2021–22 Scottish Challenge Cup
# 2021–22 Scottish Challenge Cup

The 2021–22 Scottish Challenge Cup known as the SPFL Trust Trophy due to sponsorship reasons, was the 30th season of the competition. The total number of participating clubs was 50, down from 58, with only Scottish clubs competing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. The competition began on 10 August 2021 with the first round and ended on 3 April 2022 with the final at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.

Thirty teams from the Championship, League One and League Two competed, along with four teams from the Highland Football League and four from the Lowland Football League. In addition to this, Under-21 teams of the clubs competing in the Scottish Premiership were represented. This season no clubs from Northern Ireland, Wales, Republic of Ireland or England entered the competition to reduce unnecessary travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Format

| Round | Date | Fixtures | Clubs | New entries |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| First round | 10–11 August 2021 | 18 | 50 → 32 | 6 teams from 2020–21 Scottish League One (5th–10th) Teams from 2020–21 Scottish League Two 4 teams from 2020–21 Lowland Football League (1st–4th) 4 teams from 2020–21 Highland Football League (1st–4th) 12 U21 teams from 2021–22 Scottish Premiership |
| Second round | 4–5 September 2021 | 16 | 32 → 16 | Teams from 2020–21 Scottish Championship 4 teams from 2020–21 Scottish League One (1st–4th) |
| Third round | 9–10 October 2021 | 8 | 16 → 8 | |
| Quarter-finals | 30 November–1 December 2021 | 4 | 8 → 4 | |
| Semi-finals | 1–2 March 2022 | 2 | 4 → 2 | |
| Final | 2 or 3 April 2022 | 1 | 2 → 1 | |

## First round

The first round featured 6 clubs from 2020–21 Scottish League One, all clubs from 2020–21 Scottish League Two, 4 clubs from the 2020–21 Scottish Highland Football League, 4 clubs from the 2020–21 Scottish Lowland Football League and the 12 Under 21 teams of the 2021–22 Scottish Premiership.

The draw was made on 6 July 2021 at 14:00 and was broadcast live on the SPFL YouTube Channel. The draw was regionalised and seeded. Matches were played on 10, 11 and 17 August 2021.

Livingston and Ross County were unable to field B teams for the first round and withdrew from the competition. Their scheduled opponents, Albion Rovers and Stirling Albion, were awarded byes into the second round.

### North Section

**Draw**

Teams that entered the competition in the first round.

| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| - | - |
| East Fife Peterhead Forfar Athletic Elgin City Stirling Albion Stenhousemuir Cowdenbeath Brechin City Brora Rangers | Fraserburgh Buckie Thistle Formartine United Aberdeen B Dundee B Dundee United B Hibernian B Ross County B St Johnstone B |

### South Section

**Draw**

Teams that entered the competition in the first round.

| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| - | - |
| Falkirk Clyde Dumbarton Queen's Park Edinburgh City Stranraer Albion Rovers Annan Athletic Kelty Hearts | East Kilbride Bonnyrigg Rose Broomhill Celtic B Heart of Midlothian B Livingston B Motherwell B Rangers B St Mirren B |

**Matches**

**Notes**

* ^ A: Livingston and Ross County were unable to field B teams for the first round and withdrew from the competition.
* ^ B: Stranraer were awarded a 3–0 win over Motherwell B who were unable to fulfil the fixture as a number of players were self-isolating due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.
* ^ C: Originally due to start at 19:45, kick-off in the Queen's Park vs Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic match was delayed by 30 minutes due to traffic congestion around Firhill Stadium.

## Second round

The second round featured the 18 first round winners who were joined by all teams from the 2020–21 Scottish Championship and the top four teams from the 2020–21 Scottish League One.

The draw was made on 6 July 2021 at 14:00 and was broadcast live on the SPFL YouTube Channel. The draw was regionalised and seeded. Matches were played on 31 August, 3, 4, 5 and 14 September 2021.

### North section

**Draw**

Teams that entered the competition in the second round.

| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| - | - |
| Raith Rovers Dunfermline Athletic Inverness Caledonian Thistle Arbroath Alloa Athletic Cove Rangers Montrose | 9 first round winners |

**Matches**

**Notes**

* ^ D: Elgin City were awarded a technical 3–0 win over Dunfermline Athletic who were unable to fulfil the fixture as a number of players were self-isolating due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.

