The FA Carlsberg Trophy
Second Round Proper
Saturday 10 January - Sunday 11 January 2009
Winning clubs will receive £6,000 from The FA
The FA Trophy, now in its 40th season, is well established as the premier knockout competition for non-League sides.
There are some big names in the coming weekend's Second Round Proper, with no fewer than TWELVE former Football League clubs in Trophy action.
Wrexham are the newest to the competition, having been relegated from League Two last season to end 87 years of League membership. The Welsh club were one of the original members of Division Three North in 1921 and they travel to Basingstoke Town for an intriguing tie in The Trophy on Sunday.
Torquay United lost their League status after 80 years but made an immediate impact in their first Trophy season, losing to Ebbsfleet United in The Final before more than 40,000 fans at Wembley. The Gulls now have a home tie with Rushden & Diamonds, themselves a League club from 2001 to 2006.
Barrow play Workington at Holker Street, with the home club having been in the League from 1921 to 1972 and the visitors from 1951 to 1977. Their last League meeting, in the old Division Four, finished 2-0 in Barrow's favour.
Kidderminster Harriers, at Ilkeston on Saturday, were a League club from 2000 to 2005 and Oxford United, at home to York City, enjoyed League membership from 1962 to 2006.
York's time in the League lasted from 1929 to 2004. Cambridge United, at home to Crawley Town, were in the League from 1970 to 2005 and Southport, away to Durham City, were there from 1921 to 1978.
Durham City and Stalybridge, the latter facing a difficult trip to Trophy holders Ebbsfleet on Saturday, are the less familiar names amonst the former non-League ranks. Durham joined Division Three North in 1921 and weren't re-elected after finishing second from bottom seven years later. Stalybridge resigned after just two seasons.