The 2023–24 FA Trophy (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2023–24 Isuzu FA Trophy) was the 55th edition of the FA Trophy, an annual football competition for teams at levels 5–8 of the English football league system.
| Football Association Trophy | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | England Wales |
| Dates | Qualifying rounds: 8 September 2023 – 7 October 2023 Competition Proper: 28 October 2023 – 11 May 2024 |
| Defending champions | FC Halifax Town |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Gateshead |
| Runner-up | Solihull Moors |
Format and eligibility
Applications to enter the 55th edition of the FA Trophy needed to be submitted by 1 April 2023.[1] Competing clubs had to compete between step 1 and step 4 of the non-League pyramid, equivalent to levels 5 to 8 of the overall English football league system. Furthermore, grounds had to conform to grade 4 of the FA National Ground Grading.[1]
The calendar was announced by The Football Association on 1 July 2023.[2] The competition consists of three qualifying rounds and eight proper rounds.[3] Teams enter at different stages depending on their position in the English pyramid.[3] Teams at level 8 enter into the first qualifying round and must win 11 matches to become champions.[3] Level 7 teams enter into the third qualifying round and must win 9 matches to become champions.[4] Level 6 teams enter into the second round proper and must win 7 matches to become champions.[3] Level 5 teams enter into the third round proper and must win 6 matches to become champions.[3]
All rounds are single-match knockout format, with the winner decided by penalties if the match was drawn after 90 minutes, apart from the Final where the winner was decided by extra-time and penalties if the match is drawn.[4] This is the same format as the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons which broke from previous seasons that used replays and two-legged semi-finals. The 2019–20 season was scheduled to play two-legged semi-finals but due to their delay by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom were shifted to a single match.[5] All other previous editions played to the same format of replays and two-legged semi-finals.
FC Halifax Town were the reigning champions for the 2023–24 season, having defeated Gateshead in the 2023 FA Trophy final at Wembley Stadium.[6][7]
| Round | Main Date | Number of Fixtures | Clubs Remaining | New Entries This Round | Losing Club | Winning Club |
| First round qualifying | 9 September 2023 | 80 (incl. 1 bye) | 319 → 240 | 159 (incl. 1 bye) | £400 | £1,500 |
| Second round qualifying | 23 September 2023 | 40 | 240 → 200 | none | £575 | £2,250 |
| Third round qualifying | 7 October 2023 | 64 | 200 → 136 | 88 | £625 | £2,450 |
| First round proper | 28 October 2023 | 32 | 136 → 104 | none | £775 | £3,000 |
| Second round proper | 18 November 2023 | 40 | 104 → 64 | 48 | £1,000 | £3,750 |
| Third round proper | 9 December 2023 | 32 | 64 → 32 | 24 | £1,250 | £4,500 |
| Fourth round proper | 13 January 2024 | 16 | 32 → 16 | none | £1,500 | £5,250 |
| Fifth round proper | 10 February 2024 | 8 | 16 → 8 | £1,750 | £6,000 | |
| Quarter-finals | 9 March 2024 | 4 | 8 → 4 | £2,000 | £7,500 | |
| Semi-finals | 6 April 2024 | 2 | 4 → 2 | £5,000 | £15,000 | |
| Final | 11 May 2024 | 1 | 2 → 1 | £30,000 | £60,000 |
First round qualifying
The draw for the first qualifying round was made on 8 July 2023.[8]
The first round of qualifying took place on the weekend of 8–10 September[4] and involves 158 teams in 79 matches.[9][10]159 teams, all from Level 8 of the English football league system, were drawn into 79 fixtures, with the leftover team, Hinckley LR, receiving a bye.[3]
Second round qualifying
The draw for the second qualifying round was also made on 8 July 2023.[8]
This round consisted of the 79 winners from the previous round alongside Hinckley LR who received a bye in the previous round.
| Tie | Home team (level) | Score[11] | Away team (level) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Waltham Abbey (8) | 1–5 | Heybridge Swifts (8) | 160 |
| 24 | Basildon United (8) | 0–4 | Lowestoft Town (8) | 92 |
| 25 | South Park Reigate (8) | 2–1 | Three Bridges (8) | 116 |
| 26 | Cray Valley Paper Mills (8) | 2–0 | Hartley Wintney (8) | 116 |
| 27 | Ramsgate (8) | 3–1 | Sevenoaks Town (8) | 404 |
| 28 | Metropolitan Police (8) | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Ashford United (8) | 108 |
| 29 | Badshot Lea (8) | 5–3 | Sutton Common Rovers (8) | 91 |
| 30 | Ascot United (8) | 6–2 | Lancing (8) | 162 |
| 31 | Sheppey United (8) | 2–1 | Sittingbourne (8) | 550 |
| 32 | Southall (8) | 1–3 | Leatherhead (8) | 114 |
| 33 | Westfield (8) | 2–1 | Marlow (8) | 91 |
| 34 | Chertsey Town (8) | 2–4 | Hythe Town (8) | 410 |
| 35 | Mousehole (8) | 3–0 | Tavistock (8) | 132 |
| 36 | Bishop's Cleeve (8) | 3–2 | Bristol Manor Farm (8) | 94 |
| 37 | Kidlington (8) | 2–1 | Exmouth Town (8) | 91 |
| 38 | Cribbs (8) | 3–3 (4–2 p) | Bashley (8) | 96 |
| 39 | Bemerton Heath Harlequins (8) | 0–3 | Frome Town (8) | 109 |
| Sunday 24 September 2023 | ||||
| 16 | Bowers & Pitsea (8) | 0–0 (3–5 p) | Bedford Town (8) | 105 |
| 21 | Cambridge City (8) | 0–2 | Leighton Town (8) | 173 |
| 40 | Hamworthy United (8) | 1–2 | Larkhall Athletic (8) | 72 |
Third round qualifying
The draw for the third qualifying round was made on 25 September 2023.[15] The 40 winners from the previous round were joined by 88 teams from the seventh level.
