Editing FA Trophy

{{short description|Association football tournament in England}}
{{About|England's top non-league cup competition|England's top league cup see [[FA Cup]]. For other uses|}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox football tournament
| current              = [[2024–25 FA Trophy]]
| logo                 = The-isuzu-fa-trophy.png
| imagesize            = 140
| founded              = 1969
| number of teams      = 320
| region               = England
| current champions    = [[Aldershot Town F.C.|Aldershot Town]] (1st title)
| most successful club = [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]]<br/>[[Woking F.C.|Woking]]<br/>[[Telford United F.C.|Telford United]]<br/>(3 titles each)
| broadcasters         = [[TNT Sports (United Kingdom)|TNT Sports]] <br/> (final only)
| website              = {{URL|https://www.thefa.com/competitions/fa-trophy|thefa.com/fa-trophy}}
}}
'''The Football Association Challenge Trophy''', also known as the '''[[Isuzu]] FA Trophy''' for sponsorship reasons, is a men's [[association football|football]] [[Single-elimination tournament|knockout]] cup competition run by and named after [[The Football Association]] (the FA) and competed by mainly  [[National League (football)|National League]] teams.  The competition was introduced in 1969.

Eligibility rules have changed over time, but from 2008 onwards the competition has been 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 [[National League (English football)|National League]], the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]], [[Isthmian League]], and [[Northern Premier League]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rules for the FA Challenge Trophy |url=https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2022-23/fa-trophy/rules-of-the-fa-challenge-trophy-2022-23.ashx |website=thefa.com |publisher=The Football Association |access-date=21 August 2022 |archive-date=21 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821165555/https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2022-23/fa-trophy/rules-of-the-fa-challenge-trophy-2022-23.ashx |url-status=live }}</ref>

The final of the competition was held at the original [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] from the tournament's instigation until the stadium closed in 2000. The final has been played at the new [[Wembley Stadium]] since its opening in 2007. The record for the most FA Trophy wins is shared by [[Woking F.C.|Woking]] and two defunct clubs, [[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]] and [[Telford United F.C.|Telford United]], with three victories each.

The Trophy is currently held by [[Aldershot Town F.C.|Aldershot Town]], who beat [[Spennymoor Town F.C.|Spennymoor Town]] in the [[2025 FA Trophy final|2025 final]] held on 11 May 2025.

==History==
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 the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]]. Fully-amateur clubs took part in the long-standing [[FA Amateur Cup]], but most of the leading [[Non-league football|non-league]] clubs made at least some form of payment to their players and were therefore ineligible to enter the Amateur Cup.<ref name=fahistory/> The first winners of the competition were [[Macclesfield Town F.C.|Macclesfield Town]] of the [[Northern Premier League]], who defeated [[Telford United F.C.|Telford United]] of the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] in the final.<ref name=fchd>{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/fatrophysummary.htm|publisher=The Football Club History Database|title=F A Trophy Summary|access-date=27 December 2011|archive-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705040332/http://www.fchd.info/cups/fatrophysummary.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Northern Premier League clubs dominated the first decade of the competition, with [[Telford United F.C.|Telford United]] the only [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] team to break the northern clubs' hold on the competition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Tony|title=The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79|year=1978|publisher=MacDonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd|pages=7}}</ref> In the early years of its existence, the competition struggled to achieve the same level of prestige as the long-established Amateur Cup.<ref name=rsssf/>
[[File:Altrincham v Leatherhead 1978.jpg|left|thumb|268x268px|[[Altrincham F.C.|Altrincham]] v [[Leatherhead F.C.|Leatherhead]] FA Trophy final in [[1977–78 FA Trophy|1978]] ]]
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.<ref name=rsssf>{{cite web|title=England – FA Trophy Finals 1970–2003|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engfatrophyhist.html|access-date=15 June 2011|author=Gwidon S. Naskrent|website=[[RSSSF]]|date=17 January 2004|archive-date=20 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820005858/https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engfatrophyhist.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  This figure was gradually reduced until by 1991 only around 120 clubs took part.<ref name=rsssf/>  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 clubs' league programmes, which had previously reduced the competition's prestige.<ref>{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Tony|title=The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79|year=1978|publisher=MacDonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd|pages=13–14}}</ref>

