The Papa John’s Trophy represents the best chance of a trip to Wembley and some silverware for lots of clubs in English football. It used to be known as the EFL Trophy before the sponsorship led to a name change.
Despite that, it is treated with a certain amount of derision due to the inclusion of Premier League U21 sides. Rotherham are the current holders but 64 teams will compete to reach the final at Wembley on Sunday, March 19, 2023.
The Papa John’s Trophy is contested each year by teams from League One, League Two, and some invited academy teams from the Premier League and the Championship.
Many fans of League One and League Two clubs do not like the fact that academy teams from bigger clubs play in the tournament as the teams can occasionally feature players well above the level of the tournament, whilst also not providing a proper cup spectacle.
To avoid playing overly weak lineups in the tournament, EFL clubs must field four players that meet the following requirements:
League One sides:
League Two teams:
Invited U21 sides:
There is a geographical divide for the invited U21 teams who have been split into Northern and Southern sections with one U21 side in each group.
Overall there are four teams per group, meaning there are 16 groups. Teams play each other once and the U21 side is always away from home. It’s three points for a win but if a game ends in a draw after 90 minutes, both teams get one point but there is still a penalty shootout for which the winner gets another point.
The top two teams in each group progress to the Round of 32 and the group winners are drawn against a group runner-up from the same region. The Round of 16 draw is unseeded but still regional.
From the quarter-final stage, there is no seeding or regional consideration which means those from the Northern section can face the Southern section teams.
The Papa John’s Trophy will represent a chance to watch live football outside of League One and below during the World Cup as the first knockout round is on November 30 and the next is December 14.
The quarter-finals are set for January 11 and the semi-finals are on February 1. All Papa John’s Trophy games are on iFollow but the semi-finals and final will be shown on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.
Teams in bold have progressed to the Round of 32.
Northern Group A: Harrogate, Hartlepool, Morecambe, Everton U21
Northern Group B: Bolton, Crewe Alexandra, Tranmere, Leeds U21
Northern Group C: Port Vale, Shrewsbury, Stockport, Wolves U21
Northern Group D: Accrington Stanley, Rochdale, Salford, Liverpool U21
Northern Group E: Barnsley, Doncaster, Lincoln, Newcastle U21
Northern Group F: Derby, Grimsby, Mansfield, Man City U21
Northern Group G: Barrow, Carlisle, Fleetwood Town, Manchester United U21
Northern Group H: Bradford, Burton Albion, Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester U21
Southern Group A: Brighton, Charlton, Colchester United, Gillingham
Southern Group B: AFC Wimbledon, Crawley, Portsmouth, Aston Villa U21
Southern Group C: Cheltenham, MK Dons, Walsall, West Ham U21
Southern Group D: Peterborough, Stevenage, Wycombe, Tottenham U21
Southern Group E: Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace U21, Plymouth, Swindon
Southern Group F: Exeter City, Forest Green Rovers, Newport County, Southampton U21
Southern Group G: Oxford United, Leyton Orient, Sutton, Chelsea U21
Southern Group H: Cambridge, Ipswich, Northampton Town, Arsenal U21
The Papa John’s Trophy last 32 draw will take place live on Sky Sports on Friday 11 November following coverage of the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Sunderland.
