FA Trophy
Encyclopedia
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout
cup competition in English
football
, run by and named after The Football Association
and competed for primarily by semi-professional
teams. The competition was instigated in 1969 to cater for those non-league
clubs which paid their players and were therefore not eligible to enter the FA Amateur Cup
. Eligibility rules have changed over time, but as of 2008 the competition is open to clubs playing in Steps 1-4 of the National League System
, equivalent to tiers 5–8 of the overall English football league system
. This covers the Football Conference
, the Southern League
, Isthmian League
, and Northern Premier League
. Clubs in levels 5–7 of the National League System
play in the FA Vase
instead.
The final of the competition was held at the original Wembley Stadium from the tournament's instigation until the stadium closed in 2000. Since the opening of the new Wembley Stadium
in 2007, the final has once again been played at the national stadium. The record for the most FA Trophy wins is shared by Woking
and two defunct clubs, Scarborough
and Telford United
, with three victories each.
The Trophy is currently held by Darlington
who beat Mansfield Town
1-0 after extra time.
The competition was created by the Football Association
in 1969 to afford semi-professional
teams an opportunity to compete for the chance to play at Wembley Stadium. Fully amateur clubs took part in the long-standing FA Amateur Cup
, but most of the leading non-league
clubs made at least some form of payment to their players and were therefore ineligible to enter the Amateur Cup. The first winners of the competition were Macclesfield Town
of the Northern Premier League
, who defeated Telford United
of the Southern League
in the final. 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. In the early years of its existence the competition struggled to achieve the same level of prestige as the long-established Amateur Cup.
In 1974 the FA abolished the distinction between official professional and amateur status and discontinued the Amateur Cup, and the Trophy soon had 300 entrants. This figure was gradually reduced until by 1991 only around 120 clubs took part. Amendments to the eligibility rules, linked to the development of the National League System
mean that now just over 250 teams take part. In 1978 the FA moved the final of the Trophy to the Saturday immediately following the FA Cup Final
, so as to give it a longer build-up and avoid conflict with club's league programmes, which had previously reduced the competition's prestige.
In 1979 the leading Southern and Northern Premier League teams formed the new Alliance Premier League
, and teams from this league dominated the Trophy during the 1980s, although in the 1980–81 season
Bishop's Stortford
of the comparatively lowly Isthmian League
First Division entered at the preliminary round and won twelve matches to reach the final, where they defeated Sutton United
. Telford United
's win in 1989 made them the second team to win the Trophy three times. Between 1990 and 2000 three more teams claimed multiple wins. Former Northern Ireland
international Martin O'Neill
, in his first managerial role, led Wycombe Wanderers
to two wins, and Geoff Chapple managed Kingstonian
to victory twice and Woking
three times, all within the space of seven years. 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.
, though in the past further replays were possible.
Originally the competition included as many qualifying rounds as were required to reduce the number of teams to 32. In 1999 the format was amended to match that of the FA Cup
, with six rounds prior to the semi-final stage, albeit without qualifying rounds. Teams from the Football Conference
received byes through the early rounds, in a similar manner to the way in which the leading clubs receive byes in the FA Cup. More recently the competition has been revised again and now features four qualifying rounds and four rounds proper before the semi-finals. Teams from Step 4 enter at the preliminary round stage, those from Step 3 at the first qualifying round, those from Step 2 at the third qualifying round, and those from Step 1 at the first round proper.
The FA pays prize money to all teams which win at least one match in the Trophy competition. In the 2008–09 season the prize for the 51 preliminary round winners was £2,000, rising round-by-round to £50,000 for the winners of the final. The prize fund is cumulative, so a team that starts in the preliminary round and wins through several rounds would receive £2,000 for the preliminary round, £2,300 for the first qualifying round, £3,000 for the second qualifying round, and so on. The competition is sponsored by Carlsberg and accordingly billed as the FA Carlsberg Trophy. Previously it was sponsored by Umbro
and billed as the FA Umbro Trophy.
Matches in the FA Trophy are usually played at the home ground of one of the two teams. Assignment of home team is decided when the draw for the matches is made. There is no seeding system in place within rounds other than when teams enter the competition, therefore the home team is simply the first team drawn out for each fixture. Occasionally games may have to be moved to other grounds. In the event of a draw, the replay
is played at the ground of the team who originally played away from home. In the days when multiple replays were possible, the second replay (and any further replays) were played at neutral grounds. The clubs involved could alternatively agree to toss for home advantage in the second replay.
