SPFL Trust Trophy Draw

The first round draw of the SPFL Trust Trophy (Challenge Cup) is due to be made on Monday the 4^th of July.

Ties are due to be played during the midweek of August 9^th/10^th.

Forfar Athletic are not involved at this stage of the completion, the 22 participants comprising eleven current Premiership ‘B’ sides, the clubs who finished in 8^th/10^th position in the cinch league2 and the top four sides from the Highland and Lowland Leagues.

The draw will be seeded and regionalised with the ‘B’ teams kept apart.

The ‘Loons’ enter the competition at the second round stage due to be played during the midweek of August 23^rd/24^th.

At that juncture, the clubs who finished in 1^st/7^th position in the cinch league 2 enter along with the bottom two clubs in cinch league1.

The second round will be regionalised but not seeded.

An extra incentive this year to reach round three is the fact that the next three rounds are to be played on a Saturday all going well.

The third round is scheduled for September 24^th.

At this stage, all the remaining League 1 clubs as well as the Championship clubs enter the fray.

Add to that four cross-border additions.

Although there will be no clubs competing from the National League in England nor the League of Ireland this time around, two Welsh League outfits, our old friends the New Saints and new ‘kids on the block’ Caernarfon Town will appear on the scene at this point in the tournament, joined by Belfast based Linfield and Cliftonville.

The third round will not be regionalised or seeded but the four cross-border clubs will all face Scottish opponents.

Moving on the remaining dates for the completion of the completion won by Raith Rovers last season are;-

Fourth Round – Saturday/Sunday, December 10^th/11^th
Quarter-Finals – Saturday/Sunday, January 7^th/8^th
Semi-Finals – to be confirmed
Final provisionally set for March 25^th or 26th