List of FA Trophy finals

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Darlington players celebrate their team's victory in the final in 2011

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] Manager Mark Stimson has the unique distinction of having managed the winning team in three consecutive finals.[7] The Trophy is currently held by FC Halifax Town, who beat Gateshead in the 2023 final, held on 21 May 2023.

History

York City players celebrate winning the Trophy in 2012

The first FA Trophy final was won by Macclesfield Town, who also won the championship of the Northern Premier League in the same season.[8] 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.[9] 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,[10] and teams from this league dominated the Trophy during the 1980s.[11] 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.[12] Telford United's win in 1989 made them the second team to win the Trophy three times.[11]

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.[11] Manager Geoff Chapple led Woking and Kingstonian to all their victories, a total of five wins in seven seasons.[13][14] 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.[15] 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.[16]

Finals

Originally, if the final finished with the scores level after extra time, the teams would play again in a replay at a later date;[11] more recently the final has always been decided on the day, with a penalty shootout as required.[17] 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.[18]

Key

(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

Season Winner[1] Score[1] Runners–up[1] Venue[11]
1969–70 Macclesfield Town 2–0 Telford United Wembley Stadium (original)
1970–71 Telford United 3–2 Hillingdon Borough Wembley Stadium (original)
1971–72 Stafford Rangers 3–0 Barnet Wembley Stadium (original)
1972–73 Scarborough  †2–1 * Wigan Athletic Wembley Stadium (original)
1973–74 Morecambe 2–1 Dartford Wembley Stadium (original)
1974–75 Matlock Town 4–0 Scarborough Wembley Stadium (original)
1975–76 Scarborough  †3–2 * Stafford Rangers Wembley Stadium (original)
1976–77 Scarborough 2–1 Dagenham Wembley Stadium (original)
1977–78 Altrincham 3–1 Leatherhead Wembley Stadium (original)
1978–79 Stafford Rangers 2–0 Kettering Town Wembley Stadium (original)
1979–80 Dagenham % 2–1 Mossley Wembley Stadium (original)
1980–81 Bishop's Stortford % 1–0 Sutton United Wembley Stadium (original)
1981–82 Enfield  †1–0 * Altrincham Wembley Stadium (original)
1982–83 Telford United 2–1 Northwich Victoria Wembley Stadium (original)
1983–84 Northwich Victoria  †1–1 * Bangor City Wembley Stadium (original)
1983–84 (R) Northwich Victoria 2–1 Bangor City Victoria Ground
1984–85 Wealdstone 2–1 Boston United Wembley Stadium (original)
1985–86 Altrincham 1–0 Runcorn Wembley Stadium (original)
1986–87 Kidderminster Harriers  †0–0 * Burton Albion Wembley Stadium (original)
1986–87 (R) Kidderminster Harriers 2–1 Burton Albion The Hawthorns
1987–88 Enfield  †0–0 * Telford United Wembley Stadium (original)
1987–88 (R) Enfield 3–2 Telford United The Hawthorns
1988–89 Telford United  †1–0 * Macclesfield Town Wembley Stadium (original)
1989–90 Barrow 3–0 Leek Town Wembley Stadium (original)
1990–91 Wycombe Wanderers 2–1 Kidderminster Harriers Wembley Stadium (original)
1991–92 Colchester United 3–1 Witton Albion Wembley Stadium (original)
1992–93 Wycombe Wanderers 4–1 Runcorn Wembley Stadium (original)
1993–94 Woking 2–1 Runcorn Wembley Stadium (original)
1994–95 Woking  †2–1 * Kidderminster Harriers Wembley Stadium (original)
1995–96 Macclesfield Town 3–1 Northwich Victoria Wembley Stadium (original)
1996–97 Woking  †1–0 * Dagenham & Redbridge Wembley Stadium (original)
1997–98 Cheltenham Town 1–0 Southport Wembley Stadium (original)
1998–99 Kingstonian 1–0 Forest Green Rovers Wembley Stadium (original)
1999–2000 Kingstonian 3–2 Kettering Town Wembley Stadium (original)
2000–01 Canvey Island % 1–0 Forest Green Rovers Villa Park
2001–02 Yeovil Town 2–0 Stevenage Borough Villa Park
2002–03 Burscough % 2–1 Tamworth Villa Park
2003–04 Hednesford Town % 3–2 Canvey Island Villa Park
2004–05 Grays Athletic %  †1–1 † Hucknall Town Villa Park
2005–06 Grays Athletic 2–0 Woking Boleyn Ground
2006–07 Stevenage Borough 3–2 Kidderminster Harriers Wembley Stadium (new)
2007–08 Ebbsfleet United 1–0 Torquay United Wembley Stadium (new)
2008–09 Stevenage Borough 2–0 York City Wembley Stadium (new)
2009–10 Barrow  †2–1 * Stevenage Borough Wembley Stadium (new)
2010–11 Darlington  †1–0 * Mansfield Town Wembley Stadium (new)
2011–12 York City 2–0 Newport County Wembley Stadium (new)
2012–13 Wrexham  †1–1 † Grimsby Town Wembley Stadium (new)
2013–14 Cambridge United 4–0 Gosport Borough Wembley Stadium (new)
2014–15 North Ferriby United %  †3–3 † Wrexham Wembley Stadium (new)
2015–16 FC Halifax Town 1–0 Grimsby Town Wembley Stadium (new)
2016–17 York City 3–2 Macclesfield Town Wembley Stadium (new)
2017–18 Brackley Town %  †1–1 † Bromley Wembley Stadium (new)
2018–19 AFC Fylde 1–0 Leyton Orient Wembley Stadium (new)
2019–20 Harrogate Town 1–0 Concord Rangers Wembley Stadium (new)
2020–21 Hornchurch ^ 3–1 Hereford Wembley Stadium (new)
2021–22 Bromley 1–0 Wrexham Wembley Stadium (new)
2022–23 FC Halifax Town 1–0 Gateshead Wembley Stadium (new)

Results by team

Teams 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.[19]

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
Bromley 1 2022 1 2018
Canvey Island 1 2001 1 2004
Dagenham 1 1980 1 1977
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
Wealdstone 1 1985 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
Gateshead 0 1 2023
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

  1. ^ a b c d e f "F A Trophy Summary". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  2. ^ "The history of The FA Trophy". The Football Association. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  3. ^ Williams, Tony (1978). The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79. MacDonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. p. 8.
  4. ^ "FA Competition Administration". The Football Association. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Scarborough". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Telford United". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Gillingham name Mark Stimson as new manager". The Times. 1 November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  8. ^ "Macclesfield Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  9. ^ Williams, Tony. The FA Non-League Football Annual 1978–79. p. 7.
  10. ^ "Alliance Premier League 1979–80". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  11. ^ a b c d e Barnes, Stuart (2008). Nationwide Football Annual 2008–2009. SportsBooks Ltd. p. 155. ISBN 1-899807-72-1.
  12. ^ "Bishop's Stortford". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  13. ^ Lewis, Gabrielle (24 January 2001). "Chapple seeking Cup solace". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  14. ^ "K's and Chapple part company". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 May 2001. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  15. ^ McVeigh, Niall (19 May 2019). "Danny Rowe sinks Leyton Orient to seal FA Trophy triumph for AFC Fylde". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  16. ^ "FA Trophy final 2019–20: Concord Rangers 0–1 Harrogate Town". BBC Sport. BBC. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Rules of The FA Challenge Trophy competition". The Football Association. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  18. ^ "FA Trophy Prize Fund". The Football Association. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Bangor City". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 November 2008.

External links

  • FA Trophy section of the official Football Association website