The 2020/21 Betfred Cup group stage will get under way on October 6, the SPFL has confirmed.
Chief executive Neil Doncaster said the much-later start due to the disruption caused by Covid-19 made scheduling the League Cup “much more difficult”, but said he was looking forward to the “same combination of excitement and passion” as previous years.
The cup contest will follow the same format as last year, with an initial group stage – where draws after 90 minutes go to penalties for the chance to win a bonus point – followed by five knockouts rounds.
The eight group winners and the four best runners-up will progress to the last-16, where they will joined by the top-flight teams who are in European action – Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Aberdeen. The final will take place at Hampden on February 28.
All 42 SPFL clubs will take part in the competition, and the SPFL added: “We will shortly be liaising with the Highland League and Lowland League about the possibility of their champion clubs from last season, Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts, participating as well.”
The dates in full for the 2020/21 Betfred Cup are:
Round 1
Match day 1 – Tuesday 6 October 2020
Match day 2 – Saturday 10 October 2020
Match day 3 – Tuesday 13 October 2020
Match day 4 – Tuesday 10 November 2020
Match day 5 – Saturday 14 November 2020
Round 2
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November 2020
Quarter-final
Tuesday 15, Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 December 2020
Semi-final
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 January 2021
Final
Sunday 28 February 2021
Doncaster said: “Last season’s Betfred Cup was a hugely successful competition and we are looking forward to the same combination of excitement and passion this season.
“The process of scheduling the SPFL’s premier cup competition has been made much more difficult this year due to the disruption caused by Covid-19, but we are delighted to be in a position to confirm five uninterrupted rounds of fixtures once again.
“The innovations made to the competition in the last few seasons have proved to be a real winner with clubs and supporters alike.
“We are extremely grateful to our friends at Premier Sports, Betfred and the Scottish FA for their flexibility in agreeing this season’s Betfred Cup schedule.
“We wish all the clubs the best of luck in their quest to reach next year’s final.”
