Newcastle United one of 16 Premier League clubs invited to include a team in Vertu Trophy | OneFootball

Newcastle United have once again been invited to take part in the Vertu Trophy, one of 16 Premier League clubs now set to take part.

Along with Newcastle United, 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.

They will each be in groups against the first teams of clubs in League One and League Two.

Great experience for the kids to play against lower league first teams, as they have done in the past against the Sunderland first team.

The EFL Trophy is now sponsored by Vertu but the Mackems were regulars in the competition when in League One in recent times, back then it was sponsored by Checkatrade and Papa John pizzas.

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.