In 1979 the leading Southern and Northern Premier League teams formed the new [[Football Conference|Alliance Premier League]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fchd.info/lghist/conf/conf1980.htm |title=Alliance Premier League 1979–80 |publisher=The Football Club History Database |access-date=10 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328223843/http://www.fchd.info/lghist/conf/conf1980.htm |archive-date=28 March 2008}}</ref> and teams from this league dominated the Trophy during the 1980s, although in the [[1980-81 in English football|1980–81 season]] [[Bishop's Stortford F.C.|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 F.C.|Sutton United]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/BISHOPST.HTM|title=Bishop's Stortford|publisher=The Football Club History Database|access-date=10 November 2008|archive-date=23 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523202231/http://www.fchd.info/BISHOPST.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref>  [[Telford United F.C.|Telford United]]'s win in 1989 made them the second team to win the Trophy three times.<ref name="Nat">{{cite book|first=Stuart|last=Barnes|title=Nationwide Football Annual 2008–2009|pages=155|publisher=SportsBooks Ltd|isbn=978-1-899807-72-7|year=2008}}</ref>  Between 1990 and 2000 three more teams claimed multiple wins.  Former [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] international [[Martin O'Neill]], in his third managerial role, led [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]] to two wins, and Geoff Chapple managed [[Kingstonian F.C.|Kingstonian]] to victory twice and [[Woking F.C.|Woking]] three times, all within the space of seven years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/k/kingstonian/1134156.stm|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|title=Chapple seeking Cup solace|access-date=10 November 2008|date=24 January 2001|first=Gabrielle|last=Lewis|archive-date=4 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904214005/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/k/kingstonian/1134156.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/k/kingstonian/1321818.stm|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|title=K's and Chapple part company|access-date=10 November 2008|date=9 May 2001|archive-date=16 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116222540/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/k/kingstonian/1321818.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>  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 F.C.|Grays Athletic]] to victory in 2005 and 2006 and repeated the feat with his new club [[Stevenage Borough F.C.|Stevenage Borough]] in 2007.<ref name="Stim">{{cite news
| title = Gillingham name Mark Stimson as new manager
| url = https://www.thetimes.com/article/gillingham-name-mark-stimson-as-new-manager-bf007fkvjnn
| work = [[The Times]]|publisher=[[News International]]
| date = 1 November 2007
| access-date=10 November 2008 | location=London}}</ref>[[File:Crowd wembley FAT 08.jpg|right|thumb|[[Ebbsfleet United F.C.|Ebbsfleet United]] fans at the 2008 final|275x275px]]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.<ref name="rsssf" /> As of 2001 the competition was sponsored by Umbro; in the 2007-08 season it was sponsored by Carlsberg.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1415397.stm|publisher = BBC|title = FA Umbro Trophy draw|work = Football|date = 4 August 2001|access-date = 12 November 2008|archive-date = 22 November 2002|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20021122133036/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1415397.stm|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2300055/Web-fans-log-on-to-Ebbsfleet-FA-Trophy-glory.html|work = Daily Telegraph|title = Web fans log on to Ebbsfleet FA Trophy glory|date = 11 May 2008|first = Simon|last = Hart|access-date = 4 April 2018|archive-date = 21 May 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180521201504/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2300055/Web-fans-log-on-to-Ebbsfleet-FA-Trophy-glory.html|url-status = live}}</ref>

==Format==
The competition is a [[knockout tournament]] with pairings drawn at random. Since the [[2021-22 in English football|2021–22 season]] all drawn games are immediately settled via a penalty shootout. This was introduced to ease fixture congestion.<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.thefa.com/news/2021/jul/02/|title=Format for FA Competitions in 2021/21 Season|access-date=18 December 2021}}</ref> 

The Semi-Finals follow the same procedure as the preceding rounds: hosted by the team drawn first out of the hat and decided by a penalty shootout if the scores remain level after 90 minutes.<ref name=":0" />

The Final is held at [[Wembley Stadium]]. Thirty minutes of extra-time is played if the scores are level at full-time. A penalty shootout is used if the scores further remain level at the end of extra-time.

