anywhere near that earlier on in my career, but all of a sudden, I was.

“I was captaining a Premier League side in the major cup final. I managed to get the goals, like we've said, and everything that goes with it, and you're just pinching yourself a little bit, really. I just had giggles of disbelief to myself.

“My dad also, I saw him after the game and he was the same, just shaking his head, saying: 'I can't believe this. I can't believe it.' I'm saying: 'What? 'Where's all this come from?' 'I don't know myself dad, but let's enjoy it!'

“It was one of them and then simply going up the steps. And you're just there. And you see, I'm remember seeing John Elsom, the then Chairman who was there and he gives you a big congratulatory hug, et cetera. It's just nice to see everyone's happy faces, a sense of achievement.

“Also, one of my thoughts was: 'How long is it going be before Neil Lennon grabs this trophy off me?' So, it wasn't long, mind! You could see as soon as I put it up in the air, you could see Neil looking at it. I've photos at home. He's looking at it, grabbing... I'm like: 'Okay. Okay, Lenny. All right, just give me a moment will you?!'

“But that was, without a doubt, a moment to savour and special, special times.”

20 Years On: Leicester’s League Cup Triumph can be viewed now, for free, on LCFC TV.

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