West Ham and Southend battled it out last year

If you want to listen or watch the draw for the competition, which is now sponsored by Carling, you will have to be up bright and early on Tuesday morning as BBC Radio 1 and Sky Sports will be broadcasting both the northern and southern area draws.

The competition, as of last season has been split into North and South sections and the teams in each section have been ranked based on last seasons league positions. The top eighteen ranked teams in both sections are seeded teams and they can only meet the bottom eighteen ranked teams in their section. Due to the demographics of the system Southend have a ‘thirteen in eighteen’ chance of meeting teams from the Championship.

This could result in a mouthwatering tie against teams that were relegated from the Premiership last year such as Crystal Palace, Norwich or Southampton. This system also ensures that Southend will not meet any of the League Two teams that they faced last term and that probability suggest a number of fans will be given the opportunity to travel to a new ground. There is even the chance of a trip to Coventry City’s new stadium, the Ricoh Arena (I only hope that the Fossets Farm development does not end up with such a ridiculously commercial name!).

Although Southend’s record in the competition suggest that the Shrimpers will not pass the first stage of the tournament the draw does offer a great chance for causing an upset against a team in a division higher to ourselves. Although there is potential for ‘nasty’ trips to Plymouth or Cardiff, there is a great chance for a great evening out similar to that of the trip to West Ham United last year.

Despite a great effort against the Hammers last year the result again was lacking and the Shrimpers were knocked out in the first round of the competition yet again. In fact the last time the Shrimpers’ progressed past the first round of the competition was in the last Millennium when they beat Gillingham over two legs at the beginning of the 1998/99 competition. Alvin Martin’s men were later dumped out of the competition over two legs by Coventry City in the next round of the competition.

Dates of each round has also been announced:
Round One - Wednesday August 24
Round Two - Wednesday September 21
Round Three - Wednesday October 26
Round Four - Wednesday November 30
Round Five - Wednesday December 21
Semi Final first leg - Wednesday January 11
Semi Final second leg - Wednesday January 25
Final - Sunday February 26 (at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

Matt Donohue and Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com