As of 2022–23 and the recent non–league restructuring, the competition has featured a maximum of 320 teams representing all clubs from levels 5-8 on the [[English football league system]]. The competition features three qualifying rounds (three less than the FA Cup) and eight rounds proper (the same as the FA Cup). Teams from Step 4 (level 8) enter at the first qualifying round stage, those from Step 3 (level 7) at the third qualifying, those from Step 2 (level 6) at the second round proper, and those from Step 1 (level 5) at the third round proper (similar to the FA Cup).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2022 |title=Rules of The FA Challenge Trophy 2022–23 |url=https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2022-23/fa-trophy/rules-of-the-fa-challenge-trophy-2022-23.ashx |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=thefa.com |publisher=The Football Association |archive-date=21 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821165555/https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2022-23/fa-trophy/rules-of-the-fa-challenge-trophy-2022-23.ashx |url-status=live }}</ref>

The months in which rounds are played are typical, with exact dates subject to each calendar. The FA pays a cumulative prize fund that rises round-by-round, with exact figures subject to each new edition. See [[:Category:FA Trophy seasons|the list of FA Trophy seasons]] for specific details. 
{| class="wikitable"
!Round<ref name=":0" />
!Month
!Leagues entering this round<ref name=":0" />
!New entries this
round
!Winners from
previous round
!Number of fixtures
|-
| colspan="4" |'''Qualifying Competition<ref name=":0" />'''
|
|
|-
|First Round
| rowspan="2" |September
|[[National League System#The system|Step 4]] clubs
|160
|''none''
|80
|-
|Second Round
| colspan="2" |''none''
|80
|40
|-
|Third Round
|October
|[[National League System#The system|Step 3]] clubs
|88
|40
|64
|-
| colspan="4" |'''Competition Proper'''<ref name=":0" />
|
|
|-
|First Round
|October/November
| colspan="2" |''none''
|64
|32
|-
|Second Round
|November
|[[National League System#The system|Step 2]] clubs
|48
|32
|40
|-
|Third Round
|December
|[[National League System#The system|Step 1]] clubs
|24
|40
|32
|-
|Fourth Round
|January
| colspan="2" rowspan="5" |''none''
|32
|16
|-
|Fifth Round
|February
|16
|8
|-
|Sixth Round
|March
|8
|4
|-
|Semi-Finals
|April
|4
|2
|-
|Final
|May
|2
|1
|}

==Venues==
[[File:London Wembley.jpg|thumb|The new [[Wembley Stadium]]]]
The final was traditionally held at the original [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], but was moved to [[Villa Park]] during Wembley's redevelopment, and a final was also played at [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]]'s [[Boleyn Ground]].<ref name=fahistory>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/fa-trophy/more/history|title=The history of the FA Trophy|publisher=The Football Association|access-date=25 April 2013|archive-date=8 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608122646/http://www.thefa.com/fa-trophy/more/history|url-status=live}}</ref> Three replays were required, two of which were held at [[The Hawthorns]], home of [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]],<ref name="fchd8687">{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/fatrophy1986-87.htm|publisher=The Football Club History Database|title=F.A. Trophy 1986-87|access-date=22 April 2024}}</ref><ref name="fchd8788">{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/fatrophy1987-88.htm|publisher=The Football Club History Database|title=F.A. Trophy 1987-88|access-date=22 April 2024}}</ref> and one at [[Stoke City F.C.]]'s [[Victoria Ground]].<ref name="fchd8384">{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/fatrophy1983-84.htm|publisher=The Football Club History Database|title=F.A. Trophy 1983-84|access-date=22 April 2024}}</ref>

