The professional clubs in our area will play in a newly-branded League Cup next season after The Football League agreed a four-year sponsorship deal with credit card company Capital One.
The competition will now be titled the Capital One Cup, with Leyton Orient and Dagenham & Redbridge in the draw for the first round, the Hammers entering in the next round, while Spurs come in a stage later after qualifying for Europe.
All Championship, League One and League Two clubs will go into the hat for the first round on Thursday, June 14, except for the two highest placed clubs in last season’s table – Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers – with first round ties to be played in the week beginning August 13 prior to the start of the new domestic season on Saturday, August 18.
Those two relegated Premier League clubs will enter at the second round stage, while the seven top-flight teams in European competition – Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, League Cup holders Liverpool and Spurs – will join the field in the third round.
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