Getting your hands on the trophy

[elguapo4]

Major trophies you've touched or held
F.A.I cup 1992; found out the team were meeting the Lord Mayor for a civic reception after the win, followed them round to the pub and the trophy was left in our (less than)capable hands while they had a session down the back.
Let some Newcastle fans get their photos taken with it,as they said "closest we'll get to the FA cup " still true lads unfortunately.
League of Ireland champions trophy; danced on the pitch with it when we won in 2001,also got my photo taken with it more soberly a few days later.
Sam Maguire all Ireland Gaelic football trophy; held it when one of the winning team, who worked with me while training to be a teacher, brought it in to work.
Webb Ellis rugby world cup trophy; the most unusual one, considering I don't even like Rugby. A friend of mines cousin used to be media officer with world rugby, she called him one day to say she was heading to the USA for a qualifier and did we want to see the trophy, by far the smallest of them.
I've also held the Irish league cup and the Gaelic football leinster trophy.
Anyone else?

[Ray de Galles]

The FA Cup (at some Chelsea shindig when they opened a new stand)

Six Nations Trophy and the Triple Crown plate (at my Dad's local in Porthcawl one Saturday night in 2005 as the Wales general manager drank there and brought them along)

The Ryder Cup (I was in a hospitality box for a Welsh rugby international where Colin Montgomery was a fellow guest and brought it along for some reason)

The English Rugby Premiership Trophy (at my son's mini-rugby when some Harlequins (the then holders) players brought it along)

My son and I stood right next to the Champions League Trophy (or at least one of them, I think there are two) on a plinth between us at the fan park prior to the CL final in Cardiff in 2017 but weren't allowed to touch it.

There must be some others but those come to mind most readily.

[Snake Plissken]

The Stanley Cup - HHOF
ISL Superleague Trophy
British Ice Hockey League Division One - the actual trophy was tiny so the club went out and bought one that could be seen from around the MEN Arena.

[caja-dglh]

I worked at Barclays for a time. The Premier League trophy turned up rather frequently.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The Spor Toto Süper Cup, Gaziantepspor beat Orduspor at Inönü and I managed to get a photo of myself and the then manager holding it. He was in his car too.

It's not a major trophy at all but that's the closest I've ever got.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

The Stanley Cup - HHOF

Ditto.

Also the RL Challenge Cup, the Super League trophy and the (football) European Cup.

[Simon G]

Only the two for me. The National League (Conference) trophy in 2016 and the BDO Darts World Championship Trophy last Friday evening.

[ad hoc]

A gold medal (and a silver one too) won by our local paralympic cycling champion in London 2012. Gold medals are much bigger and heavier than I imagined

[Capybara]

None. The nearest I got was when one of the FA Cup trophies went on display in Harrogate in the early 70s after Leeds had got their hands on it. My memory tells me that the trophy was replaced around this time by the fourth trophy, but looking around on line I can find no reference to this. Is my memory playing tricks?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

The FA Cup came to a pub in our village in about 2012, got a photo of me and my daughters with it. I've also posed with one of Tom Watson's claret jugs in the Mastercard tent at an Open. I've been round Liverpool and Barcelona's trophy rooms so have seen every football trophy English, Spanish and European football has to offer.

In 2014 we were on a day trip to Lake Bled in Slovenia when amid much commotion a bloke arrived with his entourage carrying the biggest sporting trophy I've ever seen. Turns out it was a Slovenian ice hockey player and something of a national hero, with the Stanley Cup.

[Southport Zeb]

None. The nearest I got was when one of the FA Cup trophies went on display in Harrogate in the early 70s after Leeds had got their hands on it. My memory tells me that the trophy was replaced around this time by the fourth trophy, but looking around on line I can find no reference to this. Is my memory playing tricks?

The fourth trophy was introduced in 1992, so Leeds never had that one.

The first trophy was used from the first competition in 1871 until 1895 when it was stolen. The second trophy was used until 1910 when it was presented to Lord Kinnaird - I can't find anything to say exactly why but it may have been to mark him being President of the FA for twenty years.

The third trophy was first used in 1911 and was the first with the current design. As mentioned above it was replaced by the fourth trophy in 1992, which itself was replaced by the fifth in 2014 - I guess an increase in "public appearances" may be the reason that the fourth trophy had a relatively short life compared to its predecessor?

[longeared]

There's three FA Cup trophies nowadays - the actual real one that is presented annually to Chelsea after the final and they retain for the next few months, then there's two identical replicas which are used for the assorted public appearances, at the draw, tours etc.

Trophies I've done - the old Barclays League Division Four. Got up close to the (previous) Six Nations trophy once but wasn't allowed to touch it. Plus I've got a photo somewhere of me wearing the medal Howard Webb was awarded for refereeing the World Cup final.

[Capybara]

The fourth trophy was introduced in 1992, so Leeds never had that one.

The first trophy was used from the first competition in 1871 until 1895 when it was stolen. The second trophy was used until 1910 when it was presented to Lord Kinnaird - I can't find anything to say exactly why but it may have been to mark him being President of the FA for twenty years.

The third trophy was first used in 1911 and was the first with the current design. As mentioned above it was replaced by the fourth trophy in 1992, which itself was replaced by the fifth in 2014 - I guess an increase in "public appearances" may be the reason that the fourth trophy had a relatively short life compared to its predecessor?

That's pretty much what I could find so I guess my memory is wrong on this, though it's normally very good on football-related stuff from the early 70s, much less so if it's recent.

[Ray de Galles]

A gold medal (and a silver one too) won by our local paralympic cycling champion in London 2012. Gold medals are much bigger and heavier than I imagined

Who was that? I may have seen them win them.

If we're talking medals too, I've held each of Andy Triggs-Hodge's three Olympic Golds from Beijing, London & Rio and Mo Sbihi's 2016 Gold and 2012 Bronze. They both row for my local club Molesey and we've attended homecoming events there after each Games.

I've got a lovely set of photos of the children with them and the medals taken every four years which must be something of an inspiration as my youngest becomes the third one to take up the sport next week.

[Ray de Galles]

There's three FA Cup trophies nowadays - the actual real one that is presented annually to Chelsea after the final and they retain for the next few months, then there's two identical replicas which are used for the assorted public appearances, at the draw, tours etc.

Trophies I've done - the old Barclays League Division Four. Got up close to the (previous) Six Nations trophy once but wasn't allowed to touch it. Plus I've got a photo somewhere of me wearing the medal Howard Webb was awarded for refereeing the World Cup final.

Why do Chelsea retain the original, or have I missed a gag?

[Nocturnal Submission]

I like the fact that it's presented annually to us! I'm not sure when that rule came in but I heartily approve.

I went into the Chelsea museum in late-2012/early-2013. There was hardly anyone around. The European Cup and the FA Cup were just sitting there with a friendly security guard watching over them and he allowed me to kiss the EC and gently caress the top of the FAC, as you do.

[ad hoc]

Who was that? I may have seen them win them.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caro...ak?wprov=sfla1

[Sam]

Don't think I've touched any. I've stood right in front of Argentina's two replica FIFA (men's) World Cup trophies, and most of the other baubles they've won, because you can just wander in to the lobby of the AFA headquarters and they'll let you wander round the display.

I could have touched the original Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol (the competition now called the Copa América) trophy, because I went to Uruguay's National Football Museum while it was still being painted and before they'd put up a glass cabinet around that trophy, and there was no one watching to make sure I didn't. But I was too chicken.