The Football Association has reached agreement with builders’ merchants Buildbase to become the new title sponsor for The FA Trophy and The FA Vase.
England’s two premier non-league competitions will be known as “The Buildbase FA Trophy” and “The Buildbase FA Vase”.
Commenting on the new deal, FA Chief Executive Martin Glenn said: “The FA Trophy and The FA Vase are important competitions for football in this country; for the clubs, their local communities and of course their players and fans. We are delighted to welcome Buildbase as the new title partner of both competitions.
“There was a great deal of interest from brands to partner with these unique competitions; however from the outset it was evident that Buildbase shared our passion for non-league football and its two showpiece tournaments.”
Kate Tinsley, CEO of Buildbase, said: “Grassroots is the heartbeat of English football and we are delighted to put our name to these two brilliant cup competitions. The Vase and the Trophy both exemplify the spirit and passion of the national game.
“At the heart of the community, football clubs mean a lot to people in the area and beyond. This local spirit runs throughout our business as branches recognise the value of investing in and being part of their communities. We look forward to actively supporting the teams involved in the two competitions throughout the season and we can’t wait to get started.”
The Buildbase FA Trophy is open to clubs playing in Steps 1-4 of The FA National League System the four tiers immediately below League Two of the English Football League. The forthcoming season will see 276 clubs contesting for top honours with the Preliminary Round taking place on October 8.
The Buildbase FA Vase is open to Clubs at Step 5-7 of The FA National League System and the 2016/17 season features 592 Clubs with the Competition commencing on Saturday 10 September with 194 matches being played in the First Round Qualifying.
Last season marked the first combined Non-League Finals Day to take place at Wembley with both matches being broadcast live on BT Sport. It also saw over 45,000 fans flock to Wembley to enjoy a carnival atmosphere and back-to-back games which conjured six goals between them.
Morpeth Town beat Hereford 4–1 to claim the Vase while FC Halifax Town caused an upset by beating promoted Grimsby Town 1-0 to be hailed Trophy winners.
Image (left to right): The Buildbase FA Trophy and the Buildbase FA Vase
