Since its creation in September 2006, the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy has given sides from the Football League the chance to experience the highs and lows of a classic knock-out tournament. As a result, fans from across the country now have over five seasons’ worth of colourful memories from the beautiful game.
The tournament features all 48 clubs from League One and League Two and is split into northern and southern regional sections – creating a pot full of spine-tingling derbies in the early rounds. With a match format that encourages attacking play and penalty-shoot out drama, entertaining spectacles are guaranteed.
The first of many memories were created in front of 59,024 supporters at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, with Doncaster Rovers beating Bristol Rovers 3-2 in extra-time to clinch the 2007 crown.
Rovers’ chairman, John Ryan, has continually cited the trophy as one of the main reasons behind the clubs revival.
One year later, at the new Wembley Stadium, the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy became a name forever associated with MK Dons after Pete Winklemen’s outfit won the coveted prize.
Their 2-0 win over Grimsby Town in front of 56,618 supporters officially signalled the start of a new era for the club, providing an excellent platform for their then manager Paul Ince to build upon.
The trophy was then the driving force behind another compelling story in 2009, when more than 40,000 Luton Town fans made the 40 mile journey to Wembley to watch a quite mesmeric game of football against Scunthorpe United.
Hailed as the best domestic final ever witnessed at the new Wembley Stadium, the Hatters defied the formbook and tipped the league tables on their head, edging a classic encounter by three goals to two - courtesy of Claude Gnakpa’s slow-motion lob in extra time.
Town captain Kevin Nicholls memorably promised to share his man-of-the-match award with every one of his team-mates and hailed winning the trophy as a highlight of his career.
With such a glorious afternoon of football living so long in the memory, it was difficult to imagine another day to rival it.
But in customary Johnstone’s Paint Trophy style, March 28th 2010 became that day.
Southampton shattered records on the field of play by claiming a 4-1 victory over Carlisle United in front of 73,476 football fans – the highest attendance for a trophy final and the second biggest in the entire history of the Football League Trophy.
It surpassed the number of fans who watched the equivalent of the FA Cup Final last season in Spain, Italy and Holland.
The result also equalled a record for the largest winning margin in any trophy final, while Southampton’s 44,000 following was the biggest fan base ever recorded at the new Wembley Stadium.
Trophy veterans Carlisle United returned to Wembley for the 2011 final to face an in form Brentford. The Cumbrian outfit rectified their mistakes from the season before and rewarded their loyal fan base with a tense 1-0 win.
As we look forward to etching another name on the trophy in 2012, one thing is for certain – football drama is guaranteed.
But one thing we can definitely be sure of: 49 more fixtures with as much vibrancy and colour as the Johnstone’s Paint brand itself.
©2009 Johnstone's Paint Site by Cogent Elliott
