Thomas was named the man of the match, telling interviewers that "to get the winner at Wembley in a cup final is what dreams are made of". Like Robins he praised the club's fans, saying they had "been unbelievable throughout the whole season and today everyone came and had a great time". Robins commented on the importance of the victory for Coventry's supporters. "It's 30 years since they’ve been to Wembley", he said after the game, "and it was really important for us as a football club to show the world that we are still alive and kicking. It gives everybody a reminder that we have a really good fanbase and there's so much potential at this place." In his post-match interview, Oxford manager Appleton said his principal feeling about the game was one of frustration. "The game was probably decided in both boxes today. Coventry had a hunger and a desire to keep the ball out of the net more than we did. When you need to win finals, that's the type of desire you need," he said. The Lord Mayor of Coventry had commented before the game that he would be open to the possibility of a parade and civic reception, similar to that after the team's victory in the 1987 FA Cup. The club declined to pursue this, however. Despite the cup win, Coventry were relegated to League Two at the end of the season, finishing 23rd out of 24 teams in League One. Their stay in the league's bottom tier was limited to one season, however, as they returned to Wembley one year later for the 2018 League Two play-off Final, recording a 3–1 win against Exeter City. Oxford United still retained the possibility of reaching the play-offs at the time of the final, but they eventually finished the season in eighth place, four points adrift of Millwall who took sixth place and the final play-off berth. At the end of the 2016–17 season, representatives from League One and League Two clubs met to discuss the future of the EFL Trophy, in particular, whether to retain the inclusion of academy teams. There were three options under consideration – retaining the 64-team format, dropping the academy teams and reverting to a 48-team tournament, or cancelling the competition altogether. There was some disagreement among the clubs, but ultimately the 64-team version was retained for at least the next