Cambridge United and Gosport Borough meet at Wembley Stadium on Sunday for the 45th FA Carlsberg Trophy Final.
Cambridge, from the Conference Premier, and Gosport, from the Conference South, are both playing in their first Final.
Managed by ex-Fulham and Liverpool centre-half Richard Money, the U's are currently in one of the Conference play-off positions.
Cambridge United v Gosport Borough
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Final
3pm Sunday 23 March 2014
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
Buy tickets: www.TheFA.com/tickets
En route to their Wembley appearance they knocked out Salisbury City, St Albans City, Luton Town, Eastleigh and Grimsby. Defender Ian Miller has already played in two Trophy Finals – for Darlington (2011) and Grimsby (2013).
Gosport, from near Portsmouth on the Hampshire coast, are just above the Conference South’s relegation zone – albeit with games in hand – and will be the underdogs.
Only seven years ago they were playing in the Wessex League at Step Five. Boss Alex Pike won The FA Vase as Wimborne Town’s manager in 1992 and has seen his Boro’ charges knock out Dorchester Town, Concord Rangers, Nuneaton Town, Hungerford Town, North Ferriby United and Havant & Waterlooville.
Two goalscorers to look out for at Wembley are Ryan Bird for the U’s and Tim Sills for Boro’. They both scored all of their clubs’ three goals in the Semi-Finals.
Clubs from the leagues immediately below the Football League previously had no realistic chance of playing in a Wembley Final before The FA Council decided to start an ‘FA Challenge Trophy’ competition in 1969.
Gosport and Cambridge managers and captains with The FA Trophy
It was open to all non-Football League clubs registering professional players. Macclesfield Town were the first winners, beating Telford United 2-0 before a 28,000 Wembley crowd.
The Trophy Final came back to the almost brand new Wembley in 2007.
Stevenage Borough edged Kidderminster Harriers 3-2 before a record attendance for the competition of 53,262 and Stevenage skipper Ronnie Henry became the first to lead his team up the 107 steps to the Royal Box.
The Trophy holders are Wrexham, who beat fellow Conference Premier side Grimsby Town on penalties after a 1-1 draw in last year’s showpiece.
Tickets are priced at £30 for adults and £15 for children under 16.
You can buy your ticket online by clicking here or by calling out hotline on 0844 980 0656.
