This season the Velocity Trophy will have a new look. Not only will it start with group stages, featuring our Step Four sides, but there will no longer be any extra time in the event of a drawn match- each club will pick up one point and progress straight to a penalty shootout, the winners of that then picking up a second point! Additionally, each club can name five substitutes- and use them all.

Premier Division sides will enter after the initial group stages, joining the ten group winners in a last thirty two which will revert to the usual knockout format.

Groups are geographically distinct, as you will see if you look at the image below, although they aren't all the same size so some clubs will have more matches than others. Each side in a group will play the other sides once, either home or away.

Velocity Trophy Groups 2019-20
Velocity Trophy Groups 2019-20
Matches will be played as follows (remembering that the clubs in the three groups of five won't get five fixtures):

1. Week beginning 2nd September
2. Week beginning 22nd September
3. Week beginning 7th October
4. Week beginning 21st October
5. Week beginning 4th November

All Group Stages matches must be completed by 22nd November.

As the clubs finalise the fixture dates they will appear here, but the opening fixtures will look like this:

Group One:

AFC Sudbury v Heybridge Swifts
Bury Town v Felixstowe & Walton Utd.
Maldon & Tiptree v Coggeshall Town

Group Two:

Aveley v Romford
Barking v Grays Athletic
Waltham Abbey v Brentwood Town

Group Three:

Cambridge City v Soham Town Rangers
Harlow Town v Histon
Ware v Hertford Town

Group Four:

Burgess Hill Town v Haywards Heath Town
Chichester City v Hastings United
Three Bridges v East Grinstead Town

Group Five:

Bracknell Town v Marlow
Chalfont St Peter v Hanwell Town
Westfield v FC Romania

Group Six:

Basildon United v Tilbury
Canvey Island v Hullbridge Sports
Witham Town v Great Wakering Rovers

Group Seven:

Ashford United v Ramsgate
Faversham Town v Hythe Town
Whitstable Town v Herne Bay

Group Eight:

Ashford Town (Middx) v Bedfont Sports
Northwood v Staines Town

Group Nine:

Cray Valley PM v Phoenix Sports
Sevenoaks Town v Sittingbourne

Group Ten:

Chertsey Town v Chipstead
South Park v Tooting & Mitcham Utd.