The Football Blog

The famous trophy is nicked today in 1895

Today in 1895 the world's greatest trophy for the world's greatest cup competition in the world's greatest game was nicked. No, not the World Curling Championship Trophy, but the FA Cup.

Only days after Aston Villa had defeated West Brom 1-0 to win the famous cup, the trophy was stolen from the local equipment shop it was being proudly displayed in. And before we carry on with the story, just how sweet and innocent is it that it was being displayed in a local equipment shop? Those were the days indeed....

Anyway. Despite a £10 reward being offered to anyone who could help find old shiny jug-ears, Villa were fined £25 by the FA to commission a new one after it didn't turn up.

At least not for another 60 years, until one 83-year-old Brummy called Harry Burge came forward claiming to have stolen it all those years ago. He claimed to have melted the cup down, making it impossible to prove. We just hope Villa asked for their £25 back...

Also on this day, in 1997, fed up with England's strict policies on battered Mars Bars and Special Brew, Scotland voted to establish a devoluted Parliament.

Meanwhile, in 2001, the September 11th attacks destroy the World Trade Centre and part of the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people.

And it's Bashar al-Assad! As they say in Syria, to; fat comedian, Johnny Vegas (37), thin musician, Moby (43) and der Kaiser, Franz Beckenbaur (63). Today would also have been D.H Lawrence's 123rd birthday, had he not died of Tuberculosis 77 years ago.