FA Trophy
 | For current information on this topic, see FA Trophy 2007-08. |
| FA Trophy |
|---|
| File:FATrophylogo.jpg |
| Founded |
| 1969 |
| Number of Teams |
| 258 |
| Current Champions |
| Ebbsfleet United |
| Current Season |
 FA Trophy 2007-08
|
| Country |
 England Wales
|
| Most successful club(s) |
| Scarborough , Woking, Telford United (3 times champions each) |
The Football Association Challenge Trophy is an English football competition for clubs playing in levels 5-8 of the English football league system (steps 1-4 of the National League System), which currently covers the three divisions of the Football Conference along with the Southern League, Isthmian League, and Northern Premier League. Clubs in lower levels of the National League System play in the FA Vase.
History
It was created by the Football Association in 1969 for semi-professional teams, to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup. When the latter was abolished in 1974, the leading amateur teams joined the Trophy. 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 Upton Park, London.
The FA Challenge Trophy attendance record was set in 2007, when Kidderminster Harriers played Stevenage Borough in the first final to be held at the new Wembley Stadium, in front of 53,262 fans.
Scarborough (1973, 1976, 1977), Telford United (1971, 1983, 1989), and Woking (1994, 1995, 1997) share the record for the most victories (three) in the final. Mark Stimson holds the record for being the first manager to win the trophy for three consecutive seasons (albeit at two different clubs) in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The most successful manager in the history of the Trophy is Geoff Chapple who won the Trophy an incredible 5 times in 7 seasons with Woking and Kingstonian. In 1985 Wealdstone became the first team to win the "Non-League Double" of F.A. 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 F.A. Trophy in 1970 and 1972 respectively).
Scarborough, Macclesfield Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Colchester United, Wycombe Wanderers, Cheltenham Town, Yeovil Town and Morecambe have gone on to play in the Football League.
The trophy itself was presented to the FA in 1905 by Ernest Cochrane, a barrister, to be used in an international competition between England, the US and Canada to promote football in North America. This competition was never instigated.
Finals
References
External Links
FA Trophy at the FA website Template:Fb start
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