Rangers drawn with Motherwell in League Cup group

Rangers have been drawn in the same section as top seeds Motherwell in the regional first round group stage of the revamped League Cup competition.

The Ibrox club, who return to the Premiership next season after a four-year absence, were among the second seeds in the south section of the draw, which was televised live on BT Sport.

Also in Group F are unseeded Stranraer, East Stirling and Annan Athletic.

Holders Ross County, top seeds in the north section, were drawn in Group D along with Raith Rovers, Alloa Athletic, Cove Rangers and Montrose.

Eight groups of five clubs, made up of one top seed, one second seed and three unseeded clubs, will see teams play each other once in a round robin format over five dates between July 16 and July 30 which kick-starts the domestic season.

In the first round group stage there are three points for a win and one point for a draw, with drawn matches going straight to a penalty shoot-out with the winner being awarded a bonus point.

Eight group winners and the four best runners-up progress to the second round, joined by the SPFL's four European entrants, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian, and the final is set for Hampden Park on Sunday November 27.

The fixtures are yet to be decided but Rangers last played Motherwell in the Premiership play-off final in 2015.

The Steelmen won the first game at Ibrox 3-1 before a 3-0 victory in the second leg at Fir Park kept them in the Premiership with 6-1 aggregate score although the game ended in an ugly brawl.

The draw included 38 SPFL clubs not involved in European qualifiers plus Highland League champions Cove Rangers and new Lowland League entrants East Stirlingshire.

Both those clubs were included in the unseeded sections along with Edinburgh City, Lowland League champions, who make their competition debut as the newest member of the SPFL.

Full draw.

North:

Group A: Dundee, Dumbarton, Peterhead, Forfar, East Fife

B: St Johnstone, Falkirk, Brechin City, Stirling Albion, Elgin City.

C: Inverness, Dundee United, Dunfermline, Arbroath, Cowdenbeath.

D: Ross County, Raith Rovers, Alloa, Cove Rangers, Montrose.

South:

Group E: Partick Thistle, Queen of the South, Stenhousemuir, Queen's Park, Airdrieonians.

F: Motherwell, Rangers, Stranraer, East Stirling, Annan Athletic.

G: Hamilton, St Mirren, Edinburgh City, Livingston, Ayr United.

H: Kilmarnock, Morton, Berwick Rangers, Albion Rovers, Clyde.