TBT: That time Donald Trump conducted the 1992 League Cup quarterfinal draw
Wednesday, the League Cup was narrowed down to its final eight teams, following Manchester United's victory over Manchester City, and the quarterfinal draw was promptly conducted.
Nearly 25 years ago, the draw was conducted in a more unique fashion.
Before he was running for president of the United States and the subject of Saturday Night Live's cold open, Donald Trump conducted the 1992 League Cup (then the Rumbelow's Cup) quarterfinal draw on a December 1991 day at Trump Tower in New York. Seriously.
According to The Guardian, the draw took place in New York because the TV talent was going to already be in the U.S. for the 1994 World Cup draw. Despite the plan to hold the League Cup draw at Trump Tower, Trump himself wasn't going to be part of it until his English secretary recognized the two hosts in the lobby, and things went from there.
“The plan was to do an interview but then Bob [Patience, the producer] had another great idea–let’s ask Donald if he wants to get involved with the draw,” one of the hosts, former Liverpool forward Ian St. John, told The Guardian. “He agreed, even though he clearly knew nothing about football. I think the appeal for Donald was being on a TV show that had a large audience in Britain. He saw it as an opportunity to promote himself and his company."
The short draw carried on, and it peaked when Trump paired Leeds United and Manchester United together. Leeds would go on to fend off Man United for England's league title that season, though the Red Devils would win the cup tie and go on to lift that trophy.
"Oh, Donald, you don't realize what you've done there!" St. John bellowed.
He responded with, “That’s a biggy. That sounds like game I want to go to.”
The focus then turned to Trump and soccer. He claimed he was a soccer player in high school and then pondered whether soccer would catch on in the United States after the World Cup, which would be held in about two years' time. He also praised the U.S. women's team for winning the 1991 Women's World Cup.
"It's a great game," he said. "I love soccer."
Donald Trump: Making the League Cup draw great again.
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