Swindon Town have had their Bristol Street Motors Trophy fixtures confirmed for the 2024/25 season.

The fixtures for the competition have been set after Swindon found out in June that they would be facing the League One duo of Exeter City and Bristol Rovers in the competition, with Tottenham Hotspur under-21s joining the group as the academy side. The EFL sides play two home matches in their three group games, with the academy side playing all three of their games away from home.

Town will kick off their campaign against Exeter at St James Park on Tuesday, September 3, before playing host to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, October 8 at the County Ground, and then the group stage will be concluded on Tuesday, November 5 with a home game against Spurs. Each of these games will kick off at 7 pm.

Following two disappointing campaigns in this competition, Mark Kennedy will be looking to win Swindon’s first Bristol Street Motors Trophy match since 2021. Jordan Lyden scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Newport County as Ben Garner’s side progressed into the knockout rounds, the only time in the last six seasons that Swindon have done so.

Last season saw Town use the competition predominantly to help with the development of academy players, with 12 different under-18 players playing some part in matchday squads across the three fixtures.

Speaking in June, Jamie Russell hinted that a different approach would be taken this season: “In terms of the squad, it is a balanced diet with experience, youthfulness, and those boys hinging onto the next part of their journey.

“When you are bringing in younger players it is really important that you have experience alongside them and that voice that can help them through.

“Sometimes in the EFL Trophy, all the young players just get chucked onto the pitch, that is a bit unfair as there is no experience to talk them through and handle the situation, whereas now we have got that.

“If you look at somebody like Joel McGregor who came through at the end of last season, he is going to need that experience around him to support him in the next part of his journey, not just from a coaching side and multi-disciplinary side which we can give him, but being on the pitch with experienced players and that will really help him.”