SUNDERLAND LEARN CHECKATRADE RIVALS
YOUNG BLACK CATS WILL MAKE TRIPS TO DONCASTER, GRIMSBY AND SCUNTHORPE
Sunderland will take on Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United in the group stages of the EFL Checkatrade Trophy.
Robbie Stockdale’s Under-21 side will play League One sides Doncaster and Scunthorpe, as well as League Two Grimsby.
The Black Cats made the second round stage of the competition last year, eventually being knocked out by Wolves.
Rivals Newcastle United, who entered the competition for the first time this season, will face Crewe Alexandra, Oldham Athletic and Port Vale.
Middlesbrough take on Accrington Stanley, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic.
The invited Premier League and Championship Under-21 sides will play all their group games away from home.
English Football League boss Shaun Harvey defended the decision to rig the draw in order to avoid a PortsmouthSouthampton clash, saying the clubs had requested it.
The south coast rivals have not played each other since April 2012, when they drew 2-2 in the Championship, and with Pompey in League One and the Saints in the Premier League the regionalised Checkatrade Trophy was the most likely forum for their next meeting.
But before the draw started for the eight southern groups, Southampton’s ball was removed from the pot and a separate draw was made for group A, which already featured Charlton, Crawley and Portsmouth, and Fulham was picked.
After that, the southern draw preceded as normal, with Southampton eventually going into group H with Cambridge, Northampton and Peterborough - three teams which enjoy their own lively rivalry.
Harvey said: “One of the commitments we made, was to try to avoid group-stage games that had a significant potential for high levels of disorder. It was a conscious decision that we should do so.”
The invited Under-21 sides will play all their group games away from home.