‘The issue of the FA cup which I have not pinned down is who made the second cup, which was given to Lord Kinnaird and is certainly still around. It was displayed around the country over a decade ago owned by David Gold, then owner of Birmingham City.
The first cup was certainly made by Vaughtons and they have an even bigger claim to football fame.
Howard Vaughton of the firm played for Aston Villa in the 1880s and was selected five times for England. A remarkable achievement made more so because he was an amateur, playing for fun.
But what makes Vaughtons place secure for ever in the history books is that he was the first player in football history to score a hat-trick in an international football match, which he did on 18th February 1882. Indeed, he scored five in a 13-0 game against the Irish. How he managed to do any work is a mystery since he won the English ice-skating championship, played county cricket, was a racing cyclist and a first-class swimmer
We will never know what happened to the first Cup, stolen from a Birmingham shop window, but the incident gave Villa fans the classic crack to use against Blues supporters – “We’ve lost the Cup more times than you have won it”.
Trevor Fisher’ Author, VILLA FOR ENGLAND
