Huddersfield put us out of the Vertu Trophy in frustrating fashion, so the Imps will take no further part in the competition, but the draw rolls on without us.
Even so, it shapes the wider League One landscape and gives us a sense of who is pushing for Wembley while we turn our attention elsewhere. Which teams might have the eye drawn to Wembley? Which former Imps might be back on the hunt for silverware?
The Round of sixteen Draw
The next stage will be drawn live on the Sky Sports EFL Show on Saturday 6 December at 11.45 am, with David Prutton joined by Wesley Morgan and Curtis Davies. The Round of 32 fixtures began earlier this week and finish on Tuesday, December, when Danny Colwey’s Colchester United face his boyhood club, West Ham United (U21s).
The competition remains split into regional sections at this stage. Northern and Southern clubs will be drawn against opponents from their own half of the map, keeping travel down until the semis.
Northern Section Ball Numbers
- Bolton Wanderers
- Doncaster Rovers
- Fleetwood Town
- Harrogate Town
- Huddersfield Town
- Port Vale
- Rotherham United
- Stockport County
Southern Section Ball Numbers
- AFC Wimbledon
- Bristol Rovers
- Luton Town
- Northampton Town
- Plymouth Argyle
- Swindon Town
- Walsall
- Colchester United or West Ham United U21
Vertu Trophy Round of sixteen ties will be played in the week commencing 12 January 2026.
Bear in mind, whoever draws the Terriers is who we would have got. The balls are sorted alphabetically, but we would have had the same number as them. Not that it matters.
Format Notes
The competition stays regionalised until the semi-final stage. From the Round of 16 through to the semi-finals, there is no extra time. Ties level after 90 minutes go straight to penalties, something we now know all too well after our own exit.
Even though City are out, the competition still offers a useful barometer of form and depth across the division. The draw should make for interesting viewing on Saturday.