Newcastle United official announcement – Vertu Trophy opponents confirmed | OneFootball

On Wednesday, Newcastle United revealed that they would be once again competing in the Vertu Trophy next season.

United one of 16 Premier League clubs set to take part, the 15 other invited Category One academy clubs are Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Liverpool. Manchester City, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Great experience for the Newcastle United Under 21s to play against lower league first teams, as they have done in the past, including against the Sunderland first team.

The EFL Trophy has now been drawn and Newcastle United’s young up and coming stars finding out their group opponents.

United will face the first teams of League One clubs Mansfield and Huddersfield, plus League Two Harrogate.

Newcastle United official announcement – 26 June 2025:

‘Newcastle United Under-21s have been drawn against Harrogate Town, Huddersfield Town and Mansfield Town in the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy.

The young Magpies are one of 16 Premier League academy sides invited to compete against teams from League One and League Two in the competition, with the initial group stage draw divided into Northern and Southern sections.

The draw was made live on Sky Sports News on Thursday afternoon and United’s youngsters have been confirmed in Group F of the Northern section and all of United’s fixtures will take place away from home.

Newcastle’s youngsters faced Mansfield in last season’s competition as the League One outfit claimed a 3-0 win at the One Call Stadium and also played against Harrogate during the 2021/22 campaign, suffering a 2-0 defeat against the Sulphurites.

Confirmed fixture dates and ticket details will be revealed on newcastleunited.com in due course.’

Newcastle United official announcement – 25 June 2025:

‘A Newcastle United Under-21 side will again compete in the Vertu Trophy this season, it has been confirmed.

The Magpies are one of 16 Category One academies who are taking part in this term’s competition and will learn their opponents when the Group Stage draw for the Vertu Trophy is made live on Sky Sports News from 2:30pm (BST) on Thursday, 26th June.

All 64 teams enter from Round One and are to be split into 16 regional groups of four teams, with eight clubs in the Northern region and eight in the Southern region.

The 16 invited Under-21 teams will be placed into their respective Northern and Southern regional groups, with the 48 EFL Clubs placed into pre-determined groups prior to the draw.

Newcastle United Under-21s will be ball number six in the Northern Section of the draw.

Last season, Newcastle were unable to progress from a group featuring Bradford City, Rotherham United and Mansfield Town but, in 2018/19, the young Magpies won all three of their group games against Notts County, Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town to top the group.

After seeing off Macclesfield Town on penalties at St. James’ Park, Newcastle’s second-string exited at the round of 16 stage following a 4-0 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.