FANS have labelled the Carabao Cup draw as “rigged” and are demanding that chiefs get a “geography lesson”.
The 11 Premier League teams not competing in Europe this season enter the tournament at the second round stage.
Tonight’s draw saw Manchester United get an away trip to League Two side Grimsby Town.
And there were two all-Prem ties as Bournemouth host Brentford and West Ham travel to Wolves.
But Hammers fans have been left perplexed about their away day at Molineux.
The draw saw the nation split into two halves, with a 24-team northern and a 22-team southern section.
Both Wolves and West Ham were put in the southern side of the competition.
And that is despite Birmingham City, who face Sheffield United tonight, being located further south than Wolverhampton.
A drive from St Andrews’ to Molineux will take you 23 miles north.
The issue baffled supporters, who said: “Which genius put Birmingham in the northern section of the Carabao Cup draw and Wolverhampton in the south?”
Another added: “Someone needs to give Carabao a geography lesson!”
A third commented: “Wolves in the southern section and Birmingham in the northern section of this draw is frying my brain.”
Others complained about Man Utd’s “easy” draw, with one saying: “Looks so rigged. Only one or two games which have teams more than one league apart.”
A second wrote: “It’s rigged.”
More conspiracy theorists added: “Unlike United to get another easy draw in an early round. Shock horror bet that weren’t fixed.”
Second round ties will be played the week commencing August 25.
Carabao Cup second-round draw in full
Northern section
- Tranmere or Burton vs Lincoln
- Accrington vs Doncaster
- Wigan vs Stockport
- Stoke vs Bradford
- Burnley vs Derby
- Sunderland vs Huddersfield or Leicester
- Birmingham or Sheffield Utd vs Port Vale
- Preston vs Wrexham
- Barnsley or Fleetwood vs Rotherham
- Bolton or Sheffield Weds vs Leeds
- Everton vs Mansfield
- Grimsby vs Man Utd
Southern section
- Fulham vs Bristol City
- Norwich vs Southampton
- Oxford vs Brighton
- Reading vs AFC Wimbledon
- Bournemouth vs Brentford
- Millwall vs Coventry
- Wolves vs West Ham
- Swansea vs Plymouth
- Bromley vs Wycombe
- Cardiff vs Cheltenham or Exeter
- Cambridge vs Charlton
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