BEVERLY HILLS, January 08, (THEWILL) – Sheikh Mansour, the 50-year-old owner of English Premier League club, Manchester City, has purchased the oldest surviving FA Cup trophy which the club won in 1904. One hundred and sixteen years ago, the Cup was City’s first trophy, earned after a lone goal victory over Bolton Wanderers.
Mansour, whose full name is Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, is an Emirati politician and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates. He is also the minister of presidential affairs and member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi. He took over as owner of City in August 2008.
Since then, Mansour has invested heavily in the club, overhauling the infrastructure and completely transforming it from mediocrity into a Premier League and European heavyweight, and they have been considered title contenders ever since with a couple of title wins under their belt.
When the oldest surviving FA Cup trophy, which was previously under the possession of English Businessman and West Ham co-owner David Gold, was put up for auction, Mansour, to avoid a situation where the trophy could be sold abroad and be forever lost, won the auction at an estimated £760K.
As a result, the trophy will remain in the UK as it is to be loaned back to the National Football Museum, the same place where it has been housed since 2005.
Commenting on Mansour’s intent on protecting the history of English football and Manchester City’s early club achievements, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, noted: “This cup is a visible reminder of the rich and long history of English football.
“Winning this actual trophy in 1904 was a turning point for the club and for the city of Manchester in that it firmly cemented football in the heart of its community.”
City’s 1904 success was regarded as a pivotal turning point for Manchester as a city in the direction of football rather than rugby union, which which was the sport with which it used to identified in the years before then.
So far, City have won the FA cup six times in their history, with the most recent triumph in 2019. Current holders Arsenal are most successful FA Cup side. They have lifted the trophy 14 times, which is a record.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
