The 1999–2000 Football League Trophy, known as the Auto Windscreens Shield for sponsorship reasons, was the 19th staging of the Football League Trophy, a knock-out competition for English football clubs in Second and Third Division. The winners were Stoke City who beat Bristol City 2–1 in the final.
The competition began on 7 December 1999 and ended with the final on 16 April 2000 at the Wembley Stadium.
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 face each other in the combined final to determine the winners of the Football League Trophy.
First round
Northern Section The teams that given byes to the second round are Carlisle United, Chester City, Chesterfield, Lincoln City, Macclesfield Town, Oldham Athletic, Rochdale and Scunthorpe United.
DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance7 DecemberHartlepool United1 – 0Halifax Town1,4827 DecemberMansfield Town2 – 1Bury1,2057 DecemberNotts County0 – 1Blackpool1,1677 DecemberPreston North End4 – 1Wrexham3,3067 DecemberRotherham United2 – 1Shrewsbury Town1,1667 DecemberStoke City3 – 2Darlington3,3417 DecemberWigan Athletic2 – 1Burnley2,0857 DecemberYork City0 – 1Hull City1,005
Southern Section The teams that given byes to the second round are Bristol City, Bournemouth, Bristol Rovers, Wycombe Wanderers, Brentford, Peterborough United, Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle.
DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance7 DecemberBrighton & Hove Albion1 – 0Millwall2,4077 DecemberGillingham0 – 3Torquay United2,7187 DecemberNorthampton Town1 – 0Cardiff City2,4317 DecemberOxford United2 – 0Luton Town1,2207 DecemberSouthend United0 – 1Cheltenham Town1,2277 DecemberSwansea City3 – 1Colchester United1,2228 DecemberReading1 – 0Leyton Orient1,56111 JanuaryCambridge United1 – 2Barnet1,556
Second round
Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance8 JanuaryLincoln City1 – 2Scunthorpe United3,61710 JanuaryPreston North End1 – 2Hartlepool United3,63511 JanuaryHull City2 – 0Chester City1,68011 JanuaryMansfield Town0 – 1Blackpool1,88411 JanuaryRochdale3 – 2Macclesfield Town1,12311 JanuaryRotherham United1 – 4Chesterfield1,99718 JanuaryOldham Athletic0 – 1Stoke City4,68225 JanuaryCarlisle United2 – 1Wigan Athletic1,321
Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance11 JanuaryBournemouth1 – 0Brighton & Hove Albion4,32511 JanuaryExeter City2 – 0Swansea City96411 JanuaryNorthampton Town0 – 0Bristol Rovers2,443Bristol Rovers won 5 – 3 on penalties11 JanuaryOxford United1 – 1Wycombe Wanderers1,798Oxford United won 5 – 3 on penalties11 JanuaryPeterborough United0 – 1Brentford2,43011 JanuaryPlymouth Argyle0 – 1Torquay United3,12412 JanuaryBristol City3 – 1Cheltenham Town4,12318 JanuaryBarnet0 – 1Reading1,109
Quarter-final
Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance22 FebruaryHartlepool United1 – 2Carlisle United2,39925 JanuaryBlackpool1 – 2Stoke City4,94325 JanuaryRochdale0 – 0Hull City1,745Rochdale won 5 – 4 on penalties25 JanuaryScunthorpe United1 – 2Chesterfield2,583
Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance24 JanuaryBristol Rovers1 – 2Reading4,94825 JanuaryBrentford2 – 0Oxford United2,94225 JanuaryBristol City1 – 1Bournemouth4,291Bristol City won 4 – 1 on penalties25 JanuaryExeter City1 – 0Torquay United2,599
Semi-final
Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance15 FebruaryChesterfield0 – 1Stoke City3,8257 MarchCarlisle United0 – 1Rochdale1,792
Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance15 FebruaryBristol City4 – 0Reading8,73315 FebruaryExeter City3 – 2Brentford2,392
Area finals
Northern Area final
Stoke City beat Rochdale 4–1 on aggregate.
Southern Area final
Bristol City beat Exeter City 5–1 on aggregate.
Final
BRISTOL CITY: GK 2 Billy MercerDF 6 Louis Carey DF 27 Andy JordanDF 46 Keith MillenDF 3 Michael BellMF 17 Aaron Brown MF 26 Scott Murray MF 10 Paul Holland MF 11 Brian TinnionFW 20 Peter BeadleFW 21 Tony ThorpeSubstitutes:GK 15 Steve PhillipsDF 43 Kevin Amankwaah DF 32 Matt HillMF 33 Joe BurnellFW 34 Damian Spencer Manager: David BurnsideSTOKE CITY: GK 1 Gavin WardDF 5 Nicky Mohan DF 15 Mikael Hansson DF 22 Clive ClarkeMF 2 Brynjar GunnarssonMF 8 Graham KavanaghMF 17 James O'Connor MF 25 Bjarni GuðjónssonMF 36 Arnar Gunnlaugsson FW 9 Peter ThorneFW 12 Kyle Lightbourne Substitute:GK 14 Carl MuggletonDF 32 Anders JacobsenDF 34 Richard Dryden MF 35 Steve MeltonFW 31 Chris Iwelumo Manager: Guðjón Þórðarson MATCH RULES 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Golden goal in extra time Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Maximum of 3 substitutions.
External links Official website Auto Windscreens Shield - 1999/2000