So, here we are. What was hoped to be the penultimate match of the season will now be the last game of a marathon run of games that has seen Torquay United pull itself away from the edge of an abyss that it teetered on last May and proudly strut it's stuff around the country in front of many new foes and the occasional national television audience. Last Monday will never be forgotten and it must make us stronger. As was mentioned by Colin Lee on Monday evening, it would be an injustice if the players ended up with nothing. Well, I would go a stage or two further than that; the players do most definitely deserve some reward for their efforts these last ten months. They didn't deserve defeat in the way it came against City and they have an opportunity to dust themselves down and achieve. Achieve isn't a dirty word but it is a word that hasn't been associated with Torquay United teams all that often in its history.

Some people belittle the F.A. Trophy, well show me a cup that United have won that is more prestigious? We would actually need a trophy cabinet! The name of the club would be lifted just a little further up in the annals of English football history, our name would be forever linked with winning, not the millstone of being relegated, of being bought and nearly bankrupted by a new owner, of giving away it's 'Popside' to away supporters or for having a manager last ten minutes!

The squad left for their Watford base on Wednesday and will train on Thursday and Friday, including a visit to Wembley. Paul Buckle has a fully fit squad to choose from although there will be three absentees from the selection process; Simon Rayner and Tony Bedeau miss out because of their loan spells with Boston and Weymouth respectively coincided with United's semi-final deadline for registrations while Jody Banim is cup-tied after appearing for Droylsden in an earlier round. We spoke to Steve Woods just before the team left Plainmoor and he was keen to get back into action -'If you wallow and think about the play-off game too much it will send you mad. The Trophy Final will re-focus the minds of the players and get us back enjoying what we are doing. Hopefully this time the outcome will be different. It's a Wembley final and we won't need anymore motivation than that, everybody wants to play and be involved. The only thing that matters is the result.'

We asked Steve how his fitness was after his earlier than expected recovery from his toe injury-'The toe isn't too bad, I have had some stiffness but that is to be expected. To come back when I did was something we had in the back of our minds and it was great to be involved. I'm really looking forward to this weekend and hopefully I will be able to play a part.'

THE F.A. TROPHY

In 1969 The Football Association introduced The FA Challenge Trophy, a knock-out competition for non-League clubs with the incentive of an appearance at Wembley for the finalists. With amateur clubs still being afforded that opportunity in The FA Amateur Cup (until 1974 when the competition was last played), it was felt that clubs with professional players, who could only enter The FA Cup, should have a more realistic chance of making it to the famed Twin Towers.

Entries for the first Trophy competition in 1969-70 included eight clubs who were destined to enter the Football League: Barnet, Cambridge United, Hereford United, Kidderminster Harriers, Macclesfield Town, Scarborough, Wimbledon and Wigan Athletic. Macclesfield beat Telford United 2-0 in the first final, watched by 28,000 at Wembley.

Four clubs have now won the Trophy two years in a row: Scarborough (1976 and 1977), Woking (1994 and 1995), Kingstonian (1999 and 2000) and Grays (2205 and 2006). 

Veteran winger Clive Walker, a former professional with 500 League appearances under his belt, has collected four Trophy winners' medals, three with Woking and one with Cheltenham Town. Martin O'Neill took Wycombe Wanderers to two successful Finals and their match with Kidderminster Harriers in 1991 attracted a record 34,842 fans.

Following Wembley's closure, The Trophy Final moved to Villa Park, where in 2003 Burscough beat Tamworth 2-1.

In 2004, underdogs Hednesford Town were crowned as Trophy winners beating Canvey Island 3-2 in The Final. The Essex side had romped to the Ryman League championship but were seen off by the Dr Marten's League club who finished in the bottom three of the Premier Division. A glorious winning goal from assistant player manager Chris Brindley with three minutes to go sealed the 3-2 win and cancelled out his earlier own-goal.

In 2005, an astonishing, resilient performance from Hucknall Town ended in tears of despair as Grays Athletic clinched The FA Trophy on penalties. With the sides locked 1-1 at the end of extra time, and then again at 4-4 after the first round of penalties, it looked as if nothing was going to separate two sides who had fought themselves to a standstill. But ultimately Grays prevailed which they had perhaps deserved to do on the balance of play: they produced 20 shots to Hucknall's six.

In 2006 it was Grays again who triumphed, becoming non-League football's Cup specialists after claiming their second FA Trophy in a row. The Conference high-flyers had to battle their way past a host of fellow top sides on their way to The Final against Woking, at Upton Park, where they ran out 2-0 winners.

The Trophy returned to Wembley in 2007 and became the first final to be played under the glorious arch. Mark Stimson, who was boss of Grays for their Final victories in the previous two seasons, guided his new club Stevenage Borough to success, coming back from 2-0 down at half-time to win 3-2.

FA Trophy Records