QUESTION: What would you do to shake-up the FA Trophy?
Dwindling crowds, Non-League‘s bigger teams using it to blood youngsters or give squad players a run out and few tears when your team goes out – or so the argument goes.
Naturally the FA are keen to see the big hitters taking it seriously. They want the fans to turn out in their numbers with Wembley the prize.
That’s why this year’s competition takes place on a Sunday in March. The idea being that Blue Square Bet Premier clubs involved in title races won’t have as much reason to side-step a late season two-legged semi-final.
When things really hot up in the league the FA Trophy bubbly will have long lost its fizz – credit to the FA for trying something different.
No, the financial rewards aren’t as lucrative as the FA Cup can be both in terms of prize money and opposition.
And maybe the final is lost on the wider footballing public with no live TV showing over the last couple of years.
But it’s Non-League’s premier cup competition and something to be proud of.
It’s not difficult to see why some ex-Football League clubs don’t rate it high on their list of priorities. Getting back with the ‘elite 92′ is the be all and end all. For the fans it has never really featured on their radar.
But for some, shall we say, more ‘traditional’ Non-League clubs it is, and should be, a big target. Just look at Ryman Premier Wealdstone last season.
Gordon Bartlett’s side knocked out a couple of Blue Square Bet Premier sides – Barrow and Cambridge United – on their way to the semi-final.
The Trophy always serves up excitement and shocks. Step 4 King’s Lynn knocking out AFC Telford in this season’s second round is a great story (sorry Bucks fans).
On the same day Guiseley upset Forest Green, Welling went to Woking and won, Bromley dispensed Kidderminster, Chelmsford City went to Hereford and dished out a 3-0 walloping and Skelmersdale beat Guiseley.
With so many clubs still in the hat from outside Non-League’s top tier we could well be watching an unfancied part-time team climb those Wembley steps.
Some Blue Square Bet Premier managers may have a little moan about the competition.
I’ve heard a manager pan his team in the press conference for putting in a weak performance and then as soon the Dictaphones were turned off celebrate their exit. That’s fair enough.
When promotion chasing Newport County went out to Welling in the first round it was tempting to think manager Justin Edinburgh would be happy to have one less plate to spin.
Far from it. He was fuming with his side believing it a competition they should be looking to win after reaching the final last year.
Who beat them that day? York City, who a week later went on to complete a Wembley double by winning the BSBP play-off final.
Minsterman manager Gary Mills was adamant he wanted his side to compete on both fronts. They did just that and it could be argued that a run-out at Wembley before the big winner-takes-all clash with Luton helped immeasurably.
When Stevenage won the Conference title they also reached the Trophy final where they lost to Barrow.
You can make up your own mind on how you view the FA Trophy, whether you are bothered and whether you would change the format.
For me, it’s Non-League’s FA Cup and I wouldn’t change a thing.
