EFL Trophy
Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:25:37 PM Wikipedia source
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier League and the EFL Championship. Launched in the 1983–84 football season as the Associate Members' Cup, the competition was renamed the Football League Trophy in 1992 after a reorganisation following the formation of the Premier League and again as the current EFL Trophy in 2016 due to The Football League changing its name to the English Football League. The current competition begins with 16 regional groups, each containing 4 teams and divided between northern and southern sections depending on the clubs' geographic locations. The top two from each group qualify for the knockout stages before the two winners meet in late March or early April in the final at Wembley Stadium. Some Midlands and East Anglian clubs fluctuate between the north and south each season for every draw. Other details have varied over the years, including in some years inviting clubs from the National League, and holding a round-robin group stage before moving into knockout rounds. The most successful clubs are Bristol City and Peterborough United, who have lifted the trophy three times each. The current winners are Peterborough United, who beat Birmingham City 2–0 in the 2025 final.
Infobox
Tables
| EFL Trophy final attendance records | ||||||
| Stadium | Attendance record | Year (Final) | Winner | Finalist | Result | |
| Wembley Stadium (new) | 85,021 | 2019 | Portsmouth | Sunderland | 2–2 (5–4 pen.) | |
| Millennium Stadium | 59,024 | 2007 | Doncaster Rovers | Bristol Rovers | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | |
| Wembley Stadium (old) | 80,841 | 1988 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Burnley | 2–0 | |
| Period | Sponsor | Name | Trophy |
| 1983–1984 | None | Associate Members Cup | Original |
| 1984–1987 | Freight Rover | Freight Rover Trophy | Unknown |
| 1987–1989 | LDV Group | Sherpa Van Trophy | |
| 1989–1992 | Leyland DAF | Leyland DAF Cup | |
| 1992–1994 | Autoglass | Autoglass Trophy | |
| 1994–2000 | Auto Windscreens | Auto Windscreens Shield | |
| 2000–2007 | LDV Group | LDV Vans Trophy | Original |
| 2007–2016 | PPG Industries | Johnstone's Paint Trophy | |
| 2016–2019 | Checkatrade.com | Checkatrade Trophy | |
| 2019–2020 | Leasing.com | Leasing.com Trophy | |
| 2020–2023 | Papa John's | Papa Johns Trophy | |
| 2023–2024 | Vertu Motors | Bristol Street Motors Trophy | |
| 2024–2026 | Vertu Trophy |
References
- LDV Vans entered administration in 2007 and the final in March 2007 was branded as the Football League Trophy Final
- Since Leasing.com no longer sponsored the competition in 2021, and the 2020 final was delayed by an entire year, the 201
- Originally branded as Papa John's Trophy before dropping the apostrophe during the 2021–22 season.
- The branding did not come into effect until after the group stage of the 2023–24 competition. As such, the competition w
- The name changed in the middle of the 2024–25 season. During the group stage, it was known as the "Bristol Street Motors
- English Football Leaguehttps://www.efl.com/news/2016/june/premier-league-trial-for-the-trophy/
- "About the Vertu Trophy"https://www.efl.com/competitions/vertu-trophy/about-the-vertu-trophy/
- Stattohttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/1991-1992/results
- English Football Leaguehttp://www.efl.com/news/article/2015/football-league-to-be-re-named-the-english-football-league-2798210.aspx
- BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36503204
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/oct/10/prize-money-and-player-development-why-the-efl-trophy-is-on-the-rise
- statto.comhttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/1983-1984/results/s.r2
- Stattohttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/1985-1986/results/n.r1-g1
- Stattohttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/1986-1987/results/s.r1
- Stattohttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/1993-1994/results/n.r1-g5
- 2004–05 Southern 1st Rnd results, and links to other rounds/seasons – statto.com Archived 6 January 2010 at the Waybackhttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/2004-2005/results/s.r1
- Stattohttp://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/football-league-trophy/2002-2003/results/n.r1
- BBC Sporthttps://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/5370636.stm
- "EFL Trophy Regulations"https://www.efl.com/news/2024/january/09/bristol-street-motors-trophy--quarter-final-draw/
- BBC Radio Solenthttps://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/7674863.stm
- "Previous Finals"https://www.efl.com/competitions/vertu-trophy/previous-finals/
- Football Club History Databasehttps://www.fchd.info/cups/flgroupcupsummary.htm
- Football Club History Databasehttps://www.fchd.info/cups/fltrophysummary.htm
- Express & Starhttps://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2015/02/25/wolves-a-trip-down-wembley-lane/
- BBC Sporthttps://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6514043.stm
- www.efl.comhttps://www.efl.com/news/2021/march/finalists-fundraisers-a-huge-success/
- BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/21241386
- "2018/19 EFL Trophy, Group Stage: Burton Albion vs Middlesbrough U21"http://www.espn.com.au/football/match?gameId=523999
- "Why Portsmouth vs Sunderland is the worst possible EFL Trophy final"https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/portsmouth-sunderland-worst-checkatrade-efl-trophy-final
- "EFL Trophy: Checkatrade check in as trophy title sponsor"https://www.efl.com/news/2016/august/efl-trophy-checkatrade-check-in-as-trophy-title-sponsor-/
- "All you need to know ahead of the Papa Johns Trophy Final"https://www.efl.com/news/2022/april/all-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-papa-johns-trophy-final/
- "Papa John's becomes Title Sponsor of the EFL Trophy"https://www.efl.com/news/2020/october/papa-johns-becomes-title-sponsor-of-the-efl-trophy/
- "Bristol Street Motors drives EFL Trophy into new era"https://efl.com/news/2023/november/02/bristol-street-motors-drives-efl-trophy-into-new-era/
- "Bristol Street Motors Trophy renamed Vertu Trophy"https://www.efl.com/news/2024/november/21/bristol-street-motors-trophy-renamed-vertu-trophy/