SUTTON IN 800-MILE CUP TREK

SUTTON United will travel nearly 800 miles to play Scottish League One side Airdrieonians in the Irn-Bru Cup next month while Boreham Wood host Dunfermline, of the Championship.

The National League clubs were invited to compete in the competition, becoming the first ever English sides to enter, after finishing as the two highest placed teams not to be promoted in NonLeague’s top tier.

The competition includes 30 teams from the Scottish Championship, League One and League Two divisions, 12 “colt” Under 20 teams from the SPFL Premiership, four sides from each of the Highland and Lowland leagues, two from the Northern Ireland Premiership, two from the Welsh Premier and two from the League of Ireland Premier.

The knockout tournament consists of six rounds, with teams outside of Scotland joining in the second.

Sutton and Boreham Wood’s ties will be played on the weekend of September 8 with the U’s facing a 778-mile round trip to Airdrie.

Michael Tattersall, Chief Executive at the National League, said:

“We were pleased to accept the SPFL’s invitation to participate in next year’s competition.

“We believe our two clubs will benefit from playing in an international competition and we look forward to establishing new relationships with the other leagues involved.”

However, Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston has questioned the decision to let clubs from other countries into the competition.

He told The Scottish Hereald: “I still don’t understand why these teams are in our competition in the first place — and I also don’t understand why they get to come into it in the later rounds. Surely if they are going to take part in the tournament they should enter in the first round?

“It’s a Scottish competition. I think it should be for Scottish clubs. But I suppose that’s for other people to decide.

“Will it cost us money? I’m not sure, you’d need to ask the chairman.

“I suppose at the end of the day it’s a different fixture for the players. It’s better than playing teams in the same league or even a colts team.

“I would much rather play Boreham Wood than an Under-21 team.”