[Larry-AV]

I copied the Wiki entry on the Football League Trophy back in 2014, extracts below.
If the competition had been running back in 1970 I would have fully expected Aston Villa to have won it when AVFC was in the Third Division, Seasons 1970-1971 and 1971-1972.
Rangers should have won the Scottish Challenge Cup by now; it is an unwanted opportunity, but nevertheless, one that is there to be taken.

Football League Trophy

As at 30/03/2014

The competition began in the 1983–84 season as the Associate Members' Cup but, from 1992, it has been named the Football League Trophy, after the lower-division clubs became full members of the Football League. The competition replaced the short-lived Football League Group Cup, a competition which was only played in 1981/82 and 1982/83 (although confusingly, in the second year it was also called the Football League Trophy). The competition has been associated with a title sponsor since its second edition.

Participants
The competition has always been contested by all teams at Levels Three and Four of the English football league system. However, between 2000/01 and 2005/06 the event was also open to a certain number of Football Conference sides.

The Conference National is at Level 5 in England.