Tuesday, 14 June 2022

THE HISTORY OF THE FA TROPHY - BISHOP'S STORTFORD AND HORNCHURCH THE GREATEST EVER VICTORIES??

SEASON WINNERS  RUNNERS UP  SEMI-FINALS  SEMI-FINALS 
1969/70 MACCLESFIELD TOWN (1) TELFORD UNITED BARNET  CHELMSFORD CITY 
1970/71 TELFORD UNITED (1) HILLINGDON BOROUGH  HEREFORD UNITED YEOVIL TOWN  
1971/72  STAFFORD RANGERS (1)  BARNET   TELFORD UNITED   YEOVIL TOWN  
1972/73  SCARBOROUGH (1) WIGAN ATHLETIC  ASHFORD TOWN (KENT) STAFFORD RANGERS 
1973/74  MORECAMBE (1)  DARTFORD   MACCLESFIELD TOWN  SOUTH SHIELDS 
1974/75  MATLOCK TOWN (1)  SCARBOROUGH  BURTON ALBION  BEDFORD TOWN  
1975/76 SCARBOROUGH (2) STAFFORD RANGERS  ENFIELD  RUNCORN 
1976/77 SCARBOROUGH (3)  DAGENHAM   SLOUGH TOWN ALTRINCHAM
1977/78  ALTRINCHAM (1)   LEATHERHEAD  RUNCORN  SPENNYMOOR UNITED 
1978/79 STAFFORD RANGERS (1)  KETTERING TOWN   DAGENHAM  RUNCORN 
1979/80 DAGENHAM (1) MOSSLEY BOSTON UNITED WOKING
1980/81 BISHOPS STORTFORD (1) SUTTON UNITED BANGOR CITY DARTFORD
1981/82  ENFIELD (1)  ALTRINCHAM WYCOMBE WANDERERS  NORTHWICH VICTORIA 
1982/83  TELFORD UNITED (2) NORTHWICH VICTORIA HARROW BOROUGH DAGENHAM
1983/84  NORTHWICH VICTORIA (1) BANGOR CITY   MARINE DAGENHAM
1984/85  WEALDSTONE (1) BOSTON UNITED ENFIELD ALTRINCHAM
1985/86  ALTRINCHAM (2) RUNCORN ENFIELD  KETTERING TOWN
1986/87 KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (1) BURTON ALBION  DARTFORD  FAREHAM TOWN 
1987/88 ENFIELD (2) TELFORD UNITED  BARROW WOKINGHAM TOWN
1988/89  TELFORD UNITED (3) MACCLESFIELD TOWN DARTFORD HYDE UNITED
1989/90  BARROW (1) LEEK TOWN COLNE DYNAMOS STAFFORD RANGERS
1990/91   WYCOMBE WANDERERS (1) KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS  WITTON ALBION   ALTRINCHAM
1991/92 COLCHESTER UNITED (1) WITTON ALBION MARINE MACCLESFIELD TOWN
1992/93  WYCOMBE WANDERERS (2) RUNCORN WITTON ALBION  SUTTON UNITED 
1993/94 WOKING (1) RUNCORN  ENFIELD GUISELEY 
1994/95 WOKING (2) KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS  HYDE UNITED RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS
1995/96   MACCLESFIELD TOWN (2)  NORTHWICH VICTORIA   HYDE UNITED CHORLEY
1996/97   WOKING (3) DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE  STEVENAGE BOROUGH GLOUCESTER CITY
1997/98  CHELTENHAM TOWN (1)  SOUTHPORT DOVER ATHLETIC SLOUGH TOWN
1998/99 KINGSTONIAN (1) FOREST GREEN ROVERS ST ALBANS CITY  CHELTENHAM TOWN
1999/00 KINGSTONIAN (2) KETTERING TOWN TELFORD UNITED SUTTON UNITED
2000/01   CANVEY ISLAND (1) FOREST GREEN ROVERS CHESTER CITY HEREFORD UNITED
2001/02   YEOVIL TOWN (1) STEVENAGE BOROUGH   BURTON ALBION MORECAMBE
2002/03   BURSCOUGH (1) TAMWORTH HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE AYLESBURY UNITED
2003/04   HEDNESFORD TOWN (1) CANVEY ISLAND ALDERSHOT TOWN   TELFORD UNITED  
2004/05   GRAYS ATHLETIC (1) HUCKNALL TOWN  BISHOPS STORTFORD  BURTON ALBION
2005/06  GRAYS ATHLETIC (2) WOKING EXETER CITY BOREHAM WOOD
2006/07   STEVENAGE BOROUGH (1)  KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS GRAYS ATHLETIC   NORTHWICH VICTORIA 
2007/08  EBBSFLEET UNITED (1) TORQUAY UNITED YORK CITY ALDERSHOT TOWN
2008/09   STEVENAGE BOROUGH (2) YORK CITY AFC TELFORD UNITED   EBBSFLEET UNITED
2009/10   BARROW (2)  STEVENAGE BOROUGH  KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS   SALISBURY CITY
2010/11  DARLINGTON (1) MANSFIELD TOWN   GATESHEAD   LUTON TOWN
2011/12  YORK CITY (1)  NEWPORT COUNTY  LUTON TOWN  WEALDSTONE
2012/13  WREXHAM (1) GRIMSBY TOWN  DARTFORD GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY
2013/14   CAMBRIDGE UNITED (1) GOSPORT BOROUGH  GRIMSBY TOWN HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
2014/15   NORTH FERRIBY UNITED (1) WREXHAM TORQUAY UNITED BATH CITY
2015/16  FC HALIFAX TOWN (1) GRIMSBY TOWN BOGNOR REGIS TOWN NANTWICH TOWN
2016/17   YORK CITY (2) MACCLESFIELD TOWN  TRANMERE ROVERS  LINCOLN CITY 
2017/18  BRACKLEY TOWN  (1) BROMLEY GATESHEAD  WEALDSTONE
2018/19   AFC FYLDE (1)  LEYTON ORIENT AFC TELFORD UNITED STOCKPORT COUNTY
2019/20    HARROGATE TOWN (1)  CONCORD RANGERS  HALESOWEN TOWN  NOTTS COUNTY 
2020/21  HORNCHURCH (1) HEREFORD  WOKING  NOTTS COUNTY
2019/20   BROMLEY (1) WREXHAM  YORK CITY  STOCKPORT COUNTY

