Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy is a cup competition in English football and is played between the clubs in the bottom two leagues in the Football League. The official name of the competition changed frequently due to major sponsors change. Between the years 2000 and 2006, the trophy was known as the LDV Vans Trophy and is currently being played as Johnstone's Paint Trophy. In common usage, the name of Associate Members' Cup is also frequently used, although this refers to the obsolete and no longer available distinction between full members and partners of the Football League.
Seven teams currently share with two cup wins the title of the record winner. A three -time winner does not exist today. The association can Carlisle United in this competition have the highest Finaleinzügen, but lost in addition to the victory in 1997, respectively in the years 1995, 2003 and 2006.
Latest occur in the Football League Trophy to all clubs in the Football League One and League Two Football and selected invited clubs from the Nationwide Conference and play in the knockout system in simple games in a northern and southern region of their winners. The two regional winners then enter traditionally at Wembley against each other to determine the trophy winner. Due to the temporary reconstruction of Wembley Stadium the playoffs between 2001 and 2006 found at the Millennium Stadium - located in Cardiff, Wales - instead.
The competition for clubs in the Third Division and Fourth Division, as the leagues were still referred to 1992, has its origins in the 1983 season / 84th Previously, several attempts have been made to compensate for the loss of the Anglo - Scottish Cup in 1981. In the ensuing Football League Group Trophy 1982 Grimsby Town won at home in the final against FC Wimbledon Blundell Park and 1983 of Millwall FC in an away game against Lincoln City at Sincil Bank Stadium.
The fundamental problem in the competition, in principle, take 48 clubs at the, was always in a bad number, since one is 32 and 64 clearly from the powers of 2. To solve this, groups were formed from first three teams in the first round, all played against each other. Another option was the forgiveness of byes for higher ranking teams in the second round. Also stocking up on additional invitations for clubs from the amateur from eight to twelve teams (instead of the required 16 clubs) has not yet been completely solved the problem. Currently, each have two teams from the two regions in the first round byes.
The competition is not considered by many clubs as very important, with the result that often höherklassigere against weaker teams lose, especially in the early rounds. Even the supporters of the clubs often refuse the Football League Trophy their attention, so that the audience are often below average. For example, lived in November 2005 a game of Peterborough United v Swindon Town, only 969 spectators at (where the average is about 4500 ).
The cup competition was awarded in recognition of the public in March 2006 a further setback and developed even into a farce when the company LDV Limited withdrew as a sponsor and thus it was clear that neither of the two finalists in prize money will be paid. On the website of LDV, however, was still advertised until May of this year with the competition. The final work was carried out under the simple title of " Football League Trophy " and then announced the Football League that they were looking for a new sponsor. In May, the Football League Johnstone's Paint imagined as future partners who financially supported the competition and acts as new namesake.
The current title holder (2013 ) The Football League Trophy is the Crewe Alexandra to a 2-0 final victory against Southend United.
Sponsors names
- Associate Members' Cup (1983-1984)
- Freight Rover Trophy (1984-1987)
- Sherpa Van Trophy (1987-1989)
- Leyland DAF Cup (1989-1991)
- Autoglass Trophy (1991-1994)
- Auto Windscreens Shield (1994-2000)
- LDV Vans Trophy (2000-2006)
- Johnstone's Paint Trophy (since 2006)