ALLOA ATHLETIC

Alloa Athletic's KDM Evolution Trophy fixtures revealed

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Alloa will be at home for four of their six ties in the league phase of the KDM Evolution Trophy.

The Wasps have discovered who they will play in the opening stage of the competition, which kicks off next month, and their fixture schedule.

A total of 40 clubs will participate in the league section of the tournament, including the 10 clubs in both SPFL League One and League Two, 10 SPFL Premiership 'B' teams, and 10 guest sides from the Lowland League East and West, and Highland League.

Clubs from the latter three divisions that accepted invitations included Banks o'Dee, Berwick Rangers, Bonnyrigg Rose, Clachnacuddin, Clydebank, Cowdenbeath, Cumbernauld Colts, Formartine United, Fraserburgh, and Gala Fairydean Rovers.

Stenny v Alloa 16-5-26 (Photo by David Wardle)The Wasps reached the last 32 of last season's competition. (Image: David Wardle.)

Andy Graham's men will take on two of them, the Bankies and Gala, as well as Motherwell 'B' and Hibernian 'B', Stranraer, and Annan Athletic.

The competition, formerly known as the Challenge Cup, was revamped last season, and saw 30 clubs participate in an inaugural league phase, in its opening stage.

That consisted of the 10 clubs in both League One and League Two, as well as 10 Premiership 'B' teams, with the top 22 of those qualifying for the first knockout round, at which point the 10 SPFL Championship sides entered the fray.

The top 22 will still progress to the round of 32 this time around, where the incoming Championship teams will be seeded, as will the first six clubs in the league phase.

For the league phase, the clubs participating were split into four pots by division, and were drawn to play two different opponents from each other pot, giving them a total of six matches.

Aside from the Premiership 'B' teams, who play all of their games away from home, the rest of the teams will have a mix of games on their own patch, and on the road.

The Wasps will kick off their campaign by welcoming League Two Stranraer to the Recs on Tuesday August 11, before hosting Motherwell 'B' a fortnight later.

They'll then go on the road to Lowland League West Bankies on Tuesday September 8, before Hibernian 'B' head for Clackmannanshire 14 days later.

On Saturday September 26, Alloa host Lowland League East Gala Fairydean Rovers, before concluding their fixtures at League Two Annan on Tuesday October 13.

Stenny v Alloa 16-5-26 (Photo by David Wardle)Alloa won the tournament in the 1999/2000 season. (Image: David Wardle.)

Youngsters from the age of 15 will continue to be eligible to play in the competition, which will see more than £1.3 million in prize money shared out, with the winners banking £150,000.

The round of 32, when the 10 second tier teams, including Dunfermline, join the tournament, is scheduled for November 3-4, and the final for either March 27-28, or April 3-4.

Last term, Alloa finished 13th in the league phase, qualifying for the round of 32, where they lost 3-2 at home to Airdrieonians.

Kick off times for the midweek matches are scheduled for 7.45pm, with the Saturday fixture kicking off at 3pm.

The Wasps were winners of the competition in 1999/2000, beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle on penalties, after a 4-4 draw, and finished as runners-up in 2001/2002, and 2014/15.

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