THE SPFL AND BT SPORT ANNOUNCE BETFRED CUP GROUP STAGE FIXTURES AND INITIAL TV SELECTIONS

The SPFL has today announced the First Round Group Stage fixtures for the 2016 Betfred Cup kicking off on Friday, 15 July, including the first five selections by the competition’s exclusive live broadcaster BT Sport.

Scottish football fans are in for a treat with 80 group stage matches taking place across 17 days in July, with BT Sport making an initial selection of five games for live broadcast:

Friday, 15 July – Group C – Arbroath v Dundee United – 7.45pm kick-off
Saturday, 16 July – Group F – Motherwell v Rangers – 3pm kick-off
Friday, 22 July – Group F – East Stirlingshire v Rangers – 7.45pm kick-off
Saturday, 23 July – Group B – St Johnstone v Falkirk – 3pm kick-off
Monday, 25 July – Group F – Rangers v Stranraer – 7.45pm kick-off

The final round of Group Stage games scheduled to take place on Saturday, 30 July and Sunday, 31 July are all subject to TV selection.

The group stage uses the traditional three points for a win and one point for a draw model however all drawn matches will go straight to a penalty shoot-out whereby the winner of the penalty shoot-out will be awarded a bonus point.

The eight group winners and four best runners-up progress to the Second Round, when they are joined by the four UEFA qualifying clubs and the competition reverts to traditional knockout format. The competition concludes with the Betfred Cup Final at Hampden Park on Sunday, 27 November, live on BT Sport.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “Following the Betfred Cup Group Stage draw, today’s announcement of the group fixtures and BT Sport’s initial broadcast selections heightens the anticipation for the competition’s big kick-off in mid-July. There are some really cracking matches in prospect to be enjoyed by supporters of the 40 clubs involved and by those watching on BT Sport from across Scotland and beyond.”