EFL so sorry after technical blunders plague Carabao Cup draw

THE English Football League blamed technical faults and “human error” for the blunders which blighted the Carabao Cup first-round draw.

Incorrect fixtures featured on an on-screen graphic during yesterday’s live draw, when Charlton appeared to be playing twice and Forest Green Rovers were given the wrong opponents.

As part of the EFL’s sponsorship deal with Thai energy drinks company Carabao, the draw took place in Bangkok and was live-streamed across digital platforms.

Charlton were handed a tie at Exeter but then also appeared a second time on a fixtures graphic with a home tie against Cheltenham.

The summary graphics also showed AFC Wimbledon playing Swindon, despite both being unseeded teams, while Forest Green posted clarification on their official Twitter feed they would take on MK Dons at home, rather than at Wolves as the on-screen display suggested.

Some users experienced problems with accessing the stream and also encountered sound issues, which exacerbated the situation given the confusion over what text was being displayed.

A statement from the governing body read: “The EFL would like to apologise for a number of third-party technical issues which affected coverage of this afternoon’s Carabao Cup round one draw in Bangkok.

“There were inaccuracies – as a result of human error – in the live graphics output which resulted in confusion and incorrect ties being displayed on screen.

“In addition, some users did experience difficulties in accessing the stream on certain external platforms.”