Monday 17 June 2013

SOUTH WEST SIDES SEARCHING FOR CAPITAL GAINS

The 2013-14 Capital One Cup 1st round will see Devon's three professional sides face former winners of the competition, whilst Championship new boys Yeovil Town travel to a team they are yet to meet in the cup.

Plymouth Argyle who are managed by John Sheridan, the scorer of the winning goal in the 1991 Rumbelows Cup final for Sheffield Wednesday against Manchester United, will travel to face Birmingham City, winners of the competition in 2011.

Argyle have been paired with the Blues twice in the cup before-in the 1993-94 season and again in 1995-96 where they were beaten 3-2 and 3-1 on aggregate respectively.

Incidentally, the Pilgrims did manage to win the second leg of their 1993-94 tie 2-0 at Home Park, a game which saw the late Alan Nicholls handed his debut by then manager Peter Shilton.

Exeter City will play host to Harry Redknapp's Queens Park Rangers, winners in 1967, almost one month after the Grecians host the West London side at St James' Park in a pre-season friendly.

It will also mean a second return to Exeter in the space of a month for former Grecians' striker Jamie Mackie.

Torquay United are on their travels, making the relatively short journey to Wiltshire to play 1969 winners Swindon Town at the County Ground.

The Gulls have previously been drawn against the Robins twice before in the competition-in the 1986-87 and 1992-93 seasons. On each occasion, Torquay suffering heavy aggregate defeats losing 6-2 and 9-2 on aggregate respectively.

Yeovil Town, in their first season as a Championship club, travel to Essex to face Southend United in what will be the first knock out cup meeting between the two clubs.

They have met each other 12 times in the league previously, but this will be their first cup encounter.