Rochdale Association Football Club are the only team from the 4th tier of English football to have reached a major cup final, reaching the English League Cup final (now the Carling Cup) in 1962 and losing to Norwich City 4-0 on aggregate both at Spotland Stadium and Carrow Road with goals from Derek Lythgoe (2 goals), Bill Punton and Jimmy Hill.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlainwho was signed from Southampton for £12 million initial payment which could rise to £15 million with "add-ons" made his Arsenal FC debut on August 28, 2011, in the 8–2 defeat at Manchester United, as a 62nd minute substitute for Francis Coquelin, thus becoming the 150th player to represent ArsenalFC in the English Premier League (EPL).
On September 20, 2011, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first goal for ArsenalFC in the 58th minute of a Carling Cup match against Shrewsbury Town, with a drive from 25 yards. Arsenal FC won 3–1.
When he was younger, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain now of Arsenal FC and the Three Lions of England was offered a trial at rugby club London Irish, but didn't attend as football was his main aim.
Gareth Southgate holds the record of been the first player to captain two winning sides in the English League Cup (now the Carling Cup) with both Aston Villa under manager Brian Little in 1996 and with Middlesbrough in 2004 under Steve McClaren. Southgate played in every English Premier League (EPL) game during the 1998/1999 season for Aston Villa.
Rochdale Association Football Club are the only team from the 4th tier of English football to have reached a major cup final, reaching the English League Cup final (now the Carling Cup) in 1962 and losing to Norwich City 4-0 on aggregate both at Spotland Stadium and Carrow Road with goals from Derek Lythgoe (2 goals), Bill Punton and Jimmy Hill. 
