The Fa Challenge Trophy, (Paperback)

For many years the only realistic chance a non-league club had of playing at Wembley was in the FA Amateur Trophy, but in 1968 the FA Council approved the formation of the FA Challenge Trophy for teams from the lower leagues. In The FA Challenge Trophy, Tony Kaile has produced one of the most comprehensive records of the competition to date. It traces memorable teams, players and managers who have illuminated the competition during the past four decades. It is the record of a competition that has given hope to supporters who can dream the impossible dream of a Wembley final for their team, and an indispensable book for any true fan of this beautiful game. Tony Kaile's first involvement with football was as a toddler, crawling on a rug on the touchline at Grove Corner, the home of Portland United FC. His grandfather was President of Weymouth FC Supporters Club and from the age of five he went on to follow 'the Terras' and experience the highs and lows of 'his' team for nearly sixty years. An Engineering Designer by profession, he played various sports until forced to give up through injury. He began gathering information on the FA Challenge Trophy as a result of his hobby of collecting football programmes and this book is the culmination of many years of research, although he has had to rely on his long- suffering wife to transcribe his notes for the last few years.