Cross-border participants welcomed to Trophy
Written By Jake Gray
The SPFL has announced it will welcome back four cross-border clubs to the SPFL Trust Trophy for season 2022/23, as it confirmed the format for the competition.
The competition will involved 53 clubs, as Scottish sides are joined by participants from Wales and Northern Ireland. The New Saints and Caernarfon Town, from the JD Cymru Premier, and Linfield and Cliftonville, from the Danske Bank Premiership, will take part in this year’s tournament.
Four Lowland League clubs – Cowdenbeath, East Kilbride, The Spartans and East Stirlingshire – will again join the SPFL Trust Trophy first round, alongside Fraserburgh, Buckie Thistle, Brechin City and Brora Rangers from the Highland League.
Key points
- 53 clubs included in the competition
- Round 1 is regionalised and seeded, Round 2 is regionalised
- Drawn ties up to the quarter-finals go straight to penalties
- Extra-time and penalties for the semi-finals and final
The first round of the competition will be played the midweek of August 9/10, and will involve 11 cinch Premiership B teams, the four teams from both the Highland League and Lowland League, and three teams from cinch League Two. The remaining seven cinch League Two clubs join round two in the midweek of August 23/24, alongside two cinch League One clubs and the 11 winners of the previous ties.
The 10 winners of that round’s matches are joined by the other eight cinch League One clubs, the 10 cinch Championship clubs, and four cross-border clubs in round three, on the midweek of September 24/25.
Round four will take place the weekend of December 10/11, followed by the quarter-finals on weekend of January 7/8, the semi-finals on either the weekend of February 4/5 or midweek of February 7/8, before the final takes place on a provisional date of March 25/26.
Nicky Reid, SPFL Trust chief executive, said: “The SPFL Trust are delighted to be able to sponsor the tournament for a second season, which is only possible with the generous support of our donors.
“Following the success of last year’s competition in highlighting the community programmes we deliver across the country, we hope to build on that this season.
“Alongside the matches taking place right up to the final, we hope this magnificent cross-border competition can continue to shine a light on the work being done by football clubs across the UK to serve their communities.”
Neil Doncaster, SPFL Chief Executive, said: “The involvement of cross-border teams helped reinvigorate the tournament when they were first introduced, and we believe the SPFL Trust Trophy will benefit from their return.”