08 May 2006
Oldest Surviving FA Cup Exhibition Officially Opened
The FA Cup, the world's most glamorous and romantic domestic knock-out cup competition trophy, is finally to go on public display at the National Football Museum in Preston. It is to be displayed as part of a new exhibition 'Saved For The Nation: The Story of the FA Cup', which will be officially opened on Tuesday 9th May, at 2.00pm.
Ninety six years ago the trophy disappeared from public view after it had been presented to the then Secretary of the Football Association, Lord Kinnaird. The trophy was given as a reward for Kinnaird's outstanding service to the world's oldest football association.
The Cup, manufactured for the 1896 FA Cup Final, replaced the original trophy that had been stolen from a Birmingham sports goods shop after Aston Villa had won it in 1895.
The FA Cup which will be displayed in the exhibition, was used from 1896 to 1910 before it was replaced for copyright reasons. It remained in the Kinnaird family until it was put up for auction in 2005.
Fearful that a unique piece of English football heritage could be lost to a private collector overseas, the Chairman and co-owner of Birmingham City FC, David Gold, stepped forward to buy the trophy at auction for a staggering £478,000.
Having secured the treasure for the nation he then offered the trophy on a long-term loan to the National Football Museum.
Mr Gold said: "I am thrilled and excited about the exhibition. I purchased the Cup on behalf of all British football fans and have teamed up with the National Football Museum to ensure that as many fans as possible have access to it."
Kevin Moore, Director of the National Football Museum said: "We are delighted that Mr Gold thought of the Museum after purchasing this trophy. It holds a unique place in the history of the game and has been awarded at some truly momentous Cup Finals, not least the highest ever scoring Final in the competition's history, in 1903, when Bury beat Derby County 6-0. It was also the first trophy that Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur won."
Thanks to funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) the Museum has been able to create a travelling exhibition that will tour to a number of venues across the country over the next year.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA said: "England's Northwest has a rich sporting heritage and was the birthplace of professional football, making it the ideal location to house this iconic trophy. The National Football Museum is one of the region's key tourist attractions and so the NWDA is pleased to support this unique exhibition, which I'm sure will attract many visitors from across the region and beyond."
Explaining the importance of the award, HLF's Tony Jones said, "As the oldest surviving FA Cup, this trophy represents an important piece of our sporting heritage. Football has a long and colourful history in the UK and this travelling exhibition will enable people from all over the UK to learn about and appreciate the history of the Cup and the sport. Everyone can now have the opportunity to experience the glamour and excitement of one of the world's most famous games at first hand."
The exhibition, which will be officially opened by Steven Broomhead and David Gold, will ensure that many thousands of football fans, from across the country, will enjoy the FA Cup for many years to come.
ENDS
For further information telephone: Mark Bushell (07793 837764)
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation's heritage for everyone to enjoy. We have supported more than 16,600 projects, allocating over £3.3 billion across the UK.
For further information, please contact:
Nicky Price, Heritage Lottery Fund - Tel: 020 7591 6046, email nickyp@hlf.org.uk
Website: www.hlf.org.uk