### South section

**Draw**

Teams that entered the competition in the second round.

| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| - | - |
| Kilmarnock Hamilton Academical Queen of the South Ayr United Greenock Morton Partick Thistle Airdrieonians | 9 first round winners |

**Matches**

**Notes**

* ^ E: Rangers B were awarded a technical 3–0 win over Ayr United who fielded two ineligible players. The match had originally finished 3–0 to Ayr United.

## Final stages

On 7 July 2021, a bracket was published for the rest of the tournament, from the third round (last 16) onwards.

### Bracket

| Third round | Third round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 October 2021 | 6 October 2021 | | | | | | |
| Hamilton Academical | 2 | | | | | | |
| Hamilton Academical | 2 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | | | | | |
| Aberdeen B | 0 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | | | | |
| Aberdeen B | 0 | Hamilton Academical | 2 | | | | |
| 8 October 2021 | 8 October 2021 | | Hamilton Academical | 2 | | | | |
| 8 October 2021 | 8 October 2021 | Kilmarnock | 3 | | | | |
| Kilmarnock | 3 | Kilmarnock | 3 | | | | |
| Kilmarnock | 3 | | | | 2 March 2022 | 2 March 2022 | | |
| Queen's Park | 1 | | | | 2 March 2022 | 2 March 2022 | |
| Queen's Park | 1 | | | | Kilmarnock | 1 | |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | | | | | Kilmarnock | 1 | |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | | | | Raith Rovers | 2 | |
| Elgin City | 2 | | | | Raith Rovers | 2 | |
| Elgin City | 2 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | | | | | |
| Inverness CT | 4 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | | | | |
| Inverness CT | 4 | Inverness CT | 0 (4) | | | | |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | | Inverness CT | 0 (4) | | | | |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | Raith Rovers | 0 (5) | | | | |
| Raith Rovers | 3 | Raith Rovers | 0 (5) | | | | |
| Raith Rovers | 3 | | | | | | | 3 April 2022 | 3 April 2022 |
| East Fife | 1 | | | | | | | 3 April 2022 | 3 April 2022 |
| East Fife | 1 | | | | | | | Raith Rovers | 3 |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | | | | | | | | Raith Rovers | 3 |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | | | | | | | Queen of the South | 1 |
| Cove Rangers | 4 | | | | | | | Queen of the South | 1 |
| Cove Rangers | 4 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | | | | | | |
| Albion Rovers | 1 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | | | | | | |
| Albion Rovers | 1 | Cove Rangers | 5 | | | | | | |
| 27 October 2021 | 27 October 2021 | | Cove Rangers | 5 | | | | | | |
| 27 October 2021 | 27 October 2021 | Rangers B | 1 | | | | | | |
| Alloa Athletic | 2 | Rangers B | 1 | | | | | | |
| Alloa Athletic | 2 | | | | 1 March 2022 | 1 March 2022 | | | | |
| Rangers B | 3 | | | | 1 March 2022 | 1 March 2022 | | | |
| Rangers B | 3 | | | | Cove Rangers | 0 | | | |
| 8 October 2021 | 8 October 2021 | | | | | Cove Rangers | 0 | | | |
| 8 October 2021 | 8 October 2021 | | | | Queen of the South | 1 | |
| Queen of the South | 2 | | | | Queen of the South | 1 | |
| Queen of the South | 2 | 1 December 2021 | 1 December 2021 | | | | | |
| Partick Thistle | 0 | 1 December 2021 | 1 December 2021 | | | | |
| Partick Thistle | 0 | Queen of the South | 2 | | | | |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | | Queen of the South | 2 | | | | |
| 9 October 2021 | 9 October 2021 | Greenock Morton | 1 | | | | |
| Montrose | 0 (2) | Greenock Morton | 1 | | | | |
| Greenock Morton | 0 (4) | | | | | | |

### Third round

The third round featured the 16 second round winners and matches were played on 6, 8, 9 and 27 October 2021.

### Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals were played on 30 November and 1 December 2021.

### Semi-finals

The semi-finals are to be played on 1 and 2 March 2022.

## Final

The final took place on 3 April 2022.

