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I can see both sides of this. In an ideal world we would win every game we play, but I think a lot of the reason why the FA Trophy is so unfavoured is due to its own make-up. For clubs at National League level, the money on offer is not significant, so you have to make the final to make any real money. At the earlier rounds the prize money and crowds these matches draw barely even cover the cost of having Saturday league matches moved to midweek.

On top of that, for ex-league clubs like us we have no history of competing in it, so there's no prestige attached. All sides have a history with the FA Cup, and so a cup run or giant-killing is something to relate to. Winning the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup will make us more money than a run to the last 16 or quarters of the Trophy, and beating a side a few divisions higher would mean more to us than any victory in the Trophy, where we're likely to be on the receiving end of any 'upset'.

Given all this, it's not that surprising that the FA Trophy isn't high on the list of priorities at most NL clubs. I enjoyed the day at Wembley in 2008, but we had a much bigger squad then to cope with it, and even then there were fans on here that didn't care about it and felt it cost us the chance to pip Aldershot to the league title. At the end of that season we had to play Saturday - Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday to fit in all of our fixtures, which certainly did cost us the chance to finish 2nd (and beat the club record for wins/points in a season, which we tied).

With our financial state, an FA Cup run would be huge for us, but you can't say the same thing about the FA Trophy. The FA will need to look at the format and prize money on offer before this changes, especially for National League clubs. If it became something like an FA Cup for non-league sides, with prestige for winning it and relatively good money on offer for each respective round then clubs would soon take it seriously and care about results, but until then it will remain in its current state and dividing opinion.

Last time I looked, we were in the crap financially, so we can't really pick and choose what trophies to play for.

This thread has really ruffled a few feathers. My point last night was merely stating the last 2 winners have been relegated from the national league. Remember the relief amongst many forum members last season when we lost to Bognor Regis. Of course I want Torquay to win the trophy and a visit to Wembley, but if it was to compromise our place in the league, then I know what my priorities would be.

Interesting comments from the match against Bognor,

http://torquayfans.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... or#p187508

The FA Trophy is a nice distraction - provided the club can accommodate it. Only if the squad is big enough (and good enough) to allow some rotation, and playing in it doesn't become detrimental to our league form would I be happy to see us progress. Otherwise, for me it's expendable.

I don't think it's entirely coincidental that the last 2 winners were relegated teams. And the previous two years before that involved a team from tier below.

Let's not pretend that United have ever deliberately gone out of the FA Trophy; both last season and this they went out embarrassed by teams below them in the football pecking order ~ out played, out fought and out managed...

A contributor on last season's debacle at Bognor expressed nothing more than I would expect having watched that club play some excellent football during that season and this; lose 75% of that team to better money on offer up the road at Havant & Waterlooville and then achieve promotion to the National League South with a new one just recently.

Neal posted:
'Bognor, better players and better team. Don't think we tried to lose this we didn't! Their players had better ball control and their passing was more accurate. We were absolutely clueless. That second half was about as bad as it gets folks. You reckon this lot will get out of trouble, NO CHANCE! A total waste of an afternoon that was. NOT ONE PLAYER played anywhere near any professional standard, and not one of our players would get in that Bognor team!'

Bognor Regis have consistently been like that every time I have seen them over the past two seasons; better players, better technique, superior tactics and decidedly better coached and managed AND their budget is way below Torquay United's!

'That was another occasion where Nicholson once again failed to motivate the players in a cup game against part-timers , this time from 2 leagues below. This was even worse that losing to Basingstoke in the FA Cup.' was another comment at the time.

Shit teams, poorly run clubs and badly coached teams do not need to chuck matches; the decision is taken out of their hands ~ and if those members of the Yellow Army thought United were bad at Bognor they should have been amongst the forty odd who could be arsed to go to Braintree next time round and witness another gutless, useless performance in the Trophy there!

When all is said and done, SuperNickyWroe is spot on. Right now, where would we rather be? Where United are? Or where York are? The fact that the final was between York and Macclesfield suggests that teams going for promotion didn't put the F.A. Trophy high on their list of priorities. In fact, Macclesfield had so many games to catch up on at the end of season and this may well have cost them a Play Off place.

The first and second placed teams in the league reached the semi final does kind of suggest they were serious.

threelittlepiglets wrote: 22 May 2017, 22:24 Not sure I said anywhere in my post that I think TUFC should focus on the trophy at the expense of National league survival?

I know the season has finished now but I think you need to calm down a little

you said it was a smashing advert....that's as maybe, but as a squad we have to prioritise the league.
and I don't need to calm down thanks.

threelittlepiglets wrote: 25 May 2017, 11:30 Ok I understand. Now calm down

very droll.
.....and don't talk wet.

Supes : dead pork still squealing.

Trojan 67 wrote: 27 May 2017, 18:59 Supes : dead pork still squealing.

oh yes Troj.