List of FA Trophy finals

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] Mark Stimson managed the winning team in three consecutive finals.[7] The Trophy is currently held by Gateshead, who beat Solihull Moors in the 2024 final.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference RS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "The history of The FA Trophy". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 10 October 2010. 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. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  5. ^ "Scarborough". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Telford United". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  7. ^ "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.