2024–25 National League Cup

2024–25 National League Cup
Tournament details
Country	England
Teams	32
Tournament statistics
Matches played	8
Goals scored	34 (4.25 per match)
	← 2008–09 2025–26 →; All statistics correct as of 1 October 2024.

The 2024–25 National League Cup, is the 26th season in the history of the competition, and the 1st since its revival. It is a knock-out tournament for clubs in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system, as well as 16 professional under-21 teams playing in Premier League 2.^[1]

Participating clubs

16 invited clubs from the National League.
16 invited Premier League 2 under-21 teams.

	National League	Premier League 2
Clubs	Aldershot Town Altrincham Boston United Braintree Town Dagenham & Redbridge Ebbsfleet United Forest Green Rovers Gateshead Halifax Town Maidenhead United Oldham Athletic Rochdale Sutton United Tamworth Wealdstone Woking	Blackburn Rovers Brighton & Hove Albion Derby County^[a] Fulham Leeds United Manchester United Middlesbrough Newcastle United Nottingham Forest Southampton Stoke City Sunderland Tottenham Hotspur West Bromwich Albion West Ham United Wolverhampton Wanderers
Total	16	16

Competition format

League phase

Four groups of eight teams.
All groups will include four National League sides and four academy sides.
All National League clubs will play each academy side once, and all academy sides will play each National League side once (academy sides will play all group matches away from home).
Clubs will be awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw.
The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockout stage.

Knockout stage

In Round 2, the group winners will be seeded and the group runners-up will be unseeded in the draw.
In Round 2, teams who played in the same group as each other in the group stage will be kept apart.

Broadcasting

The National League announced all fixtures would be streamed live and free on NLTV.^[5]

Group stage

The group stage draw was announced on 19 September 2024, when the competition was announced.^[1]^[6]^[7]

Group A

Pos	Div	Team	Pld	W	PW	PL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	NL	Maidenhead United	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	+2	3	Advance to knockout stage
2	ACA	Brighton and Hove Albion U21	1	0	1	0	0	2	2	0	2	Advance to knockout stage
3	NL	Woking	1	0	0	1	0	2	2	0	1
4	NL	Aldershot Town	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	ACA	Derby County U21^[a]	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	ACA	Southampton U21	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	NL	Wealdstone	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	ACA	Fulham U21	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	−2	0

Updated to match(es) played on 1 October 2024. Source: Premier League

1 October 2024	Woking	2–2 (3–4 p)	Brighton and Hove Albion U21	Woking
19:00 BST (UTC+1)	Andrews 89' Kelly-Evans 90+6'	Report	Duffus 33' McConville 54'	Stadium: The Laithwaite Community Stadium Attendance: 227 Referee: Paul Johnson
	Penalties
	Walker Beautyman Anderson Andrews Leahy		Mullins Vickers Slater Moulton Simmonds

1 October 2024	Maidenhead United	2–0	Fulham U21	Maidenhead
19:30 BST (UTC+1)	McCoulsky 35' Barratt 45+1'	Report		Stadium: York Road Attendance: 210 Referee: Ross Martin

16 October 2024	Aldershot Town	v	Derby County U21	Aldershot
19:00 BST (UTC+1)				Stadium: The EBB Stadium

6 November 2024	Aldershot Town	v	Brighton and Hove Albion U21	Aldershot
19:00 GMT (UTC+0)				Stadium: The EBB Stadium

6 November 2024	Wealdstone	v	Fulham U21	Ruislip
19:00 GMT (UTC+0)				Stadium: Grosvenor Vale

6 November 2024	Woking	v	Southampton U21	Woking
19:00 GMT (UTC+0)				Stadium: The Laithwaite Community Stadium

6 November 2024	Maidenhead United	v	Derby County U21	Maidenhead
19:30 GMT (UTC+0)				Stadium: York Road

Group B

Pos	Div	Team	Pld	W	PW	PL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	ACA	Manchester United U21	1	1	0	0	0	3	2	+1	3	Advance to knockout stage
2	NL	Oldham Athletic	1	1	0	0	0	2	1	+1	3	Advance to knockout stage
3	NL	Altrincham	1	0	1	0	0	3	3	0	2
4	ACA	Blackburn Rovers U21	1	0	0	1	0	3	3	0	1
5	NL	Rochdale	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	ACA	Wolverhampton Wanderers U21	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	NL	Forest Green Rovers	1	0	0	0	1	2	3	−1	0
8	ACA	Stoke City U21	1	0	0	0	1	1	2	−1	0

Updated to match(es) played on 9 October 2024. Source: Premier League

1 October 2024	Oldham Athletic	2–1	Stoke City U21	Oldham
19:00 BST (UTC+1)	Reid 29' Charsley 72'	Report	Mears 67'	Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 455 Referee: Stuart Morland

8 October 2024	Altrincham	3–3 (6–5 p)	Blackburn Rovers U21	Altrincham
19:30 BST (UTC+1)	Kosylo 7' Crawford 55' Weaver 83'	Report	Mafoumbi 47' Stritch 79' Leatherbarrow 88'	Stadium: Moss Lane Attendance: 783 Referee: Richard Aspinall
	Penalties
	Crawford Banks Newby Jones Reddin Kosylo Weaver		Edmondson Stritch Montgomery Tyjon Litherland Bell Powell

