Where the FA Cup trophy was hidden in plain sight during World War II

  • Bookmark

    • For the latest from the pitch sign up for our football newsletter

    We have more newsletters

    As the oldest national football competition, the FA Cup trophy boasts a wealth of enchantment, romance and glamour.

    Held aloft by some of the greatest players the world has ever seen, the iconic silverware represents the full glory and history associated with the English game but remarkably the trophy was hidden in plain sight during the Second World War as the British Isles fended off the threat of Nazi invasion.

    Due to the rise of Fascism on the continent, football was halted for seven seasons while our brave troops flocked to the frontline and FA Cup holders Portsmouth, after defeating Wolves 4-1 in the 1939 final to claim their first major honour, were tasked with finding a safe haven for the iconic trophy.

    READ MORE: Roy Keane digs out Sir Alex Ferguson with 'he always did what was right for Man Utd' jibe

    With air raid sirens running long into the night, Portsmouth Naval Base was a primary target for the Luftwaffe and so the trophy was taken 10 miles north of the city to the small Hampshire village of Lovedean.

    There it resided behind the bar on the old radio of a thatched-roof country pub named The Bird in Hand. Joan Wilkinson's father was the landlord at the time and she told the BBC how he vigorously guarded the FA Cup trophy.

    HAVE YOUR SAY! Who will win the FA Cup final? Let us know in the comments section.

    "It used to sit on top of a radio behind the bar," she said. "Father took his role very seriously. At night it could not be downstairs so it would go under the bed."

    The FA Cup was handed to Portsmouth captain Jimmy Guthrie by reigning monarch King George VI but there is no indication as to whom the courier was that delivered the trophy northwards. The trophy returned to The Bird in Hand following Portsmouth's triumph in 2008, the south coast side claiming the cup for the second time with a 1-0 victory over Cardiff City.

    Having done so well to protect the silverware during wartime, Pompey left their own mark on the trophy during the Fratton Park celebrations. A group of excited children jumped onto the stage, sending the FA Cup crashing to the floor and damaging the lid.

    "It always goes back with a few little dents in it," said Head of Communications Gary Double.

    • FA Cup
    • Portsmouth FC

    Source: Read Full Article