PAPA JOHNS EFL FINALS/Two years' worth.

It is that weekend again! The Papa Johns (Pizza) Trophy Final(s) are being played at the home of football, Wembley. Once known as the Associate Members Cup since its founding in 1984. later it has been the Football League Trophy and the English Football League Trophy since 2016, when the FL was reorganised. Bristol City have won it most times (3)!! Not sure if that's good news or bad? and been runners up twice.

The games are not televised, there won't be a crowd and we hope that the Wembley experience is a good one for the teams. It is the 37th year of the competition that attracts English Football League clubs from Leagues One and Two and 16 Premier League Academy teams.

Last year's final (2019/20), never played due to the Covid thing, has brought together the Southern winners, Portsmouth (defending champions from two years back!) and Salford City from the Northern Section.

Portsmouth (South) had won through against: In their R1 group; Oxford United, Norwich City U21, Crawley. Then met Northampton Town in Rd2, Walsall in R3, Scunthorpe in the QF and Exeter in the Semi.       

Salford City (North) beat in their group, Aston Villa U21, Tranmere Rovers and would have played Bury who had to withdraw when the club went into liquidation and withdrew from the Football League. They then beat Wolves U21, Port Vale, Accrington Stanley in the Quarters and Newport County in the Semi.

This season's final (2020/21) one way and another has filtered out Sunderland and Tranmere Rovers, who also meet at Wembley tomorrow.The competitions have been running since September, with a group section and then knock out rounds from the Quarter-final.

Sunderland have beaten Lincoln City in the semis, MK Dons in the Q-F, Port Vale in R3 and played Oldham in Rd 2 and at the beginning in their group Fleetwood Town, Carlisle and Aston Villa U21s.

Tranmere's qualifying group included Port Vale, Wigan and Liverpool U21s. They then played Manchester City U21, Leicester City U21 in Round 2, Peterborough in the Quarter-final and Oxford United in the S-Final.

Kick off 3pm.  

               POMPEY WINNERS 2018-19

With The 2019/20 final being played the day before the 2020/21 final, Portsmouth have the honour of holding the Papa trophy, won at Wembley, for the shortest time (ie one day) and the longest....YES...the FA CUP, won in 1939 and held until 1946, for the longest period due to the Second World War! Thanks to John Coombes for reminding me of this Pompey fact!