Birmingham City and Peterborough United’s route to the Vertu Trophy final explained as history beckons for one team

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Having met in midweek for Birmingham City to secure promotion back to the Championship away to Peterborough United, the pair will face off again this weekend at Wembley.

The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy has had many names in recent years, including the Papa Johns Trophy, the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, but is now commonly referred to as the Vertu Trophy.

Either Birmingham or Peterborough will take home this year’s Vertu Trophy trophy via a trip to the capital on Sunday. The 13th of April will see the holders of 2023/24’s trophy take on the champions of League One now heading back to the Championship.

A 2-1 win, thanks to goals from Alfie May and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, secured victory for Blues away to Posh, although Kwame Poku’s was perhaps a glimpse of the the threat Darren Ferguson’s side carry ahead of the final.

It is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in League One and League Two, but also some U-21 teams from the Premier League and the Championship. The current competition begins with 16 regional groups, each containing four teams and divided between northern and southern sections.

It depends on the clubs’ geographic locations. Blues and Posh were both in the southern region this year. Here, we take a look at their respective routes to reaching the final in 2024/25.

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Birmingham City’s route to the final of the Vertu Trophy

Birmingham were drawn in Group A alongside local rivals Walsall and Shrewsbury Town, as well as Fulham’s U-21 side. They drew the first game against the League Two high-flyers 1-1 thanks to a late equaliser from Christoph Klarer. However, Walsall secured the extra point after a 4-3 win on penalties.

That was at St. Andrew’s but the next clash came away to Shrewsbury. They thumped their hosts 4-0, with a Scott Wright brace in the first half added to by Tomoki Iwata and Emil Hansson goals either side of the half.

They saved the best until last in the final group game, with a 7-1 thrashing of the Premier League’s U-21 team. Jay Stansfield scored twice against his former club, while Alfie May, Keshi Anderson, and Lyndon Dykes also scored. Ayumu Yokoyama also helped himself to a brace to secure Birmingham’s place in the next round in second after an impresssive eight-point haul for Walsall saw them top the group.

Birmingham were then drawn away to another of Stansfield’s former sides in Exeter City at the Round of 32 stage. They secured a 2-1 win late on through Luke Harris and Anderson goals at St. James Park, which set up a Round of 16 game against a League Two outfit.

Ian Holloway’s Swindon Town have been flying in the fourth tier since his arrival. But another away game was ticked off with a late showing. Yokoyama put Blues ahead before an 89th minute Harry Smith own goal via a corner secured their place in the quarter-finals.

Chris Davies’ side were drawn away again, and left it late again. They were back against League One opposition in Stevenage and it took until the 83rd minute for Stansfield to win it after a lofted pass over the defence was stabbed home by the main man.

Finally, in the last round and semi-final stage, Blues were handed a home tie again. This time they faced the lowest-ranked side left in the competition in Bradford City. Stansfield put them ahead before Bobby Pointon’s equaliser at a packed out St. Andrew’s. But, as with many ties before it, they won it late through Dykes to secure their place in the final.

• READ MORE: Birmingham City on course to annihilate 14-year League One record, they’ve already broken two this season

Peterborough United’s route to the final of the Vertu Trophy

Peterborough United navigated their group stage comfortably against Stevenage, Gillingham, and Crystal Palace’s U-21 team. They faced the League Two side first, securing a 2-1 victory through Ricky-Jade Jones and Bradley Ihionvien before Gills’ late consolation.

Malik Mothersille and Jack Sparkes goals saw off Stevenage in the second game at home before a 4-1 thrashing of Crystal Palace in their final game at London Road. Palace’s young outfit were taught a lesson by an Abraham Odoh brace and Cian Hayes and Harley Mills goals to win all nine points without penalties required.

They were then drawn to Northampton Town in a home game. Their home form has been crucial all season in league and cup and Jones, Odoh, and Ryan de Havilland secured the goals to book their place in the Round of 16.

Posh then came up against the side who topped the group over Birmingham in Walsall. It was a goal fest at London Road, with Peterborough running out 4-2 winners via a pair of braces from Gustav Lindgren and Mothersille in front of over 2000 supporters.

The quarter-finals were also played at home, with Posh drawn to Cheltenham Town. In a game that really ebbed and flowed, with Peterborough lesson and then falling behind, they eventually got their noses in front and stayed there. A 3-2 win was secured via Hector Kyprianou, Odoh, and Jones to set up a titanic clash with Wrexham.

In only their second away game of the competition, Posh faced a trip to Wales and the Racecourse. They saved the best until last, having fallen 2-0 behind before half-time. They left it late to fight back when it looked all but over, with Mothersille and Ihionvien the heroes yet again to take it to penalties. Mothersille missed his spot kick but it didn’t matter with Kyprianou securing a 4-2 win to see them into the final.

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One team will make history in the Vertu Trophy final

Blues will have to beat the current champions Peterborough after they beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 in the 2024 final. The most successful club is Bristol City, who have lifted the trophy three times, in 1986, 2003 and 2015, and were finalists in 1987 and 2000.

However, both have the opportunity to make history on that front. Peterborough can be first team to retain trophy. In the process, they can also become the joint-most successful team in EFL Trophy history with their third win matching Bristol City’s achievement.

While Birmingham are chasing records in the league, they can secure promotion and a trophy in the same week, which would be a huge achievement in and of itself. But, in doing so, a league and EFL Trophy double would be secured for the first time in 30 years.

That will make them one of only a few teams to be promoted and win the EFL Trophy in the same year. It has only happened eight times previously, with Blues achieving it in 1994/95.

We’re not sure who will claim victory, even with Birmingham’s dress rehearsal win in midweek, and having won 3-2 in the reverse fixture in September. The champions’ celebrations last night could have some say if they took it too far, although the league table suggests that Blues will win comfortably — we aren’t so sure it will be that simple.