With the announcement earlier today of the 16 Category One sides that will take part in the EFL Trophy trial this season, there was also the announcement of the Group Stage draw.
Details were thin on the ground for a bit, but in recent hours the Football League have now announced the match day running schedule for the Group Stage portion of the tournament.
All clubs now know what games they are home and away for but the final dates of each tie are yet to be confirmed and put in the fixture list.
Northern Group A:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Bolton Wanderers v Everton
Blackpool v Cheltenham Town
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Cheltenham Town v Everton
Bolton Wanderers v Blackpool
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Cheltenham Town v Bolton Wanderers
Everton v Blackpool
Northern Group B:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Chesterfield v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Accrington Stanley v Crewe Alexandra
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Crewe Alexandra v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Chesterfield v Accrington Stanley
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Crewe Alexandra v Chesterfield
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Accrington Stanley
Northern Group C:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Bradford City v Stoke City
Bury v Morecambe
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Morecambe v Stoke City
Bradford City v Bury
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Morecambe v Bradford City
Stoke City v Bury
Northern Group D:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Fleetwood Town v Blackburn Rovers
Oldham Athletic v Carlisle United
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Carlisle United v Blackburn Rovers
Fleetwood Town v Oldham Athletic
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Carlisle United v Fleetwood Town
Blackburn Rovers v Oldham Athletic
Northern Group E:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Port Vale v Derby County
Mansfield Town v Doncaster Rovers
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Doncaster Rovers v Derby County
Port Vale v Mansfield Town
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Doncaster Rovers v Port Vale
Derby County v Mansfield Town
Northern Group F:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Rochdale v Sunderland
Notts County v Hartlepool United
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Hartlepool United v Sunderland
Rochdale v Notts County
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Hartlepool United v Rochdale
Sunderland v Notts County
Northern Group G:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Scunthorpe United v Middlesbrough
Shrewsbury Town v Cambridge United
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Cambridge United v Middlesbrough
Scunthorpe United v Shrewsbury Town
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Cambridge United v Scunthorpe United
Middlesbrough v Shrewsbury Town
Northern Group H:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Sheffield United v Leicester City
Walsall v Grimsby Town
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Grimsby Town v Leicester City
Sheffield United v Walsall
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Grimsby Town v Sheffield United
Leicester City v Walsall
Southern Group A:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Bristol Rovers v Reading
Yeovil Town v Portsmouth
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Portsmouth v Reading
Bristol Rovers v Yeovil Town
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Portsmouth v Bristol Rovers
Reading v Yeovil Town
Southern Group B:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
AFC Wimbledon v Swansea City
Plymouth Argyle v Newport County
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Newport County v Swansea City
AFC Wimbledon v Plymouth Argyle
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Newport County v AFC Wimbledon
Swansea City v Plymouth Argyle
Southern Group C:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016 *
Swindon Town v Chelsea *
Oxford United v Exeter City
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016 *
Exeter City v Chelsea *
Swindon Town v Oxford United
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Exeter City v Swindon Town
Chelsea v Oxford United
* Chelsea`s Fixture for Match Day 1 will take place during w/c 12th September and Match Day 2 will take place w/c 17th October.
Southern Group D:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Coventry City v West Ham United
Northampton Town v Wycombe Wanderers
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham United
Coventry City v Northampton Town
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Wycombe Wanderers v Coventry City
West Ham United v Northampton Town
Southern Group E:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Charlton Athletic v Southampton
Crawley Town v Colchester United
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Colchester United v Southampton
Charlton Athletic v Crawley Town
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Colchester United v Charlton Athletic
Southampton v Crawley Town
Southern Group F:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Peterborough United v Norwich City
Milton Keynes Dons v Barnet
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Barnet v Norwich City
Peterborough United v Milton Keynes Dons
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Barnet v Peterborough United
Norwich City v Milton Keynes Dons
Southern Group G:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Southend United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Leyton Orient v Stevenage
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Stevenage v Brighton & Hove Albion
Southend United v Leyton Orient
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Stevenage v Southend United
Brighton & Hove Albion v Leyton Orient
Southern Group H:
Match Day 1 – w/c 29th August 2016
Millwall v West Bromwich Albion
Gillingham v Luton Town
Match Day 2 – w/c 3rd October 2016
Luton Town v West Bromwich Albion
Millwall v Gillingham
Match Day 3 – w/c 7th November 2016
Luton Town v Millwall
West Bromwich Albion v Gillingham
Dates for all rounds have already been announced as follows:
Round 2 – w/c December 5.
Round 3 – w/c January 9.
Round 4 – w/c January 23.
Semi Final – w/c February 20.
Final – Sunday April 2, 2017, at Wembley Stadium.
As for rule specifics this year.
Three points for a win – one for a draw. At the end of 90 minutes if drawn, a penalty shootout will take place with the winning team earning an additional point.
The top two teams in each group go through to the knockout stages. The group winner goes through to face a runner up at the next stage.
Round 3 (16 sides) and Round 4 (8 sides) will be a free draw.
The Semi Final will be a free draw and a single leg at the stadium of the side drawn first.
Further arrangements for Semi Final and Final will be confirmed later – for example, if drawn like earlier rounds, it goes straight to penalties.
