SPFL announce League Cup revamp

Scottish Professional Football League bosses are to reinstate Scotland's winter break next season after agreeing a radical overhaul of the League Cup.

Hampden chiefs hope the new-look competition - which will see a summer group stage reintroduced - will boost crowds and club coffers alike.

Their plans have already been given the backing of broadcasters BT Sport, who have signed up to a four-year deal that will see 13 games screened live each season - including six from the 40-team round-robin stage.

And according to SPFL sources, BT have agreed to "more than double" the cash generated by the existing TV contract with the BBC.

The new format will see Scotland's senior league clubs - minus our four Champions League and Europa League representatives - as well as the winners of the Highland and Lowland Leagues split into eight groups of five. Teams will play each other once with the group winners and four best-placed runners-up progressing to the knock-out stages with the European hopefuls.

By playing the group games during a two-week window - starting next term on the weekend of July 16 - before the regular league season gets underway, the SPFL say they will guarantee hard-pressed clubs four games during the warmest part of the year while also cutting the number of regular-season dates required for the knock-out rounds from five to four.

That will also allow the league body to bring back a two-week winter break following the 2017 New Year's Day fixtures, 14 years after top-flight clubs decided to scrap the recess.

Among the other features which the SPFL hope will lure fans back to a competition which has been in decline for a number of years are a "ground-breaking" bonus point system. Group stage matches that end in a draw will be settled by an immediate penalty shoot-out with the victorious team awarded two points, while the losers walk away with one.

It is hoped the new system will reduce the number of dead rubbers as the group stage reaches its conclusion. SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "The new format of the Scottish League Cup marks an exciting new chapter for the competition and sees Scottish football leading the way with a number of innovations.

"Fans, the media and clubs alike have expressed a desire for competitive summer football which will be delivered from next July while the ground-breaking bonus point system should add incentive to teams and excitement for supporters.

"We are delighted to welcome BT Sport as our exclusive League Cup TV broadcast partner and to have their support for the new format. Our agreement with BT Sport delivers a huge increase in the number of games being shown live as well as providing increased competition prizemoney for clubs.

"The new format has also enabled the re-introduction of a winter break for Premiership clubs. We are consulting with Championship, League 1 and League 2 clubs to establish whether they also favour a winter break in their respective divisions."

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: "BT Sport is thrilled to deepen its connection to Scottish football through this new long-term deal. Our team looks forward to bringing fans an exciting and innovative new competition later this year.

"Today's agreement expands our summer programming line-up while also giving Scottish football fans an exciting new summer football competition."

The League Cup is currently without a full sponsor, although energy firm Utilita have signed up to act as "presenting partners" for this season's semi-finals and final. League chiefs have been in discussion with a number of companies as they look to strike a deal to cover next year's tournament and remain hopeful the refreshed format will see an agreement pushed through.