In 2007 the final moved to the new [[Wembley Stadium]], and a record crowd of 53,262 saw [[Stevenage Borough]] beat [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers]].<ref name=fahistory />

==FA Trophy winners and finalists==
{{for|a full list of FA Trophy winners and runners-up|List of FA Trophy finals}}
[[File:Sacha Opinel.jpg|thumb|189x189px|[[Sacha Opinel]], then of [[Ebbsfleet United F.C.|Ebbsfleet United]], holding the FA Trophy in 2008.|left]]
[[Scarborough F.C.|Scarborough]] (1973, 1976, 1977), [[Telford United F.C.|Telford United]] (1971, 1983, 1989), and [[Woking F.C.|Woking]] (1994, 1995, 1997) share the record for the most victories (three) in the final.  In 1985 [[Wealdstone F.C.|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 F.C.|Macclesfield Town]] and [[Stafford Rangers F.C.|Stafford Rangers]] had done the double of [[Northern Premier League]] championship and FA Trophy in 1970 and 1972 respectively). Since then [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]] in 1992 and [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]] in 1993 have equalled Wealdstone's achievement.

Three [[Wales|Welsh]] clubs have reached FA Trophy finals; [[Bangor City F.C.|Bangor City]] (1984), [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] (2012), and [[Wrexham F.C.|Wrexham]] in 2013, 2015 and 2022. Wrexham became the first Welsh winners of the FA Trophy in 2013.<ref>"Wrexham claim FA Trophy", ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 25 March 2013</ref>

==Media coverage==
From the 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 Sports]] to provide coverage of FA Trophy matches with effect from the 2008–09 season.<ref>[https://archive.today/20071029052205/http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/NewsFromTheFA/Postings/2007/03/TVrightsstatement.htm The FA]</ref> In March 2013 it was announced that [[S4C]] would broadcast the [[2013 FA Trophy Final|2013 Final]] between [[Wrexham F.C.|Wrexham]] and [[Grimsby Town FC|Grimsby Town]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wrexhams-fa-trophy-clash-against-2513277|title=Wrexham's FA Trophy clash against Grimsby to be broadcast live on S4C|date=23 March 2013|work=Wales Online|publisher=Media Wales|access-date=25 April 2013|archive-date=16 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516034101/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wrexhams-fa-trophy-clash-against-2513277|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[BT Sport]] showed the [[2015 FA Trophy Final]] live.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.bt.com/news/sportnews/bt-sport-wins-joint-fa-cup-rights-11363816257650|title=BT Sport wins joint FA Cup rights|publisher=BT|date=17 July 2013|access-date=22 August 2014|archive-date=26 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120519/http://home.bt.com/news/sportnews/bt-sport-wins-joint-fa-cup-rights-11363816257650|url-status=live}}</ref> BT Sport also showed the [[2016 FA Trophy Final]] between [[FC Halifax Town]] and [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] live on 22 May as part of a double-header along with the [[2016 FA Vase Final]].<ref name="BTSport2016">{{cite news|title=Tickets on sale for FA Non-League Finals Day at Wembley|url=http://www.thefa.com/news/competitions/2016/feb/non-league-finals-day-tickets-on-sale-110216|access-date=27 April 2016|work=[[The Football Association]]|date=11 February 2016|archive-date=9 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209143330/https://www.thefa.com/news/2016/feb/11/non-league-finals-day-tickets-on-sale-110216|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engfatrophyhist.html FA Trophy Finals 1969–70 to 2002–03, and links to results for each of these tournaments – RSSSF]
*[https://www.thefa.com/competitions/fa-trophy FA Trophy at the FA website]

{{FA Trophy seasons}}
{{Football in England}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fa Trophy}}
[[Category:FA Trophy| ]]
[[Category:Football cup competitions in England|5]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1969]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in England]]