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Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour secretly bought the oldest FA Cup trophy for £ 760,000, Sportsmail can reveal.
David Gold, the West Ham co-owner, opted to sell the cup last year and it was feared that the trophy, in use between 1896 and 1910, could disappear from the UK.
Mansour stepped 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. The city will lend the trophy to the National Football Museum indefinitely.
The specific trophy has special meaning for City, whose victory in 1904 was their first test of success and is credited with changing the region’s loyalty to rugby. Rivals Manchester United would lift their first FA Cup five years later.
“This cup is a visible reminder of the rich and long history of English football to which Manchester City is inextricably linked,” said City president Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
“Winning this trophy in 1904 was a turning point for the club and for the city of Manchester, as it firmly established football in the heart of its community.
“Sheik Mansour’s view is that a trophy of such cultural significance should be shared with the people of Manchester and the English football family. The National Football Museum is in a unique position to do that. ‘
The National Football Museum had displayed the cup in the Preston North End home, Deepdale, before the gallery moved to Manchester in 2012. But it was removed in 2019 when Gold, who spent £ 478,000 to store it in a similar situation. While in control of Birmingham City 15 years ago, he decided to sell it.
The museum’s executive director, Tim Desmond, said: “We were afraid we would never see it again and that Great Britain would be losing the FA Cup forever.
“The fact that it was purchased by His Highness Sheikh Mansour and returned to us is simply wonderful news for the preservation of our sporting heritage in this country.
“ We are fortunate to have many wonderful items on display, but as the oldest surviving FA Cup, this particular trophy was among the ‘crown jewels’ of our artifacts. ”
City are commemorating their 1904 FA Cup victory with a documentary produced by the club’s television division, CityTV, which will premiere on Friday.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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