The final was traditionally held at the old Wembley Stadium, but was moved to Villa Park
during Wembley's redevelopment. The 2005-06 final was held at West Ham United
's Boleyn Ground
. The highest attendance registered in the competition is 53,262, set in 2007, when Kidderminster Harriers
played Stevenage Borough in the first final to be held at the new Wembley Stadium. The final for the 2010–11 season will again take place at Wembley.
, the US
and Canada
to promote football in North America
. This competition was never instigated.
(1973, 1976, 1977), Telford United
(1971, 1983, 1989), and Woking
(1994, 1995, 1997) share the record for the most victories (three) in the final. In 1985 Wealdstone
became the first team to win the "Non-League Double" of FA Trophy and Football Conference
championship (although in the pre-Conference era both Macclesfield Town
and Stafford Rangers
had done the double of Northern Premier League
championship and FA Trophy in 1970 and 1972 respectively). Since then, both Colchester United
in 1992 and Wycombe Wanderers
in 1993 have equalled Wealdstone's achievement.
to provide coverage of FA Trophy matches with effect from the 2008–09 season. The 2009–10 final between Barrow
and Stevenage Borough
was shown on ITV4.
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
cup competition in English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, run by and named after The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
and competed for primarily by semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
teams. The competition was instigated in 1969 to cater for those non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
clubs which paid their players and were therefore not eligible to enter the FA Amateur Cup
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when The Football Association abolished official amateur status.-History:...
. Eligibility rules have changed over time, but as of 2008 the competition is open to clubs playing in Steps 1-4 of the National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
, equivalent to tiers 5–8 of the overall English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
. This covers the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
, and Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
. Clubs in levels 5–7 of the National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
play in the FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
instead.
The final of the competition was held at the original Wembley Stadium from the tournament's instigation until the stadium closed in 2000. Since the opening of the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in 2007, the final has once again been played at the national stadium. The record for the most FA Trophy wins is shared by Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
and two defunct clubs, Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
and Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
, with three victories each.
The Trophy is currently held by Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
who beat Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
1-0 after extra time.
History
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
in 1969 to afford semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
teams an opportunity to compete for the chance to play at Wembley Stadium. Fully amateur clubs took part in the long-standing FA Amateur Cup
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when The Football Association abolished official amateur status.-History:...
, but most of the leading non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
clubs made at least some form of payment to their players and were therefore ineligible to enter the Amateur Cup. The first winners of the competition were Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
of the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
, who defeated Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
of the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
in the final. Northern Premier League clubs dominated the first decade of the competition, with Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
the only Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
team to break the northern clubs' hold on the competition. In the early years of its existence the competition struggled to achieve the same level of prestige as the long-established Amateur Cup.
In 1974 the FA abolished the distinction between official professional and amateur status and discontinued the Amateur Cup, and the Trophy soon had 300 entrants. This figure was gradually reduced until by 1991 only around 120 clubs took part. Amendments to the eligibility rules, linked to the development of the National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
mean that now just over 250 teams take part. In 1978 the FA moved the final of the Trophy to the Saturday immediately following the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
, so as to give it a longer build-up and avoid conflict with club's league programmes, which had previously reduced the competition's prestige.
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, and teams from this league dominated the Trophy during the 1980s, although in the 1980–81 season
1980-81 in English football
The 1980–81 season was the 101st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League introduced a three points for a win system in place of the two points for a win system which had operated since the league's formation in 1889...
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford F.C.
Bishop's Stortford F.C. is an English football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at Woodside Park.-History:The club was established in 1874...
of the comparatively lowly Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
First Division entered at the preliminary round and won twelve matches to reach the final, where they defeated Sutton United
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Conference South. They are based in Sutton, London, and play their home games at the Borough Sports Ground in Gander Green Lane....
. Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
's win in 1989 made them the second team to win the Trophy three times. Between 1990 and 2000 three more teams claimed multiple wins. Former Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
international Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
, in his first managerial role, led Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
to two wins, and Geoff Chapple managed Kingstonian
Kingstonian F.C.