First round proper
The draw for the First round proper was made on 9 October 2023 consisting of the 64 winners from the previous round.[17]
| Tie | Home team (level) | Score[11] | Away team (level) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Billericay Town (7) | 5–0 | Bury Town (8) | 518 |
| 22 | Dulwich Hamlet (7) | 0–2 | Lewes (7) | 2,745 |
| 23 | Hendon (7) | 2–1 | Walton & Hersham (7) | 133 |
| 24 | Potters Bar Town (7) | 0–1 | Leiston (7) | 131 |
| 25 | Cray Wanderers (7) | 3–3 (5–3 p) | Chesham United (7) | 171 |
| 26 | Swindon Supermarine (7) | 0–3 | Basingstoke Town (7) | 251 |
| 27 | AFC Totton (7) | P–P | Merthyr Town (7) | |
| 28 | Larkhall Athletic (8) | 1–2 | Horsham (7) | 206 |
| 29 | Westfield (8) | 1–3 | Hungerford Town (7) | 160 |
| 31 | Bognor Regis Town (7) | P–P | Gosport Borough (7) | |
| 32 | Poole Town (7) | P–P | Bracknell Town (7) | |
| Sunday 29 October 2023 | ||||
| 19 | Kingstonian (7) | P–P | Whitehawk (7) | |
| Monday 30 October 2023 | ||||
| 31 | Bognor Regis Town (7) | 3–0 | Gosport Borough (7) | 445 |
| Tuesday 31 October 2023 | ||||
| 18 | Hythe Town (8) | 3–1 | Ramsgate (8) | 205 |
| 27 | AFC Totton (7) | 2–1 | Merthyr Town (7) | 344 |
| 32 | Poole Town (7) | P–P | Bracknell Town (7) | |
| Wednesday 1 November 2023 | ||||
| 19 | Kingstonian (7) | 0–4 | Whitehawk (7) | 118 |
| Tuesday 7 November 2023 | ||||
| 32 | Poole Town (7) | 2–2 (1–4 p) | Bracknell Town (7) | 175 |
Second round proper
The draw for the second round was made on 30 October 2023, seeing the 48 teams from step two joining the 32 winners from the previous round.[19][4]
Third round proper
The draw for the third round was made on 20 November 2023 and saw the 24 clubs from the National League join the 40 winners from the previous round.[21][22]
Fourth round proper
The draw for the fourth round was made on 11 December 2023 containing the 32 winners from the previous round.[24]
| Tie | Home team (level) | Score[11] | Away team (level) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kidderminster Harriers (5) | 0–0 (4–2 p) | Altrincham (5) | 1,651 |
| 10 | Macclesfield (7) | 5–0 | Dorking Wanderers (5) | 1,833 |
| 11 | Aveley (6) | 1–0 | AFC Fylde (5) | 319 |
| 12 | Oldham Athletic (5) | 1–2 | Hendon (7) | 2,819 |
| 13 | Chelmsford City (6) | 0–1 | Wealdstone (5) | 865 |
| 14 | Radcliffe (7) | 1–2 | Barnet (5) | 1,408 |
| 15 | Horsham (7) | 0–3 | Peterborough Sports (6) | 957 |
| 16 | Bromley (5) | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Chippenham Town (6) | 1,525 |
Fifth round proper
The draw for the fifth round was made on 15 January 2024.[26]
| Tie | Home team (level) | Score[11][27] | Away team (level) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 10 February 2024 | ||||
| 1 | Welling United (6) | 0–3 | Barnet (5) | 652 |
| 2 | Bromley (5) | 2–0 | Aveley (6) | 1,311 |
| 3 | Hereford (6) | 0–1 | Gateshead (5) | 2,263 |
| 4 | Peterborough Sports (6) | 1–0 | Kidderminster Harriers (5) | 608 |
| 6 | Chorley (6) | 1–3 | Solihull Moors (5) | 2,087 |
| 8 | Hampton & Richmond Borough (6) | 0–2 | Macclesfield (7) | 1,480 |
| Tuesday 20 February 2024 | ||||
| 5 | Wealdstone (5) | 4–0 | Hendon (7) | 711 |
| Match played at Hendon. | ||||
| 7 | Bishop's Stortford (6) | 0–3 | Coalville Town (7) | 203 |
Quarter-finals
The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 12 February 2024.[28]
| Tie | Home team (level) | Score[11][29] | Away team (level) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 9 March 2024 | ||||
| 1 | Gateshead (5) | 3–2 | Peterborough Sports (6) | 794 |
| 2 | Bromley (5) | 2–0 | Barnet (5) | 2,557 |
| 3 | Wealdstone (5) | 1–1 (3–4 p) | Solihull Moors (5) | 1,018 |
| 4 | Macclesfield (7) | 3–0 | Coalville Town (7) | 2,510 |
Semi-finals
The draw for the semi-finals was made on 11 March 2024.[30]
| Gateshead (5) | 2–1 | Macclesfield (7) |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Bromley (5) | 1–2 | Solihull Moors (5) |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Final
| Gateshead | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Solihull Moors |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | ||
| 5–4 | ||