When Leicester City won the League Cup for the first time in 1964, the competition had only been in existence for four years. To reach the final against Stoke City, Matt Gillies’ side had defeated Aldershot, Tranmere Rovers, Gillingham and Norwich City in the earlier rounds before beating West Ham United side 6-3 in the two leg semi-final.
Until 1967, when they moved to Wembley, the finals were contested over two legs, home and away.
The programme illustrated below was produced for the first leg on 15 April, 1964 at the Potters’ old Victoria Ground. Leicester were lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw. They fell behind in the 62nd minute when their England goalkeeper Gordon Banks saw the ball squirm out of his grasp allowing Keith Bebbington to follow up and score.
The visitors equalised in the 78th minute. A Stoke clearance cannoned off Terry Heath into Davie Gibson’s path who took his chance and scored. The programme, a simple folded A4 sheet which contains no pictures, is surprisingly modest, but it has since become quite a collectors’ item.
The teams are listed on the front cover. City’s Richie Norman and Frank McLintock are missing due to injury. The captain, Colin Appleton, played at left full-back in Norman’s place and his place at left-half-back was taken by the reserve Max Dougan, whose name is misspelt Duggan.
Although he is on the teamsheet, reserve forward Terry Heath didn’t play because the regular centre-forward Ken Keyworth had recovered from his injury.
Inside the folded single sheet programme, there is an account of Leicester's progress in the League Cup, followed by pen pictures of each of their players. The back page lists Stoke City’s results in the League Cup to date and a record of their scorers for that season.
The 1-1 draw in the first leg set Leicester up for their 3-2 victory at Filbert Street a week later when Mike Stringfellow, Gibson (with a rare header) and Howard Riley netted the goals that won the cup.
After the game, the victorious Leicester City players were each presented with a tankard rather than a medal. It is engraved with the words: ‘The Football League Cup. 1963-64 winners’.
The tankard pictured (top) was awarded to Graham Cross, who went on to play a Club record 600 games for the Foxes. It is currently on display in reception at King Power Stadium.