The Football League Group Cup has been a feature of the English game’s annual calendar for 43 years.
It was once a cup competition for the third and fourth divisions, but its name has since changed numerous times.
Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United, the 2014 winners, square off in this year’s final.
Whatever the name, it’s a fantastic event for the players and the fans alike, and a winners’ medal at Wembley is always memorable.
Peterborough and Wycombe’s record in the competition
Exactly ten years have passed since Darren Ferguson led Peterborough to an EFL Trophy final triumph over Chesterfield, during the second of his four managerial stints at the time.
Posh lead 2-1 at the break after to goals from Josh McQuoid and Shaun Brisley. Despite a late goal from Chesterfield, Britt Assombalonga’s penalty kick in the 78th minute ensured the win.
Ferguson, who had scored in the 2005 final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium when Wrexham defeated Southend United 2-0, achieved a noteworthy double.
This is Wycombe’s first visit to the national stadium in the third-fourth tier cup tournament, despite their success in play-off finals at Wembley.
Their greatest run came in 2016–17, when Gareth Ainsworth’s team advanced to the semifinals before falling to eventual winners Coventry City 2-1, despite Adebayo Akinfenwa’s goal in the second half.
What is the record against each other?
The only other time Peterborough and Wycombe have faced off in the EFL Trophy was during a group match from the previous season, which finished in a 1-1 draw but saw the Chairboys win 4-3 on penalties.
They have also won three of the last four league meetings, including both of this season’s League One games, giving them the advantage in recent confrontations.
In October, Wycombe and Peterborough drew 2-2 in a match that was noteworthy for Ephron Mason-Clark’s own goal in the 61st minute, which gave Wycombe a point.
In the rematch at Adams Park last month, there was a lot of goal action in the second half after Wycombe’s goals from Kane Vincent-Young and Jack Grimmer before the half.
Posh drew one back to 2-2, but Sam Vokes gave the home team the lead again, and goals in stoppage time from David Wheeler and Beryly Lubala gave Matt Bloomfield’s team its greatest League One victory of the year, 5-2.
How did the clubs get to the championship game?
Wycombe had a perfect record in this year’s competition after winning all three of their group matches. They advanced to the semi-finals by defeating Fulham, West Ham and Brighton’s Under-21 teams.
The Chairboys advanced to the final four by virtue of substitute Matt Butcher’s stoppage-time goal, despite being outplayed for the majority of the match. They had to travel to League Two team Bradford City.
Even though Peterborough’s most recent game ended in a 1-0 loss to Colchester United, they still finished first in their group and dispatched two more League Two teams, Crawley and AFC Wimbledon, after defeating Arsenal’s Under-21 team 3-0.
Posh faced a difficult semi-final journey to Blackpool, winners in 2002 and 2004, but they prevailed 3-0 at Bloomfield Road to get revenge for a 2-1 loss to the Seasiders just three days earlier.
Harrison Burrows struck twice in the closing minutes to guarantee their spot at Wembley after Malik Mothersille had placed them ahead.
Posh and the Chairboys at Wembley
Peterborough has just twice played at the national stadium, excluding the 2014 final.
In the 1992 play-off finals, they defeated Stockport County 2-1 with a brace from Ken Charlery, and they defeated Darlington 1-0 in 2000 with a goal from Andy Clarke.
Wycombe’s first appearance at Wembley dates back to 1957, when they lost the FA Amateur Cup final to Bishop Auckland 3-1.
Before winning a spot in the EFL and defeating Preston North End 4-2 in front of 40,000 spectators in 1994 to win promotion to the third division, they won the FA Trophy twice in three seasons.
In the League Two play-off final in 2015, they drew 1-1 with Southend United and lost 7-6 on penalties.
They advanced to the Championship for the first time four years prior via to a penalty kick from Joe Jacobson in a 2-1 victory against Oxford. However, in 2022, in front of 72,332 fans, they were unable to duplicate that success as they lost 2-0 to Sunderland.
Distribution of tickets: How many spectators are expected?
A total of 25,000 tickets were initially distributed to both teams: Wycombe’s for the West Stand and Peterborough’s for the East Stand.
Sports Editor for BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Peter Swan
This season, Darren Ferguson’s young Peterborough team has surpassed all expectations.
Posh are still in the heart of things when it comes to League One promotion moving into the last few weeks of the season, even though a number of important players left London Road last summer.
They have been winning games with style in addition to winning contests.
Even though two-time League One golden boot winner Jonson Clarke-Harris has mostly been played from the bench in recent months, Ferguson’s team has been the league’s top scorers for the majority of the season.
Sam Avery, the Wycombe commentator for BBC Three Counties Radio
In Matt Bloomfield’s first full season as manager, Wycombe has had a transitional campaign, but their run for the EFL Trophy has unquestionably been the apex.
The Chairboys have a propensity to step up their game in this competition this year, and it was the one bright spot in the league prior to the new year during a 12-match losing streak.
Wycombe has a strong recent record against the Posh, and this season they really want to avoid entering these kinds of games with a sense of inferiority.
But will Peterborough be the target of yet another offensive strategy under the Wembley roof?
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