The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, organised by and named after The Football Association (the FA). It was staged for the first time in the 1969–70 season,[1] and was initially open to all semi-professional teams, complementing the existing FA Amateur Cup.[2] After the abolition of official amateur status by the FA in 1974, the leading teams from the Amateur Cup entered the Trophy, while lower-level teams competed in the new FA Vase.[3] As of 2008, the Trophy is open to all clubs in the top four levels of the National League System, equivalent to levels five to eight of the overall English football league system, although a club's home stadium must meet certain requirements before the club can enter the tournament.[4]
The record for the most wins is jointly held by Scarborough, Telford United, and Woking, with three each.[1] Scarborough and Telford United are both defunct and therefore not able to add any further wins.[5][6] Scarborough, Woking, Grays Athletic and Kingstonian have each won the Trophy in two consecutive seasons.[1] Mark Stimson managed the winning team in three consecutive finals.[7] The Trophy is currently held by Southend United, who beat Wealdstone in the 2026 final.[8]
History
edit
The first FA Trophy final was won by Macclesfield Town, who also won the championship of the Northern Premier League in the same season.[9] Northern Premier League clubs dominated the first decade of the competition, with Telford United the only Southern League team to break the northern clubs' hold on the competition.[10] Scarborough reached the final four times in five seasons and won the Trophy three times between 1973 and 1977.[5] In 1979, the leading Southern and Northern Premier League teams formed the new Alliance Premier League,[11] and teams from this league dominated the Trophy during the 1980s.[12] In the 1980–81 season, however, Bishop's Stortford of the comparatively lowly Isthmian League First Division won through nine rounds to reach the final, where they beat Sutton United.[13] Telford United's win in 1989 made them the second team to win the Trophy three times.[12]
Between 1990 and 2000, a smaller number of clubs claimed the Trophy, as Wycombe Wanderers and Kingstonian each won the competition twice, and Woking became the third team to win it three times.[12] Manager Geoff Chapple led Woking and Kingstonian to all their victories, a total of five wins in seven seasons.[14][15] After Chapple's period of success, Mark Stimson became the first man to manage the Trophy-winning team in three successive seasons, when he led Grays Athletic to victory in 2005 and 2006 and repeated the feat with his new club Stevenage Borough in 2007.[7] In 2019 AFC Fylde became the first team to have won both the FA Trophy and FA Vase.[16] The 2020 final was delayed until May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and won by Harrogate Town, who in the intervening period had been promoted to the English Football League, making them the only EFL team to lift the trophy.[17] Less than three weeks later, Hornchurch became the first club playing at tier seven of the English football league system to win the trophy. They defeated Hereford 3–1 in the 2021 final.
Finals
editOriginally, if the final finished with the scores level after extra time, the teams would play again in a replay at a later date;[12] more recently the final has always been decided on the day, with a penalty shootout as required.[18] The winning club receives the FA Trophy itself and, as of 2021, prize money of £60,000, in addition to that accumulated for winning earlier rounds.[19]
Key
edit| (R) | Replay |
| * | Match went to extra time |
| † | Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time |
| % | Club played in tier 6 at the time |
| ^ | Club played in tier 7 at the time |
Results
editResults by team
editTeams shown in italics are no longer in existence. Teams shown in bold compete in the Premier League or the English Football League as of 2024 and therefore do not enter the FA Trophy. Additionally, Bangor City switched to the Welsh football league system in 1992, making the club ineligible to compete in the competition from then onwards.[21]
| Club | Wins | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telford United | 3 | 1989 | 2 | 1988 |
| Woking | 3 | 1997 | 1 | 2006 |
| Scarborough | 3 | 1977 | 1 | 1975 |
| Stevenage Borough | 2 | 2009 | 2 | 2010 |
| Macclesfield Town | 2 | 1996 | 2 | 2017 |
| York City | 2 | 2017 | 1 | 2009 |
| Altrincham | 2 | 1986 | 1 | 1982 |
| Stafford Rangers | 2 | 1979 | 1 | 1976 |
| Barrow | 2 | 2010 | 0 | – |
| Grays Athletic | 2 | 2006 | 0 | – |
| Kingstonian | 2 | 2000 | 0 | – |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 2 | 1993 | 0 | – |
| Enfield | 2 | 1988 | 0 | – |
