SPFL Trust Trophy 21-22

The SPFL Trust Trophy, formerly the Challenge Cup, is a competition traditionally for the clubs outwith the top division of Scottish Professional football.

It was initiated as an annual competition in 1991 following a successful one-off Centenary Cup, which was contested to commemorate 100 years of the Scottish Football League.

The format changed little for the first 25 years of the competition, though north-east and south-west regionalisation has become a feature in recent years.  Highland and Lowland League champions have also been invited to take part.

2016-17 saw controversial and radical change, with the addition of the U20 teams of Premiership clubs, invited Northern Irish and Welsh clubs and more clubs from each of the Lowland and Highland Leagues.  League of Ireland representatives were added in 2017-18 followed by two English ‘National League’ clubs in 2018-19.

This season there are no non-Scottish clubs involved, but with 30 lower division first teams, 12 Premiership ‘B’ teams and eight Highland and Lowland clubs, a total of 50 clubs are taking part.

Inverness Caley Thistle and Raith Rovers were declared joint winners of the last competition in 2019-20.   There was no competition last season.

2021-22 COMPETITION (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 not contested)

First Round

North Section

  • Brora Rangers 0-1 Aberdeen B (Aug 10)
  • East Fife 1-0 St Johnstone B (Aug 10)
  • Forfar Athletic 1-0 Formartine United (Aug 10) – att 255
  • Fraserburgh 0-1 Cowdenbeath (Aug 10) – att 250
  • Hibernian B 1-2 Elgin City (Aug 10 @ Christie Gillies Park)
  • Stenhousemuir 3-0 Dundee United B (Aug 10) – att 164
  • Brechin City 1-3 Buckie Thistle (Aug 11)
  • Dundee B 1-2 Peterhead (Aug 11)
  • Ross County B scr-wo Stirling Albion

South Section

  • Queen’s Park 1-1(5-4p) Bonnyrigg Rose (Aug 10 @ Firhill Stadium) – att 318
  • St Mirren B 1-1(3-0p) Kelty Hearts (Aug 10) – att 372
  • Broomhill 1-0 Clyde (Aug 11) – att 144
  • Celtic B 2-0 Annan Athletic (Aug 11 @ Excelsior Stadium)
  • Dumbarton 2-3 Rangers B (Aug 11) – att 259
  • Falkirk 3-0 East Kilbride (Aug 11)
  • Edinburgh City 0-1 Heart of Midlothian B (Aug 17) – att 272
  • Livingston B scr-wo Albion Rovers
  • Stranraer wo-scr Motherwell B (Aug 10)

Second Round (Sep 4)

North Section

  • Aberdeen B 1-1(4-1p) Arbroath (Sep 4 @ Pittodrie Stadium)
  • Cove Rangers 0-0(4-2p) Stenhousemuir (Sep 4)
  • Cowdenbeath 0-2 Alloa Athletic (Sep 4)
  • Inverness Caley Thistle 4-0 Buckie Thistle (Sep 4)
  • Montrose 1-0 Stirling Albion (Sep 4)
  • Peterhead 0-1 East Fife (Sep 4)
  • Raith Rovers 1-0 Forfar Athletic (Sep 4)
  • Elgin City wo-scr Dunfermline Athletic (Sep 4)

South Section

  • Hamilton Accies 3-2 Heart of Midlothian B (Aug 31)
  • Airdrieonians 1-1(4-5p) Queen’s Park (Sep 3)
  • Albion Rovers 6-0 St Mirren B (Sep 4)
  • Celtic B 1-3 Greenock Morton (Sep 4 @ Excelsior Stadium)
  • Kilmarnock 3-1 Falkirk (Sep 4)
  • Stranraer 0-2 Partick Thistle (Sep 4)
  • Queen of the South 3-0 Broomhill (Sep 5)
  • Rangers B 0-3 Ayr United (Sep 14 @ Dumbarton)
    • Ayr disqualified – ineligible players

Third Round (Oct 9)

  • Hamilton Accies 2-0 Aberdeen B (Oct 6)
  • Kilmarnock 3-1 Queen’s Park (Oct 8)
  • Queen of the South 2-0 Partick Thistle (Oct 8)
  • Cove Rangers 4-1 Albion Rovers
  • Elgin City 2-4 Inverness Caley Thistle
  • Montrose 0-0(2-4p) Greenock Morton
  • Raith Rovers 3-1 East Fife
  • Alloa Athletic 2-3 Rangers B (Oct 27)

Quarter Finals (Nov 30)

  • Hamilton Accies 2-3 Kilmarnock
  • Inverness Caley Thistle 0-0(4-5p) Raith Rovers
  • Cove Rangers 5-1 Rangers B
  • Queen of the South 2-1 Greenock Morton (Dec 1) – BBC Alba

Semi Finals

  • Cove Rangers 0-1 Queen of the South (Mar 1) – BBC Alba
  • Kilmarnock 1-2 Raith Rovers (Mar 2) – BBC Alba

Final (Apr 3)

  • Raith Rovers 3-1 Queen of the South (@ Excelsior Stadium) – BBC Alba