The path to the 2017 Betfred Cup starts on Friday evening when 40 teams will be drawn into 8 groups for the initial stage of the competition. The final will be held at Hampden on Sunday 26 November.
One team from the Highland League and one from the Lowland League will join the rest for the draw. Motherwell will be one of the top seeds in the South section. The four teams with UEFA duties are given a pass into the knockout phase when they will be joined by the 8 group winners and 4 best runners-up.
The group stage has each team playing four matches, 2 home and 2 away. The usual 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw applies but there is the addition of a penalty shootout for a bonus point if the score is level after 90 minutes.
Motherwell at Stranraer in July
The dates nominated for this introduction to the new season are 15 July, 19 July, 22 July, 26 July and 29 July. BT Sport will broadcast selected games and they also have a major say determining the order of the fixtures. Remember our opening match last season when it was decided that Rangers should visit Fir Park?
Despite a decent performance we lost that opener 2-0 but wins over Annan, East Stirlingshire and Stranraer let us advance to the knockout and a 5-0 gubbing at Parkhead. Interest in the Betfred Cup ended in mid-August.
Let’s hope we go a bit longer this time!