Worthington Cup draw

Last year's Worthington Cup finalists Birmingham will kick off this year's competition against Third Division Southend.

Birmingham were beaten by Liverpool in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in May in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Division One play-off losers Preston face a trip to Third Division Kidderminster.

Football League newcomers Rushden & Diamonds will play Burnley away.

The draw has also produced several local derbies with Leyton Orient playing Crystal Palace, Bristol City meeting Cheltenham and Mansfield taking on Notts County.

Bradford, relegated from the Premiership last term, return to this stage of the competition with a difficult away tie against Macclesfield while Gianluca Vialli's Watford are at home to Plymouth.

There are several tricky trips for other First Division clubs: Sheffield United travel to Darlington, Nottingham Forest are away to Hartlepool and Sheffield Wednesday are at Bury.

Division Two champions Millwall have home advantage against Cardiff and Wolves welcome Swindon to Molineux.

The ties are no longer played over two legs but the winner does still qualify for the Uefa Cup.

The first round will be played the week starting 20 August.

Worthington Cup first round draw.

Kidderminster v Preston
Mansfield v Notts County
Port Vale v Chesterfield
Darlington v Sheffield United
Burnley v Rushden & Diamonds
Hartlepool v Nottingham Forest
Barnsley v Halifax
Wrexham v Hull
Stockport v Carlisle
Scunthorpe v Rotherham
Bury v Sheffield Wednesday
Stoke v Oldham
Huddersfield v Rochdale
Blackpool v Wigan
Macclesfield v Bradford
Grimsby v Lincoln
York v Crewe
Tranmere v Shrewsbury
Wolves v Swindon
Exeter v Walsall
Millwall v Cardiff
Cambridge v West Brom
Bristol City v Cheltenham
Swansea v Peterborough
Birmingham v Southend
Oxford v Gillingham
Leyton Orient v Crystal Palace
Wycombe v Bristol Rovers
Northampton v QPR
Bournemouth v Torquay
Watford v Plymouth
Brentford v Norwich
Brighton v Wimbledon
Portsmouth v Colchester
Reading v Luton