Gillingham to play Southend at Roots Hall in round one
The Gills will play Southend United in the first round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday, August 9.
This will be the second time the sides meet at Roots Hall in a matter of days.
Round One of the re-named cup competition includes 70 of the 72 EFL clubs this season, with the draw being seeded as well as regionalised on a north/south basis. Seedings are based on club finishing positions in the league last season.
Manchester City are the current holders of the EFL Cup, having beaten Liverpool in last season’s final in February. The 2016/17 EFL Cup Final, the 57th in the competition’s history, will take place at Wembley on Sunday 26th February 2017.
Click here for a full list of the 2016/17 EFL Cup round one fixtures.
The EFL Cup, formally known as the League Cup, is the EFL’s showpiece cup competition and is one of the three major honours of the domestic football season.
Beginning each August, it features all 92 clubs from the EFL and Premier League in a straight knock-out format across seven rounds, with the semi-finals being played over two legs. Premier League clubs enter the competition in Round Two with clubs that have qualified for the
Champions League or Europa League joining in Round Three. The competition culminates in a final at Wembley Stadium, with the winner qualifying for the subsequent season’s Europa League.
Established in 1960, the competition was the brainchild of former EFL secretary Alan Hardaker. A total of 23 different clubs have lifted the trophy in the 56 finals played to date, with Liverpool being the most successful club on eight wins.
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