What is the difference between the FA Cup and the FA Trophy?

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The FA Cup and the FA Trophy are two prominent football competitions in England, each with its unique characteristics, history, and significance.

This article explores the key differences between these two tournaments, providing a comprehensive overview for football enthusiasts outside the UK.

What is the difference between the FA Cup and the FA Trophy?

The simplest way to understand the FA Trophy is to think of it as the FA Cup equivalent, but exclusively for semi-professional and amateur football clubs in England.

To break it down, imagine a league structure shaped like a pyramid. At the top is the Premier League, followed by the Football League spanning the next three tiers, and then the National League at level 5. Below this, each level holds more leagues, beginning with the National League North and South at tier 6 and descending through 10 levels, involving dozens of leagues and hundreds of clubs all competing for their own league titles. This structure is held together by a promotion and relegation system.

In addition to leagues, there are “cup” competitions or knockout tournaments. The largest of these is the FA Cup, which includes nearly all teams, while the League Cup is reserved for the top four fully professional tiers. For League One and League Two, there’s the EFL trophy where Premier League teams’ reserve sides also participate. The FA Trophy ranks as the fourth most prominent tournament, featuring teams only from tiers 5 through 8.

Feature	FA Cup	FA Trophy
Founded	1871	1969
Organising Body	The Football Association (FA)	The Football Association (FA)
Number of Teams	745 (2024–25 season)	320 (2024–25 season)
Eligibility	Open to all levels up to Premier League (top 10 tiers)	Open to clubs in steps 1-4 of the National League System (tiers 5-8)
Final Venue	Wembley Stadium	Wembley Stadium
Prize for Winner	UEFA Europa League qualification	No European qualification; domestic prestige only
Current Champions	Manchester United (2023-24)	Gateshead (2023-24)

History of the FA Trophy

The FA Trophy was established in 1969, a time when the Football Association drew a clear line between amateur and professional teams. Any club that paid its players, even a small amount, couldn’t compete in the FA Amateur Cup but had little chance of competing with fully professional teams in the FA Cup. This led to the creation of the FA Trophy, a tournament designed to give semi-professional teams their own shot at playing for a trophy at Wembley.

In 1974, the FA stopped differentiating between amateur and professional clubs, effectively ending the Amateur Cup and leaving the FA Trophy and the FA Vase as tournaments specifically for non-league teams below tier four.

The FA Trophy Final is held at Wembley Stadium on the first Saturday after the FA Cup Final, and it is generally held on the same day as the FA Vase Final, also at Wembley.