Football League Trophy (and predecessors)
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| Organising body | English Football League |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 (as the Associate Members' Cup) |
| Region |
 England Wales
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| Number of teams | 64 |
| Current champions | Coventry City (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Bristol City (3 titles) |
 2017–18 EFL Trophy
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The EFL Trophy (English Football League Trophy) is an annual English association football knockout competition open to the 48 clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two, the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system and, since the 2016–17 season, 16 under-21 sides from Premier League and EFL Championship clubs. It is the third most prestigious knockout trophy in English football after the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
It began in the 1983–84 season as the Associate Members' Cup, but in 1992, after the lower-division clubs became full members of the Football League, it was renamed the Football League Trophy. The competition replaced the short-lived Football League Group Cup. It was renamed again in 2016, as the EFL Trophy. The competition has been associated with a title sponsor since its second edition: currently, it is known as the Checkatrade Trophy.
The first draws are made in August, then the competition runs as 16 regional groups, each containing four teams. The top two from each group qualify for the knockout stages before the two winners meet in late March or early April in the final at England's national stadium, Wembley. The basic north/south format of the competition has existed since its beginnings, although other details have varied over the years, including in some years inviting clubs from the semi-professional Conference Premier, and holding a round-robin group stage prior to moving into knock-out rounds.
The current (2016–17) champions are Coventry City, who beat Oxford United 2-1 in the final to win the competition for the first time. The most successful club is Bristol City, having lifted the trophy a record three times, in 1986, 2003 and 2015 and were finalists in 1987, 1990 and 2000.
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