The Football League is to trial the use of Vanishing Spray, as used by match officials at the recent World Cup in Brazil, in this season’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
Football League Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “Having seen it used in the recent World Cup, the introduction of Vanishing Spray into the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy will give us the opportunity to observe its use in domestic football so that we can better understand its effect on the flow of the game. It will also give us the ability to gauge the opinions of players, managers, referees and fans.”
The League will not be using Vanishing Spray in any matches played in the Sky Bet Football League or Capital One Cup during 2014/15, but will consider its introduction at the end of the current campaign.
Meanwhile, the draw for Round One of this season’s competition will take place on Saturday, August 16.
As in previous seasons, the first round will see clubs divided into regional groupings with 16 clubs being awarded byes into Round Two.
Regional Groups:
Northern Section – West Accrington Stanley Carlisle United Crewe Alexandra Fleetwood Town Morecambe Preston North End Rochdale Shrewsbury Town | Northern Section – East Barnsley Bradford City Chesterfield Mansfield Town Notts County Oldham Athletic Scunthorpe United York City |
Southern Section – West Cheltenham Town Coventry City Newport County Oxford United Portsmouth Swindon Town Wycombe Wanderers Yeovil Town | Southern Section – East AFC Wimbledon Cambridge United Crawley Town Gillingham Leyton Orient Peterborough United Southend United Stevenage |
The following clubs will received byes:
Northern Section Bury Port Vale Tranmere Rovers Walsall Burton Albion Doncaster Rovers Hartlepool United Sheffield United | Southern Section Bristol City Exeter City Northampton Town Plymouth Argyle Colchester United Dagenham & Redbridge Luton Town Milton Keynes Dons |