KEY FROM1979/80 STEP ONE STEP TWO  STEP THREE STEP FOUR 
1) From 1979/80 the Alliance Premier League was formed. 
2) From 2004/05 the National League North and South divisions were formed. 
3) Prior to 1979 the Northern, Southern and Isthmian top divisions were the classed by many as the top divisions in non-league football.  Only Ashford Town (Kent), Bedford Town and Spennymoor United came from outside of those divisions who denoted in orange.  

The greatest ever FA Trophy victories are arguably Bishop's Stortford in 1981 and Hornchurch in 2021.

In 1981 The Blues were a step three side playing in the Isthmian League Division One which they were champions of. Their history making run saw them start in the Preliminary Round and beat Spalding United, Chelmsford City, Kingstonian, Hendon, Bridgend Town (after a replay), Dagenham (after a replay), Alvechurch, Worcester City, Dartford in the semi-final and eventually Sutton United in an all Isthmian League final at Wembley. The U's finished fifth in the Premier Division. 

Three decades later and it was another Isthmian League side in Hornchurch who made the headlines. The Urchins were a Premier Division side (now at Step Three level) and they beat Bowers & Pitsea, Wingate & Finchley, TonbrIdge Angels, Dulwich Hamlet, King's Lynn Town, Maidstone United, Darlington and Notts County before defeating Hereford FC in the final. 

Boreham Wood's run in 2005/06 was the first time a team from step four had reached the semi-final stage. The then Southern League Division One (East) team started in the first qualifying round and beat Ilford, Bromley, Stamford, Leighton Town, Gravesend & Northfleet, Crawley Town and Worksop Town before losing to Woking in the last four. 

Halesowen Town are the only other step four side to reach the semi-final with their amazing run in the 19/20 competition. The Yeltz beat Dereham Town, Evesham United, Stamford, Grantham Town, Gateshead, Bradford Park Avenue, Maidenhead United, FC Halifax Town and Barnet before Concord Rangers beat them in the semi-final. In all they played 14 games in the competition as four of the rounds went to replays. 

Runcorn can be classed as the most unluckiest side in the FA Trophy. They lost at the semi-final stage in 75/76, 77/78 and 78/79. In 84/85 they got to the quarter-finals before in 1986 finally getting to Wembley in the final where they lost to Altrincham. The Linnets reached two further finals in 1993 where they lost to Wycombe Wanderers and 1994 where they lost to Woking. They got to the quarter-final stage in 2000 where they lost to Telford United before becoming Runcorn FC Halton who were dissolved in 2006. 

Here are the winner's stats since the competition began in 1969 - 

3 time winners (3 clubs)
SCARBOROUGH, TELFORD UNITED & WOKING. 

2 times winners (10 clubs) 
STEVENAGE BOROUGH, MACCLESFIELD TOWN, YORK CITY, ALTRINCHAM, STAFFORD RANGERS, BARROW, GRAYS ATHLETIC, KINGSTONIAN, WYCOMBE WANDERERS & ENFIELD.

1 time winners (24 clubs) 
KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS, NORTHWICH VICTORIA, WREXHAM, CANVEY ISLAND, DAGENHAM, AFC FYLDE, BRACKLEY TOWN, FC HALIFAX TOWN, NORTH FERRIBY UNITED, CAMBRIDGE UNITED, DARLINGTON, EBBSFLEET UNITED, HEDNESFORD TOWN, YEOVIL TOWN, BURSCOUGH, CHELTENHAM TOWN, WEALDSTONE, COLCHESTER UNITED, MORECAMBE, MATLOCK TOWN, HARROGATE TOWN, BROMLEY, HORNCHURCH & BISHOP'S STORTFORD

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