Newcastle United's under-21 side have been handed a challenging group after the draw for the group stages of the EFL Trophy took place on Thursday afternoon.
Group C Line-Up
Former Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan conducted the draw alongside former Nottingham Forest and Ipswich defender Luke Chambers. The young Magpies have been placed in Group C alongside League One side Bradford City and League Two sides York City and Rotherham United. Notably, Rotherham's sporting director is former Newcastle manager Steve McClaren.
As is tradition, Premier League academy sides will play all three EFL Trophy group games away from home. This format allows young players to gain experience in professional environments. Robbie Stockdale's side will travel to Bradford City's 25,000-capacity Valley Parade, York's 8,500-capacity LNER Community Stadium, and Rotherham's 12,000-capacity AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Competition Format
Newcastle are one of 16 Premier League academy sides in the competition. The draw is regionalised between north and south until the quarter-final stage. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout rounds.
In the northern section, Newcastle are joined by the under-21 sides of Aston Villa, Everton, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and Sunderland. Notably, Manchester United declined their invitation to the competition, making headlines earlier this week.
The southern section features academy sides from Arsenal, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Ipswich Town, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Last Season's Performance
Newcastle finished bottom of their group last season. Their campaign included an impressive 2-2 draw with Mansfield, but was overshadowed by a 6-2 defeat to Huddersfield Town and a 3-1 loss at Harrogate Town.
Fixtures and Dates
The group stage fixtures will commence from early September, with full confirmation of dates expected in due course.
Full EFL Trophy Group Stage Draw
Northern Section
Group A: Sheffield Wednesday, Salford City, Accrington Stanley, Sunderland u21s
Group B: Blackpool, Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alexandra, Aston Villa u21s
Group C: Bradford City, York City, Rotherham United, Newcastle United u21s
Group D: Mansfield Town, Chesterfield, Port Vale, Man City u21s
Group E: Stockport County, Tranmere Rovers, Shrewsbury Town, Everton u21s
Group F: Burton Albion, Notts County, Grimsby Town, Nottingham Forest u21s
Group G: Barnsley, Fleetwood Town, Oldham Athletic, Everton u21s
Group H: Huddersfield Town, Doncaster Rovers, Rochdale, Liverpool u21s
Southern Section
Group A: Oxford United, Cheltenham Town, Exeter City, Tottenham Hotspur u21s
Group B: Leicester City, Walsall, Stevenage, Fulham u21s
Group C: Reading, Bristol Rovers, Wycombe Wanderers, Chelsea u21s
Group D: Luton Town, Peterborough United, Colchester United, Ipswich Town u21s
Group E: Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town, Newport County, Crystal Palace u21s
Group F: AFC Wimbledon, Leyton Orient, Barnet, Arsenal u21s
Group G: Cambridge United, Gillingham, Northampton Town, Brighton u21s
Group H: Bromley, Crawley Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Brentford u21s
