The “real” FA Cup was on show at Needham Market’s Bloomfields Stadium yesterday.
Unveiled on the pitch and offering chance for club officials and some lucky children from Bosmere Community Primary School to have their pictures alongside it, the famous cup looked resplendent, complete with red ribbons.
The current cup was first lifted in 1992 when Liverpool defeated Sunderland 2-0 and is insured for an eye-watering £1.5m.
It was sat on its base which, sadly wasn’t the real thing – the original, complete with the successful winning team names etched on it, is safely housed at FA HQ and is insured for £4.5m.
Looking closely at the cup, it carried the odd scuff and scratch and also did not sit straight on the base, courtesy of the over-exuberant celebrations it has been a part of over the years.
This year’s winners will lift the cup that was at Bloomfields yesterday, before immediately handing it back to the FA, who will then give the successful club a replica that they are allowed to parade for two weeks, before handing it back.
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