City are delighted to announce that we are now the proud keeper of the 1896–1910 Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) following our recent auction purchase at the auction by the club’s owner, His Majesty Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed.
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It was initially feared that the award – considered by the Arts Council to be of international historical significance – would be privately purchased and exported.
However, the trophy will now be in England for the benefit of English football.
The FA Cup preview in use today, the trophy is one of the most important items in world football and the oldest piece of FA Cup silverware in England.
It was also the first trophy won by Manchester City 116 years ago in the 1904 FA Cup final, when the Club defeated Bolton Wanderers 1-0, becoming the first club professional footballer from the city of Manchester who won great acclaim.
In the will of His Majesty Sheikh Mansour, the award was offered on loan to the National Football Museum in Manchester, where it has been held since 2005.
The award is set to be made accessible to football fans in Manchester and across the country to visit and enjoy. The National Football Museum has accepted the offer and a new exhibition space is underway, to be completed before the museum reopens when the standard COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Widely cited as the beginning of a new era in Manchester sports culture, the 1904 FA City Cup is believed to have been won by helping to establish football into the wider cultural life of the city, shifting sports loyalties away from the then better known Rugby of Manchester.
This cultural transformation was an example of the Club’s innovative decision then to take part in the first cup parade in Manchester’s history.
To commemorate the 1904 FA Cup victory at City, a documentary was made by CityTV which chronicles the story of the Cup Final and the Club ‘s tour of the tournament to the present day.
A trailer for the documentary was released today ahead of the full release on mancity.com on Saturday, January 9th.
Commenting on the trophy and purchase of His Majesty Sheikh Mansour, Chairman of the Club, Khaldoon Al Mubarak: “This Cup is a vivid reminder of the long and long history of English football with which Manchester City are closely associated.
“Winning this real cup in 1904 was a turning point for the Club and the city of Manchester as it firmly established football at the heart of the community.
“Sheikh Mansour’s view is that an award of cultural significance must be shared with the people of Manchester, the English football family, and all those who love the game of England. The National Football Museum in an unparalleled position to do so. “
National Football Museum Chief Executive Tim Desmond said: “At the National Football Museum, we are blessed to have many wonderful things on display, but, as the oldest remaining FA Cup, this special award was one of the ‘crown jewels’ of our products.
“When he left us in September 2019 to be auctioned by his then owner, we were afraid that we would never see him again and that Britain would lose the Scottish Cup. FA for good.
“The fact that it was purchased by His Majesty Sheikh Mansour and offered back to us is not only great news both for the National Football Museum but also for preserving our sporting heritage in this country.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors from Manchester, the UK and beyond to see this special award as soon as the situation allows. ”