It was an Isuzu FA Trophy weekend last weekend, as the 4th round of the competition whittled the field down from 32 teams to 16, give or take a postponement or three.
Several National League ‘big-hitters’ fell by the wayside too, perhaps opening up the competition a little, and with both Wrexham and Notts County defeated, a question that was pondered a little on this week’s NL Full Time podcast was this:
“Is the FA Trophy still worth caring about?”
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson made wholesale changes to his starting XI for their tie at Altrincham, eventually losing in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw. In fairness, the Red Dragons’ second-string side still had a solid look to it, and they were on course to progress, thanks to Jake Bickerstaff’s two goals before a late Zak Goodson equaliser meant the tie would be settled from 12 yards.
Notts County’s Luke Williams also rested some key personnel as the Magpies tumbled out similarly, losing on penalties after a 2-2 draw, albeit they had to recover from a 2-0 deficit against Maidstone United.
Fans of both clubs didn’t seem especially disappointed at seeing the chance of a trip to Wembley evaporate, feeling that chasing both promotion and the Trophy risked them missing out on the main aim of getting back into the EFL.
It’s an understandable conundrum. Whilst both clubs are enjoying being two of the bigger fish in the National League’s more modest pond, it’s no secret that each club’s heritage is largely based on a history in the Football League. As such, the EFL isn’t seen as ‘the promised land’, it’s where they believe their rightful place to be.
Unfortunately, it appears that the FA Trophy isn’t a priority when progress could cost you a shot at promotion. The two highest-ranked sides left in the competition, Southend United and Barnet, may find themselves similarly weighing up their priorities if their good league form continues into February.
Nevertheless, this particular coin has two sides; you can argue that clubs choosing the league over the Trophy devalues the competition somewhat; however, for clubs like Aldershot Town or Dorking Wanderers, a trip to a Wembley final would truly put their fans into dreamland.
The Shots have never played at Wembley in their history, either as Aldershot or Aldershot Town, whilst Dorking Wanderers didn’t exist until 1999 and began as a parks team. For either to reach the hallowed turf would be incredible, but you can probably say the same for the majority of the clubs left in the Trophy.
The prize money for reaching the final and winning is around £90,000 in total, and additional gate receipts and merchandising all help to swell the coffers, whilst raising the profile and probably creating some new supporters along the way.
So, is the FA Trophy still worth caring about? There’s no question in our minds, it’s a resounding ‘Yes’. It may be seen as a distraction or pitfall to a handful of clubs, but for the vast majority, it’s a legitimate shot at glory.
It may be one that’s perhaps less well understood by former EFL clubs and their fans or clubs with bigger ambitions. If any inducement was needed to make it more attractive, perhaps restoring automatic qualification to the FA Cup first round for the finalists, as used to happen, might be considered.
Here’s the 5th round draw:
Aldershot Town vs Dorking Wanderers
Banbury United or Coalville Town vs Gateshead
Bracknell Town vs Altrincham
Eastleigh vs Maidstone United
Hungerford Town vs Farsley Celtic
Maidenhead United vs Harrow Borough or FC Halifax Town
Southend United vs York City
Torquay United vs Barnet
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