This cup arose out of rather a confusing situation as to whether or not English football ought to be professional or amateur. The problem was that though the new Amateur Football Association hoped for the latter, many of the clubs that claimed to be amateur, would pay better players to come along and play from time to time in important matches. Then, in 1888, one of the directors of Aston Villa F.C. set about sorting this out. He wrote to several clubs, suggesting an annual competition which would set rules and guarantee that every club played against each other twice in a season, one match being at each of the club`s home grounds.
The first season saw twelve clubs compete, all from the northernly part of England, these being Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The first winner was Preston North End, who successfully defended their title in the following year. The other two winners were Everton (in 1890) and Sunderland (in 1891). Now you are probably wondering where Sunderland came from, as they are not in the list above, and the answer is that for some reason In 1890, Stoke were not re-elected to the league. Instead, Sunderland were drafted in.
Then, in 1892, a second division was formed. But that is a different cup to ours.
This card tells us that the trophy is currently held by Huddersfield Town, for the 1926-26 season. The following season saw it go to Newcastle United, then to Everton, and then to The Wednesday, who are indeed Sheffield Wednesday but would not be called so until 1929.
Now as for when this trophy was replaced, that is a strange story. The original cup, which is not this one, was made in 1871 by Martin, Hall & Co., of Sheffield, for £20. In 1895, after it had been won by Aston Villa, the cup was being displayed in the window of a shoe shop in Birmingham when it was stolen. There was a reward offered, of £10, but the cup was never found, so the Football Association fined Aston Villa £25 in order to get a new cup made. Now eventually someone did come forward, in the 1950s, and claim to have stolen it and had it melted down - though there were several inaccuracies in their story and the claim was dismissed.
That cup was then re-made almost identical in 1895, presumably with Aston Villa`s money, and it was given between 1896 (to Sheffield Wednesday) and 1910 (to Newcastle United, who finally beat Barnsley after a replay).
Then it gets confusing as it says that in 1911, a new cup was designed, but in the design which is still used today, though the cup has been replaced several times - and it looks nothing like the one on our card either. So if anyone knows this cup we show today do let us know!
Anyway this set, along with its smaller sized sibling, which was our Card of the Day for August 5 2023, is first listed in our original Churchman reference book (RB.10), published in 1948, as :
- 131. April 1927. 25 SPORTING TROPHIES (titled series). Size 2 11/16" x 1 7/16" or 67 x 36 m/m. Numbered 1-25. Fronts printed by letterpress, 4-colour half tone process. Backs in dark green, with descriptions. Printed by Mardon, Son & Hall.
- 132. May 1927. 12 SPORTING TROPHIES. Similar format to (131) but size 3 5/16" x 2 9/20" or 80 x 62 m/m
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index shortens this to
- SPORTING TROPHIES. Nd. ... C82-80
A. Small (25)
B. Large (12)
And this text remains the same, though all on one line, in our updated version - though there is a new card code, of C504-655.