From six-time winners to permanent owners! Manchester City’s Sheikh Mansour buys the oldest remaining FA Cup trophy for £ 760,000 at auction – with the club winning this silverware for the first time in their 1904 history!
- The second edition of the FA Cup was in use between 1896 and 1910
- Manchester City won the FA Cup for the first time in their history in 1904
- West Ham co-owner David Gold decided to sell the silverware piece last year
Secretly, Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour bought the oldest remaining FA Cup trophy for £ 760,000, Sportsmail can appear.
West Gold co-owner David Gold chose to sell the cup last year and there were fears that the trophy – used between 1896 and 1910 – could disappear from the UK.
Mansour came in to buy the second edition of the FA Cup, considered an item of international historical importance by the Arts Council, at an auction in September. City will lend the prize to the National Football Museum indefinitely.
Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour has bought the remaining remaining FA Cup for £ 760,000
The special award is particularly important for City, whose victory in 1904 was their first taste of success and there is a belief in changing the area ‘s loyalty from rugby. Manchester United’s rivals would go on to lift their first FA Cup five years later.
‘This cup is a vivid reminder of the rich and long history of English football with which Manchester City are closely associated,’ said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
Winning this cup in 1904 was a turning point for the club and the city of Manchester as it firmly established football in the heart of the community.
Sheik Mansour’s view is that such an important cultural trophy needs to be shared with the people of Manchester and the English football family. The National Football Museum is in a unique position to do just that. ‘
The National Football Museum had displayed the trophy at Preston North End’s home, Deepdale, before the gallery turned places to Manchester in 2012. But it was removed in 2019 when Gold – a spent £ 478,000 to save it in a similar situation while under control at Birmingham City 15 years ago – they decided to sell it.
West Ham co-owner David Gold put it at auction last year which was bought by Sheikh Mansour
City have won the FA Cup six times in their history – with the last one coming in the 2018-19 season
Museum chief executive Tim Desmond said: ‘We were afraid we would never see him again and that Britain would lose the FA Cup for good.
The fact that it was purchased by His Majesty Sheik Mansour and offered back to us, is just wonderful news for the preservation of our sporting heritage in this country.
‘We are blessed to have so many amazing things on display but, as the oldest remaining FA Cup, this special award was among the’ crown jewels ‘of our products.’
City are celebrating winning the 1904 FA Cup with a documentary made by the club ‘s television arm, CityTV, which was released on Friday.