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Newcastle United kids could meet Sunderland first team again as Checktrade Trophy entered

5 years ago
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Newcastle United are in the Checkatrade Trophy once again.

On Friday afternoon, an official club announcement confirmed NUFC participation for the coming season.

The Newcastle United under 21s beat four lower league first teams last season, beating Grimsby, Doncaster and Notts County in the group stage, then Macclesfield in the first knockout stage.

The Police insisted on the Newcastle kids not facing Sunderland’s first team in the early stages of the competition, the same with Southampton’s Academy team against Portsmouth.

However, the Police were powerless as the United kids progressed and when they got to the last 16, the laughs came.

Sunderland forced to play a first team fixture against a Newcastle United under 21 side, the first time it has ever happened.

There was further embarrassment as despite Sunderland fans filling less than a third of the Stadium of Light, Newcastle United supporters were denied the full allocation they were entitled to, after Sunderland asked the Police to restrict the number of travelling Newcastle fans.

With Sunderland having the worst ever season in their history and ending up only fifth in the third tier, a play-off defeat at Wembley has meant that once again their first team will once again be facing a mixture of other lower league sides and an Academy side in the group stage of the 2019/20 Checkatrade Trophy.

Official Newcastle United announcement:

‘A young Newcastle United side will again be among the 16 Category One academy teams competing in next season’s EFL Trophy.

The Magpies will take part in the competition for a third consecutive season, having first featured in the revamped cup competition in 2017/18.

And, having reached the quarter-finals last term, United are one of the 16 academy sides who have been invited to field under-21 teams from their academy alongside the 48 senior teams from League One and League Two.

Newcastle’s first campaign in the EFL Trophy ended at the group stage in 2017/18 but last season Ben Dawson’s side excelled, progressing from a group containing Doncaster Rovers, Notts County and Grimsby Town with three wins from three.

They saw off Macclesfield Town on penalties at St. James’ Park in the second round, before suffering a 4-0 defeat at League One outfit Sunderland in the round of 16.

Next season, Manchester United and Liverpool will join the list of teams competing, meaning the top six Premier League clubs from the 2018/19 campaign will all have representative teams featuring in the trophy.

The draw for the group stage will be made in July, with the first round of games scheduled to take place on the week beginning Monday, 2nd September.’

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