Kingstonian Football Club are an English, semi-professional football club that are playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division for the 2011–12 season. The club has played at Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames since 1989, after leaving their traditional Richmond Road ground...
to victory twice and Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
three times, all within the space of seven years. After Chapple's period of success, Mark Stimson
Mark Stimson
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and current manager of Kettering Town. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in...
became the first man to manage the Trophy-winning team in three successive seasons, when he led Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
to victory in 2005 and 2006 and repeated the feat with his new club Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
in 2007.
Format
The competition is a knockout tournament with pairings drawn completely at random - there are no seeds, and a draw takes place after the majority of fixtures have been played in each round. However, the qualifying round draws are regionalised to reduce teams' travel costs. The draw also determines which team will play at home. If a match (other than the semi-final or final) is drawn, there is a replay, usually at the ground of the team which played away from home for the first game. Drawn replays are now settled with extra time and penalty shootoutsPenalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
, though in the past further replays were possible.
Originally the competition included as many qualifying rounds as were required to reduce the number of teams to 32. In 1999 the format was amended to match that of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, with six rounds prior to the semi-final stage, albeit without qualifying rounds. Teams from the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
received byes through the early rounds, in a similar manner to the way in which the leading clubs receive byes in the FA Cup. More recently the competition has been revised again and now features four qualifying rounds and four rounds proper before the semi-finals. Teams from Step 4 enter at the preliminary round stage, those from Step 3 at the first qualifying round, those from Step 2 at the third qualifying round, and those from Step 1 at the first round proper.
The FA pays prize money to all teams which win at least one match in the Trophy competition. In the 2008–09 season the prize for the 51 preliminary round winners was £2,000, rising round-by-round to £50,000 for the winners of the final. The prize fund is cumulative, so a team that starts in the preliminary round and wins through several rounds would receive £2,000 for the preliminary round, £2,300 for the first qualifying round, £3,000 for the second qualifying round, and so on. The competition is sponsored by Carlsberg and accordingly billed as the FA Carlsberg Trophy. Previously it was sponsored by Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
and billed as the FA Umbro Trophy.
Venues
Replay
Replay may refer to:*Replay , a replayed match in between two sport teams to decide in case of tie or conflict resulting from scoring, officiating, fouling or other factors...
is played at the ground of the team who originally played away from home. In the days when multiple replays were possible, the second replay (and any further replays) were played at neutral grounds. The clubs involved could alternatively agree to toss for home advantage in the second replay.
The final was traditionally held at the old Wembley Stadium, but was moved to Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
during Wembley's redevelopment. The 2005-06 final was held at West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
's Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
. The highest attendance registered in the competition is 53,262, set in 2007, when Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
played Stevenage Borough in the first final to be held at the new Wembley Stadium. The final for the 2010–11 season will again take place at Wembley.
Trophy
At the end of the final, the winning team is presented with a trophy, also known as the "FA Trophy", which they hold until the following year's final. Traditionally, at Wembley finals, the presentation is made at the Royal Box, with players, led by the captain, mounting a staircase to a gangway in front of the box and returning by a second staircase on the other side of the box. The trophy itself was presented to the FA in 1905 by Ernest Cochrane, a barrister, to be used in an international competition between EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, the US
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
to promote football in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. This competition was never instigated.
FA Trophy winners and finalists
ScarboroughScarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
(1973, 1976, 1977), Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
(1971, 1983, 1989), and Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
(1994, 1995, 1997) share the record for the most victories (three) in the final. In 1985 Wealdstone
Wealdstone F.C.
Wealdstone Football Club are an English semi-professional football club who formed in Wealdstone, in the London Borough of Harrow, but are currently based a few miles away in Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. At present, the club are members of the Isthmian League Premier Division. They...
became the first team to win the "Non-League Double" of FA Trophy and Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
championship (although in the pre-Conference era both Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
and Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
had done the double of Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
championship and FA Trophy in 1970 and 1972 respectively). Since then, both Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
in 1992 and Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
in 1993 have equalled Wealdstone's achievement.
Media coverage
From 2004/05 season Sky Sports had a deal to show the final of the FA Trophy. This changed in 2007 when the FA agreed a new deal with Setanta SportsSetanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
to provide coverage of FA Trophy matches with effect from the 2008–09 season. The 2009–10 final between Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
and Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
was shown on ITV4.