2023–24 EFL Trophy explained
The 2023–24 EFL Trophy, known as the Bristol Street Motors Trophy for sponsorship reasons, was the 43rd season in the history of the competition, and was a knock-out tournament for clubs in EFL League One and League Two, the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system, as well as the "Academy teams" of 15 Premier League and one Championship club with Category One status.[1] For the first time since 1984, the competition lacked a sponsor. Following the expiration of Papa Johns's sponsorship contract, the EFL attempted to find new sponsor but were unable to do so.[2] On 2 November 2023, EFL announced they had reached a sponsorship agreement with car dealership brand Bristol Street Motors and the tournament's name was changed to reflect that from that point.[3]
The defending champions were Bolton Wanderers who defeated Plymouth Argyle 4–0 in the previous season's final, but they were knocked out in the quarter-finals on penalties by Blackpool.
Participating clubs
Eligibility criteria for players
- For EFL clubs[4]
- Minimum of four qualifying outfield players in their starting XI. A qualifying outfield player was one who met any of the following requirements:
- Any player who started the previous or following first-team fixture.
- Any player who is in the top 10 players at the club who has made the most starting appearances in league and domestic cup competitions this season.
- Any player with forty or more first-team starting appearances in their career, including International matches.
- Any player on loan from a Premier League club or any EFL Category One Academy club.
- A club can play any eligible goalkeeper in the competition.
- Any player out on a long loan term at a National League, National League North, or National League South team can play as long as the loaning team agree to allow the player to return for the match.
- For invited teams[4]
- Minimum of six players in the starting line-up who are aged under 21 on 30 June 2023.
- Maximum of two players on the team sheet who are aged over 21 and have also made forty or more senior appearances.
Competition format
- Group stage
- Sixteen groups of four teams will be organised on a regionalised basis.
- All groups will include one invited club.
- All clubs will play each other once, either home or away (academy sides will play all group matches away from home).
- Clubs will be awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw.
- In the event of a drawn game (after 90 minutes), a penalty shoot-out will be held with the winning team earning an additional point.
- Clubs expelled from the EFL will be knocked out of the tournament automatically.
- The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockout stage.
- Knockout stage
- Rounds 2 and 3 of the competition will be drawn on a regionalised basis.
- In Round 2, the group winners will be seeded and the group runners-up will be unseeded in the draw.
- In Round 2, teams who played in the same group as each other in the group stage will be kept apart.[5]
Group stage
The group stage draw was finalised on 22 June 2023.[6]
Northern section
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Southern section
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Round of 32
The draw for the Round of 32 was made on Friday 24 November 2023, with ties scheduled to take place on the week commencing 4 December.[7]
Southern section
Round of 16
The draw was made on Friday 8 December 2023, with ties scheduled to take place on the week commencing 8 January 2024.[8]
Southern section
Quarter-finals
The draw was made on Friday 12 January 2024 with ties scheduled to take place on the week commencing 29 January 2024.[9]
Southern section
Semi-finals
The draw was made on Friday 2 February 2024 with ties scheduled taking place in the week commencing 19 February 2024. The draw was not regionalised. Both semi-final games were broadcast on Sky Sports.[10]
Final
See main article: 2024 EFL Trophy final.
Notes and References
- Web site: About The Competition. 22 June 2023. EFL.com.
- Web site: Mann . Chris . March 25, 2023 . Papa Johns to End EFL Trophy Sponsorship . 2023-08-25 . Burnden Aces.
- Web site: 2023-11-02 . Bristol Street Motors drives EFL Trophy into new era . 2023-11-02 . EFL.com.
- https://www.efl.com/contentassets/c7e251c588064eebbd2a246277d5b0b5/efl-trophy-2021.22-updated-november-2021.pdf EFL: "EFL Trophy Rules Season 2021/22"
- Web site: EFL Trophy explained. premierleague.com. 31 May 2019. 22 June 2023.
- Web site: EFL Trophy Group Stage draw confirmed. EFL.com. 22 June 2023. 22 June 2023.
- Web site: 11 November 2022 . Bristol Street Motors Trophy: Round of 32 draw . 2023-11-24 . EFL.com.
- Web site: Bristol Street Motors Trophy Round of 16 draw confirmed. EFL.com.
- Web site: 2024-01-12 . Bristol Street Motors Trophy: Quarter-Final draw confirmed . 2024-01-13 . EFL.com.
- Web site: 2024-02-05 . Bristol Street Motors Trophy Semi-Final TV schedule announced . 2024-02-05 . EFL.com.
