1983–84 Associate Members' Cup

The 1983–84 Associate Members' Cup was the third staging of a secondary football league tournament, and the first staging of Associate Members' Cup. It was a reconstitution of the Football League Group Cup. The format was changed to a knock-out competition for English football clubs in the Third Division and the Fourth Division. Previously it had been an invitation 32-team tournament with a group stage and knock-out competition, with clubs from all 4 levels of the football league. The winners were Bournemouth and the runners-up were Hull City.

1983–84 Associate Members Cup

Tournament details
Country	England Wales
Teams	48
Defending champions	Millwall
Final positions
Champions	Bournemouth
Runners-up	Hull City
Tournament statistics
Matches played	49
Goals scored	160 (3.27 per match)
← 1982–83 1984–85 →

The competition began on 20 February 1984 and ended with the final on 24 May 1984 at Boothferry Park, the home stadium of the losing finalists.

In the first round, there were two sections: North and South. In the following rounds each section gradually eliminates teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists faced each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy.

First round

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 20 February Tranmere Rovers (4) 2–0 Halifax Town(4) 21 February Burnley(3) 2–1 Bolton Wanderers(3) 21 February Bury(4) 1–0 Wigan Athletic(3) 21 February Mansfield Town 1–3 Darlington(4) 21 February Rotherham United(3) 0–1 Sheffield United(3) 21 February Scunthorpe United(3) 2–1 Chesterfield(4) 21 February York City(4) 1–2 Hull City(3) 22 February Bradford City(3) 3–2 Hartlepool United(4) 22 February Chester City(4) 2 – 1[1] Blackpool(4) 22 February Lincoln City(3) 0–2 Doncaster Rovers(4) 22 February Rochdale(4) 0–3 Preston North End(3) 22 February Stockport County(4) 2 – 2[1] Crewe Alexandra(4) Crewe Alexandra won 3–0 on penalties

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 20 February Southend United(3) 5–0 Reading(4) 21 February Bournemouth(3) 4–0 Aldershot(4) 21 February Brentford(3) 3–2 Leyton Orient(3) 21 February Colchester United(4) 2–1 Wimbledon(3) 21 February Plymouth Argyle(3) 5–1 Torquay United(4) 21 February Walsall(3) 3–1 Northampton Town(4) 21 February Wrexham(4) 3 – 2[1] Peterborough United(4) 22 February Exeter City(4) 3–1 Bristol City(4) 22 February Hereford United(4) 0–1 Port Vale(4) 22 February Oxford United(3) 1–3 Swindon Town(4) 28 February Millwall(3) 4–3 Gillingham(3) 28 February Newport County(4) 0–1 Bristol Rovers(3)

Second round

In this round, in each section, the 6 winners and the 2 "lucky losers" progressed to the quarter-finals. Lucky losers are marked with the letters ^LL.

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 12 March Tranmere Rovers 4–1 Chester City 13 March Burnley 2–1 Darlington 13 March Doncaster Rovers 2–1 Preston North EndLL 13 March Hull City 1–0 Bury 13 March Scunthorpe UnitedLL 4 – 4[1] Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra won 7–6 on penalties 13 March Sheffield United 2–1 Bradford City

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 13 March Bristol Rovers 2–0 Port Vale 13 March Colchester United 0–2 Southend United 13 March MillwallLL 2 – 2[1] Bournemouth Bournemouth won 7–6 on penalties 13 March Swindon Town 3–0 Walsall 14 March Wrexham 2–0 Exeter CityLL 26 March Plymouth Argyle 2 – 0[1] Brentford

Quarter-finals

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 20 March Doncaster Rovers 1 – 3[1] Burnley 20 March Hull City 3–0 Preston North End 20 March Scunthorpe United 2–3 Sheffield United 20 March Tranmere Rovers 0 – 0[1] Crewe Alexandra Tranmere Rovers won 4–3 on penalties

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 27 March Millwall 3–1 Swindon Town 3 April Bournemouth 2–0 Wrexham 3 April Southend United 1–2 Bristol Rovers 24 April Plymouth Argyle 2–1 Exeter City

Area semi-finals

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 17 April Tranmere Rovers 2 – 0[1] Burnley 2 May Hull City 1–0 Sheffield United

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 14 May Bournemouth 1–0 Bristol Rovers 17 May Plymouth Argyle 0–1 Millwall

Area finals

Northern Area final

18 May 1984

Hull City	4–1	Tranmere Rovers
	Report

Boothferry Park, Hull

Attendance: 5,478

Southern Area final

21 May 1984

Bournemouth	2–1	Millwall
	Report

Dean Court, Bournemouth

Attendance: 4,058

Final

See also: 1984 Associate Members' Cup Final

24 May 1984

Hull City	1–2	Bournemouth
McNeil 12'		Graham 27' Morrell 73'

Boothferry Park, Hull

Attendance: 6,544