The Highland League Cup will be played in a group format next season with teams divided into three geographical zones, league secretary Rod Houston has revealed
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NEXT season's Highland League Cup will be split into three geographical sections in a brand new group stage format.
Highland League secretary Rod Houston said the new format will give clubs extra derby fixtures and at least two additional home matches to compensate for the reduced league programme.
First of all, last season's Utilita Highland League Cup has yet to be completed with plans in place to get the remaining semi-finals and final played by the end of November, before starting the new tournament.
Houston said the 2020-21 competition will comprise two groups of six clubs and one group of five, split up into three geographical zones.
Which clubs appear in which group has yet to be revealed, Houston said, but each club will play each other once with the group winners and the best runner-up progressing to the semi-finals.
The league secretary also explained how the venue of local derby matches will be reversed from those produced in the Highland League fixture programme.
"The new format is an interim arrangement and one we can accommodate in a 16-game league season," he said.
"The groups will be in zones. What we appreciate is that for clubs, the income from derby matches is quite important. Maximising match day revenue is really quite important this forthcoming year after what we’ve been through.
"So if, for example, Nairn County were home to Forres Mechanics in the league, the League Cup fixture would be the reverse of that."
While the groups have not been finalised, it is certain that champions Brora Rangers will be placed with Wick Academy, Clachnacuddin and Fort William in a west section, possibly with Nairn and Forres.
There are options for different splits involving the Moray, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire sides.
One possible split could place Lossiemouth with fellow Moray outfits Rothes, Keith and Buckie Thistle, along with Strathspey Thistle and possibly Deveronvale.
That would leave Fraserburgh, Formartine United, Inverurie Locos, Turriff United and Huntly in an east section.
The conclusion of the 2019-20 tournament will see the semi-final ties take place early in the next campaign.
Brora host Buckie in one match with Formartine at home to Rothes in the other.