9 October 2024	Forest Green Rovers	2–3	Manchester United U21	Nailsworth
19:00 BST (UTC+1)	Doidge 3' Bunker 35'	Report	Sharpe 29' Ennis 33' Musa 77'	Stadium: The New Lawn Attendance: 1,273 Referee: Jason Richardson

Group C

Pos	Div	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	ACA	Leeds United U21	1	1	0	4	3	+1	3	Advance to knockout stage
2	ACA	Newcastle United U21	1	1	0	2	1	+1	3	Advance to knockout stage
3	NL	Gateshead	1	1	0	1	0	+1	3
4	ACA	Sunderland U21	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	NL	Tamworth	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	NL	Boston United	1	0	1	3	4	−1	0
7	NL	FC Halifax Town	1	0	1	1	2	−1	0
8	ACA	Middlesbrough U21	1	0	1	0	1	−1	0

Updated to match(es) played on 1 October 2024. Source: Premier League

1 October 2024	FC Halifax Town	1–2	Newcastle United U21	Halifax
19:00 BST (UTC+1)	Oluwabori 18'	Report	Emerson 59' Ford 71' (o.g.)	Stadium: The Shay Attendance: 292 Referee: Michael Crusham

1 October 2024	Boston United	3–4	Leeds United U21	Boston
19:30 BST (UTC+1)	Ward 14', 76' Marriott 39'	Report	Green 15' (o.g.) Thomas 54', 85' Cresswell 83'	Stadium: Boston Community Stadium Attendance: 467 Referee: Jamie O'Connor

1 October 2024	Gateshead	1–0	Middlesbrough U21	Gateshead
19:45 BST (UTC+1)	Malcolm 13'	Report		Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium Attendance: 407 Referee: Ross Martin

Group D

Pos	Div	Team	Pld	PW	PL	GF	GA	Pts	Qualification
1	ACA	Tottenham Hotspur U21	1	1	0	5	5	2	Advance to knockout stage
2	NL	Ebbsfleet United	1	1	0	2	2	2	Advance to knockout stage
3	NL	Dagenham & Redbridge	1	0	1	5	5	1
4	ACA	West Bromwich Albion U21	1	0	1	2	2	1
5	NL	Braintree Town	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	ACA	Nottingham Forest U21	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	NL	Sutton United	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	ACA	West Ham United U21	0	0	0	0	0	0

Updated to match(es) played on 1 October 2024. Source: Premier League

1 October 2024	Ebbsfleet United	2–2 (5–4 p)	West Bromwich Albion U21	Northfleet
19:00 BST (UTC+1)	Domi 17' Ondo 35'	Report	Williams 81' Deeming 90+4' (pen.)	Stadium: Kuflink Stadium Attendance: 213 Referee: Abigail Byrne
	Penalties
	Wright Thomas Tanga Cundle Randall		Deeming Onyemachi Sule Chimeziri Higgins

1 October 2024	Dagenham & Redbridge	5–5 (3–5 p)	Tottenham Hotspur U21	Dagenham
19:30 BST (UTC+1)	Stephenson 4' Hill 5', 39' Remy 37' Mbiya-Kalambayi 71'	Report	Williams 29', 78' Kyerematen 51' Robson 68' Akhamrich 80'	Stadium: Chigwell Construction Stadium Attendance: 184 Referee: Alan Dale
	Penalties
	Morias Stephenson Vincent Remy		Williams Hall Black Andiyapan Akhamrich

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Notes

^ ^a ^b Reading were originally allocated to Group A.^[2] On 25 September, Reading withdrew citing lack of available players, adding the "original decision to enter [the competition] was made back in June".^[1]^[3] On the same day, Derby County confirmed their participation in the competition as Reading's replacement.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Premier League and National League announce National League Cup". premierleague.com. Premier League. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
^ "National League Cup Launched!". theshots.co.uk. Aldershot Town F.C. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^ "Club withdraw from Premier League National League Cup". readingfc.co.uk. Reading F.C. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
^ "ACADEMY NEWS: Under-21s To Take Part In 2024/25 National League Cup". dcfc.co.uk. Derby County F.C. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^ "National League Cup group stage free to air on NLTV". thenationalleague.org.uk. National League. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
^ "National League Cup competition to start in October". bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^ "U21s To Compete In National League Cup". fulhamfc.co.uk. Fulham F.C. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

[Reading_F.C.-5] Reading were originally allocated to Group A.^[2] On 25 September, Reading withdrew citing lack of available players, adding the "original decision to enter [the competition] was made back in June".^[1]^[3] On the same day, Derby County confirmed their participation in the competition as Reading's replacement.^[4]

[info-1] "Premier League and National League announce National League Cup". premierleague.com. Premier League. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.

[2] "National League Cup Launched!". theshots.co.uk. Aldershot Town F.C. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

[3] "Club withdraw from Premier League National League Cup". readingfc.co.uk. Reading F.C. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.

[4] "ACADEMY NEWS: Under-21s To Take Part In 2024/25 National League Cup". dcfc.co.uk. Derby County F.C. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

[6] "National League Cup group stage free to air on NLTV". thenationalleague.org.uk. National League. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.

[7] "National League Cup competition to start in October". bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

[8] "U21s To Compete In National League Cup". fulhamfc.co.uk. Fulham F.C. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

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