On Tuesday Bristol Rovers play their 154th match in the competition that began life as the Football League Cup and is still often referred to as that in spite of the many sponsors who have added their name to the competition down the years.
The side we have played more than any other in the competition is Cardiff City and Tuesday’s meeting will be the 11th time our paths have crossed..
The first meeting came in a Third Round tie in 1962/63 when an Eastville crowd of 12,142 saw goals from Keith Williams and Harold Jarman defeat the Bluebirds. Rovers, by the way, were wearing their unpopular blue and white pin striped shirts on that occasion.
In 1966/67, at Ninian Park, a 17 year old John Toshack scored the only goal of the game to send Cardiff through to Round Two and it would be 1972/73 before the sides next met in the competition.
On Wednesday 16th August 1972, the sides played out a 2-2 First Round draw at Ninian Park with Derek Showers and Gary Bell on target for the Bluebirds and Wayne Jones and Brian Godfrey scoring for Rovers. A little bit ironic, perhaps, that in a game played in the Welsh capital, both Rovers goals were scored by Welshmen!
The replay at Eastville on 22nd August saw Rovers register a comfortable 3-1 win when Jones, Godfrey and Bruce Bannister scored for Rovers while former Bristol City striker Brian Clark was on target for Cardiff.
There was a time, in the 1970’s when early rounds were played over two legs, home and away, and we played each other in successive seasons, 1975/76 and 1976/77.
On 20th August 1975 Rovers were 2-1 winners in a First Round, First Leg tie at Ninian Park. Alan Warboys and Bannister were on target for Rovers, with Gil Reece scoring for Cardiff.
A 1-1 draw in the Second Leg at Eastville, where Kenny Stephens and Brian Clark traded goals, saw Rovers through to the Second Round.
The following season saw Cardiff win 2-1 in the First Round First Leg tie at Ninian Park when Tony Evans and Adrian Alston scored for the home side with Bannister responding for Rovers.
The Second Leg produced a thrilling 4-4 draw at Eastville when Cardiff’s Evans scored all four of their goals. Bannister (2), David Williams and Frankie Prince scored for Rovers. By virtue of the home win in the First Leg, the Bluebirds progressed to Round Two.
Meeting number nine in the competition arrived in 2009/10 in a Second Round tie that saw Cardiff win 3-1 in their brand new home, the Cardiff City Stadium. Michael Chopra, Peter Whittingham and Josh Magennis scored for Cardiff while Rovers’ late consolation goal arrived courtesy of Steve Elliott.
Paul Trollope was in charge of Rovers on that occasion, but by the time the clubs were next drawn against each other, in 2016/17, he was in the Cardiff City hotseat.
He was on the losing side again, though, as a stunning extra time goal from Chris Lines sealed a First Round win for Rovers to earn them a trip to Stamford Bridge for a Second Round tie against Chelsea.
The ten previous meetings between the clubs in the League Cup have yielded 32 goals, 17 for Rovers and 15 for Cardiff. Rovers have won four of those game, Cardiff three and there have been three draws.
On Tuesday Rovers go in search of their 51st win in the competition and their first goal since 2019 when they were beaten 2-1 by Brighton & Hove Albion at The Memorial Stadium.