| FC Halifax Town | 2 | 2023 | 0 | – |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 1 | 1987 | 3 | 2007 |
| Wrexham | 1 | 2013 | 2 | 2022 |
| Northwich Victoria | 1 | 1984 | 2 | 1996 |
| Wealdstone | 1 | 1985 | 1 | 2026 |
| Gateshead | 1 | 2024 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bromley | 1 | 2022 | 1 | 2018 |
| Canvey Island | 1 | 2001 | 1 | 2004 |
| Dagenham | 1 | 1980 | 1 | 1977 |
| Southend United | 1 | 2026 | 0 | – |
| Aldershot Town | 1 | 2025 | 0 | – |
| Hornchurch | 1 | 2021 | 0 | – |
| Harrogate Town | 1 | 2020 | 0 | – |
| AFC Fylde | 1 | 2019 | 0 | – |
| Brackley Town | 1 | 2018 | 0 | – |
| North Ferriby United | 1 | 2015 | 0 | – |
| Cambridge United | 1 | 2014 | 0 | – |
| Darlington | 1 | 2011 | 0 | – |
| Ebbsfleet United | 1 | 2008 | 0 | – |
| Hednesford Town | 1 | 2004 | 0 | – |
| Burscough | 1 | 2003 | 0 | – |
| Yeovil Town | 1 | 2002 | 0 | – |
| Cheltenham Town | 1 | 1998 | 0 | – |
| Colchester United | 1 | 1992 | 0 | – |
| Bishop's Stortford | 1 | 1981 | 0 | – |
| Matlock Town | 1 | 1975 | 0 | – |
| Morecambe | 1 | 1974 | 0 | – |
| Runcorn | 0 | – | 3 | 1994 |
| Grimsby Town | 0 | – | 2 | 2016 |
| Forest Green Rovers | 0 | – | 2 | 2001 |
| Kettering Town | 0 | – | 2 | 2000 |
| Spennymoor Town | 0 | – | 1 | 2025 |
| Soilhull Moors | 0 | – | 1 | 2024 |
| Hereford | 0 | – | 1 | 2021 |
| Concord Rangers | 0 | – | 1 | 2020 |
| Leyton Orient | 0 | – | 1 | 2019 |
| Gosport Borough | 0 | – | 1 | 2014 |
| Newport County | 0 | – | 1 | 2012 |
| Mansfield Town | 0 | – | 1 | 2011 |
| Torquay United | 0 | – | 1 | 2008 |
| Hucknall Town | 0 | – | 1 | 2005 |
| Tamworth | 0 | – | 1 | 2003 |
| Southport | 0 | – | 1 | 1998 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 0 | – | 1 | 1997 |
| Witton Albion | 0 | – | 1 | 1992 |
| Leek Town | 0 | – | 1 | 1990 |
| Burton Albion | 0 | – | 1 | 1987 |
| Boston United | 0 | – | 1 | 1985 |
| Bangor City | 0 | – | 1 | 1984 |
| Sutton United | 0 | – | 1 | 1981 |
| Mossley | 0 | – | 1 | 1980 |
| Leatherhead | 0 | – | 1 | 1978 |
| Dartford | 0 | – | 1 | 1974 |
| Wigan Athletic | 0 | – | 1 | 1973 |
| Barnet | 0 | – | 1 | 1972 |
| Hillingdon Borough | 0 | – | 1 | 1971 |
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "F A Trophy Summary". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ↑ "The history of The FA Trophy". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 10 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- ↑ Williams, Tony (1978). The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79. MacDonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. p. 8.
- ↑ "FA Competition Administration". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- 1 2 "Scarborough". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ↑ "Telford United". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- 1 2 "FA Trophy specialist Mark Stimson bidding to further etch his name in Wembley folklore with Hornchurch". TNT Sports. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ↑ "Relive Southend's FA Trophy win as it happened". BBC Sport. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
- ↑ "Macclesfield Town". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ↑ Williams, Tony. The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79. p. 7.
- ↑ "Alliance Premier League 1979–80". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Barnes, Stuart (2008). Nationwide Football Annual 2008–2009. SportsBooks Ltd. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-899807-72-7.
- ↑ "Bishop's Stortford". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ↑ Lewis, Gabrielle (24 January 2001). "Chapple seeking Cup solace". BBC Sport. BBC. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ↑ "K's and Chapple part company". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 May 2001. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ↑ McVeigh, Niall (19 May 2019). "Danny Rowe sinks Leyton Orient to seal FA Trophy triumph for AFC Fylde". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "FA Trophy final 2019–20: Concord Rangers 0–1 Harrogate Town". BBC Sport. BBC. 3 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ↑ "Rules of The FA Challenge Trophy competition". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 10 November 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- ↑ "FA Trophy Prize Fund". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ↑ "FA Trophy Finals and previous winners, from 1970 to the present day". The Football Association. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Bangor City". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
External links
edit- FA Trophy Archived 2 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine section of the official Football Association website