FA Trophy - best season?

[DJ]

Quite a few have been asking what is the best we’ve ever done in the FA Trophy? A direct comparison of round stages is a bit confused by the changes to the Qualifying and Proper rounds over the years (due to non-league re-organisation). So in the modern format, it is true we’ve never before got to the 2nd Round proper and we are now in the last 32. It is also true of course that we’ve never played and successfully negotiated so many rounds as this season.

Both Doncaster (1999-2000) and Alfreton (2002-03) stick in the memory as good Trophy years and were both in the 3rd Round at that time. But we actually only made it to the last 64 teams. Tamworth (2005-06) saw us reach the 1st Round in the more modern format, and this was again down to the last 64 teams.

But I reckon the best was 25 years ago in 1994-95 when there were just 16 teams left in the competition when we played at Rushden & Diamonds in the 3rd Round. The fact we were still in the competition in early March also indicates this was the furthest we’ve managed to get.

Sadly, Saturday 4th March 1995 proved to be a very disappointing day as the Yeltz were well beaten at Rushden. Here’s one of my pics from that day at Nene Park, Rushden (the rise and fall of Nene Park and Rushden is of course a whole story all of its own). After a spell of bad weather, the pitch was quite soggy with plenty of melting snow (cleared snow can clearly be seen on the touchlines). It’s not worth forensically inspecting the rare early example of an electronic scoreboard too closely though, as it already shows 4-1 after 48 minutes and we ended up losing 6-1 that afternoon.

[Laurel Lane Lamper]

Great photo DJ!
I remember this match very clearly ...... I had to go to work :-(

[Magnus]

What I remember of this match was that it was the most even 6 - 1 defeat ever. They attacked and scored; we attacked and missed; they attacked and scored ;we attacked and missed etc, etc for most of the match. Or has my memory gone haywire?

[AwayDayYeltz]

What I remember of this match was that it was the most even 6 - 1 defeat ever. They attacked and scored; we attacked and missed; they attacked and scored ;we attacked and missed etc, etc for most of the match. Or has my memory gone haywire?

That sounds a lot like last season. Except we didn't attack.

[andy]

What I remember of this match was that it was the most even 6 - 1 defeat ever. They attacked and scored; we attacked and missed; they attacked and scored ;we attacked and missed etc, etc for most of the match. Or has my memory gone haywire?

I seem to remember it flattered them immensely, good a side as they were. Great times going there though. Wonderful set up for a club at that level then. Best non league ground I've ever been to with Halesowen. An absolute tragedy for them to then lose their new home in such a short space of time. Two and a half thousand there for that game and three and a half thousand the following year for that momentus match that we won while chasing them for the title.

[andy]

Aside from the seasons you've mentioned we've barely won a game. It really hasn't been a happy competition for us.

[Magnus]

Another memory of that ground - but possibly not that match- was that because there was such a huge crowd getting off the car park took nearly an hour. But we could listen to the match report on Radio Rushden, You don't get that at many grounds at whatever level.

[Laurel Lane Lamper]

Aside from the seasons you've mentioned we've barely won a game. It really hasn't been a happy competition for us.

Won 34 Lost 37 Drawn 18 For 140 Against 142

[andy]

Aside from the seasons you've mentioned we've barely won a game. It really hasn't been a happy competition for us.

Won 34 Lost 37 Drawn 18 For 140 Against 142

A quick check of our 37 attempts so far suggest going out in the first game 21 times, including our first 5 seasons and the the first 5 seasons after we rejoined it from the Vase in 1987. One solitary win in eleven attempts. We broke that second run with a bye. . I think this year is the first time we have ever won more than 3 ties.

[HalesowenHarry]

this is a relatively well kept, if pretty simple, website for such info

http://www.fchd.info/HALESOWT.HTM