It’s that time of year where the birds start to sing, the trees start to bloom and managers start to reconsider their attitude to the FA Trophy.
We’re reaching the point of the competition where managers who were previously reluctant to commit to playing a full-strength team start wondering if it’s worth going all-in and trying to win the darn thing. That means we could be looking at a tremendous shoot-out for non-league’s knock-out cup.
Usually theoretically easier pathways start to open up to Wembley once we get to the quarter finals. There’s a rich recent tradition of sides reaching the final from despite struggling at the wrong end of the National League, or coming from a lower division: since we beat Grimsby at Wembley in 2013, only one final was contested between two sides who didn’t fit either of those criteria.
Last season’s final, between Hereford United and Hornchurch, was a wholly lower division affair, with Concord Rangers, Brackley Town, Gosport Borough and a village near Hull I don’t want to mention reaching the final in the last 8 years.
Throw in wins for Halifax Town and York City in 2015 and 2016 respectively, despite both sides being relegated in the same season as their Wembley triumph, and you can see how an easy path to the FA Trophy final often opens up.
Not this year though. We reach the final 16 tomorrow, and 8 of the top 9 sides in the National League are still involved. We host one of the marquee ties, as 7th face 5th, and Halifax host Notts County, but the other 4 promotion-chasing teams are all pitted against lower division clubs. Unless there’s a raft of upsets on Saturday, the quarter final line-up will be unusually strong.
We are guaranteed two lower division sides in the last eight though, as York City host Morpeth Town and Needham Market face Dartford. Unless they are drawn together in the quarter finals, the chances are we’ll have a last four made up of sides looking for a trophy and promotion double. Now that would make for a good documentary series!
Phil Parkinson has picked strong sides in each of our two games in the FA Trophy so far, and it’s likely that every future side we face in the tournament this season will do likewise. It’s all set up for a dramatic end of the season.
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