What Is the FA Trophy? Competition format, history and past winners

The FA Trophy, also known as the Izuzu FA Trophy, is a national cup competition for Non-League clubs in England.

While eligibility rules have changed over time, the knockout cup competition is open to clubs playing in steps one to four in the Non-league, which is the equivalent of divisions five to eight.

The qualifying round commences in September, with National League clubs entering in December and the final taking place at Wembley Stadium in May.

DAZN News looks at the history of the competition and as well as the format and all of the previous winners.

What is the format of the FA Trophy?

The FA Trophy is a knockout competition, with teams drawn at random in each round.

Like the FA Cup, the FA Trophy consists of several qualifying rounds before step two (National League North & South) and step one (National League) sides enter the competition proper.

Qualifying rounds

• First round (September): Only step four clubs enter this round of the competition, with 160 teams fighting for a place in the next round.
• Second round (September): In this round, only step four clubs continue to compete, with 40 progressing to the third qualifying round.
• Third round (October): Step three clubs enter the competition at this stage, meaning 128 sides battle for a place in the first round proper.

Competition proper

• First round (October/November): No new teams enter this round of the FA Trophy, with the remaining 64 clubs jousting to make the next round.
• Second round (November): Step two clubs, from the National League North and South, enter round two of the competition, meaning 80 sides face off.
• Third round (December): National League clubs enter round three, which means that 64 teams compete to progress.
• Fourth round - final (January - May): From round four onwards, the remaining sides play in a typical knockout format, with four rounds before the final at Wembley.

(Getty Images)

The history of the FA Trophy

In 1969, the Football Association created the FA Trophy so that semi-professional teams could have the opportunity to play at Wembley Stadium.

The inaugural winners of the competition were Macclesfield, a Northern Premier League club at the time, who defeated Southern League outfit Telford United 2-0 in the final.

During its early years, the FA Trophy failed to live up to the pedigree of the historic FA Amateur Cup, which began in the 1893-94 campaign.

In 1974, the FA scrapped the formal divide between professional and amateur status, bringing an end to the Amateur Cup. As a result, the FA Trophy quickly grew, with around 300 clubs entering soon after.

The format of the competition was amended in 1999 to match the FA Cup, with six proper rounds before the semi-finals.

PA

Full list of FA Trophy winners

There have been 39 different winners of the FA Trophy since its inception in 1969-70.

Telford United, Woking and Scarborough are the most successful sides in the history of the competition, lifting the trophy on three occasions.

In 2021, Hornchurch became the first seventh-tier club to win the FA Trophy, defeating Hereford 3-1 at the home of football.

• Macclesfield (1969-70, 1995-96)
• Telford United (1970-71, 1982-83, 1988-89)
• Stafford Rangers (1971-72, 1978-79)
• Scarborough: (1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77)
• Morecambe: (1973-74)
• Matlock Town: (1974-75)
• Altrincham: (1977-78, 1985-86)
• Dagenham: (1979-80)
• Bishop's Stortford: (1980-81)
• Enfield: (1981-82, 1987-88)
• Northwich Victoria: (1983-84)
• Wealdstone: (1984-85)
• Kidderminster Harriers: (1986-87)
• Barrow: (1989-90, 2009-10)
• Wycombe Wanderers: (1990-91, 1992-93)
• Colchester United: (1991-92)
• Woking: (1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97)
• Cheltenham Town: (1997-98)
• Kingstonian: (1998-99, 1999-00)
• Canvey Island: (2000-01)
• Yeovil Town: (2001-02)
• Burscough: (2002-03)
• Hednesford Town: (2003-04)
• Grays Athletic: (2004-05, 2005-06)
• Stevenage Borough: (2006-07, 2008-09)
• Ebbsfleet United: (2007-08)
• Darlington: (2010-11)
• York City: (2011-12, 2016-17)
• Wrexham: (2012-13)
• Cambridge United: (2013-14)
• North Ferriby United: (2014-15)
• Halifax Town: (2015-16, 2022-23)
• Brackley Town: (2017-18)
• AFC Fylde: (2018-19)
• Harrogate Town: (2019-20)
• Hornchurch: (2020-21)
• Bromley: (2021-22)
• Gateshead: (2023-24)
• Aldershot Town: (2024-25)