The draw for the first round of the 2014-2015 Capital One Cup was made this morning, and the draw sprung a few surprise fixtures.
After the relegation of Bristol Rovers and Torquay United from the Football League last season, it was Luton Town and Cambridge United who took the places of the two South West clubs. Cambridge, in their first League Cup draw for ten years, were awarded a tough away tie against Birmingham, who finished a disappointing 21st in the Championship last season. Luton, on the other hand, were matched against Swindon Town, who won the cup for the only time in their history in 1969. That game will be played at Kenilworth Road.
Recently relegated Cardiff were drawn against League One side Coventry City, and play their tie at Northampton's Sixfields stadium, the temporary home of Coventry. The other two relegated sides (Fulham and Norwich) were given byes for the first round, and will enter at the next round of the competition.
Undoubtedly, the tie of the round sees MK Dons, managed by Karl Robinson, face their fierce rivals AFC Wimbledon, who play one division below. AFC Wimbledon were formed in 2002 in protest of the rebranding of Wimbledon as Milton Keynes Dons. The game is a repeat of the first meeting between the sides in England's main cup competition, the FA Cup. That game finished in a 2-1 win for MK Dons, Jon Otsemobor scoring a last-gasp winner.
Capital One Cup first round full draw (Games to be played w/c 11th August)
Oldham Athletic v Middlesbrough
Shrewsbury Town v Blackpool
Sheffield Wednesday v Notts County
Tranmere Rovers v Nottingham Forest
Leeds United v Accrington Stanley
Bolton Wanderers v Bury
Rochdale v Preston North End
Rotherham United v Fleetwood Town
Carlisle United v Derby County
Port Vale v Hartlepool
Morecambe v Bradford City
Barnsley v Crewe Alexandra
Chesterfield v Huddersfield Town
Blackburn Rovers v Scunthorpe United
Burton Albion v Wigan Athletic
York City v Doncaster Rovers
Sheffield United v Mansfield Town
Reading v Newport County
Bristol City v Oxford United
Brighton & Hove Albion v Cheltenham Town
Coventry City v Cardiff City
Luton Town v Swindon Town
Dagenham & Redbridge v Brentford
Charlton Athletic v Colchester United
Crawley Town v Ipswich Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Northampton Town
Yeovil Town v Gillingham
MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon
Exeter City v Bournemouth
Stevenage v Watford
Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient
Birmingham City v Cambridge United
Portsmouth v Peterborough United
Millwall v Wycombe Wanderers
Southend United v Walsall
