I didn’t fully appreciate the history of the FA Cup until this issue was released. I really like the minisheet – love the old memorabilia!
We also have the Covid Heroes stamps. I think these are fantastic! The thought, time and effort that’s gone into these drawings for the competition – I think they’re all winners!
We have the Tariff change coming out 4th April. For those who collect Definitives, these will be sent out separately as there is not only the standard Tariff change, but there is also the High Value Definitives and the Low Value Definitives. Cotswold & Stuart customers have got a special discount for this bundle!
Migratory Birds (7th April) is a stamp only issue, so it will be sent out mid-May with Unsung Heroes: Women of WW2 (5th May), which has stamps, minisheet and PSB.
Spring is definitely in the air – the daffodils are up, as are the crocuses and the tulips. I love the longer days and the sunny mornings too; things seem much more positive in the Spring. Clocks are due to change as well, so remember to do that on the 27th March! You will see that Royal Mail are moving more towards the barcoded stamps; they do have a ‘swap scheme’ and it is just for the definitive style stamps rather than the commemorative/pictorial ones. You’ve got until January 2023 to use the Definitives up or swap them (if you have a lot and think it’s unlikely you’ll use them all in that time!). Please contact the office if you would like more information on this scheme.
In the meantime, keep collecting!
The FA Cup Trophy
Between 1872 and 1910, English clubs competed for small trophies. The first was made for £20 by Martin, Hall & Co, but was stolen from a shoe shop in Birmingham in 1895 and never resurfaced. It was revealed almost sixty years later that the cup had, in fact, been melted and used to make counterfeit money. After its disappearance, another trophy was made as a replica of the first and used up until 1910, at which point it was given to Lord Arthur Kinnaird, who was the FA’s long-serving president. It is now on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester for the public to view. In 1911, Fattorini’s of Bradford designed and made a new trophy, which was significantly larger than the previous two. Even though it still exists, it has become too fragile to use and, therefore, another one was made in 1992 by Toye, Kenning and Spencer. This fourth model was a replica of the one that came before it and even came with a back-up in case anything were to happen to it. This version of the cup was used until 2014, when it was decided that a new trophy should be manufactured. The fifth trophy created for the tournament is the one that is currently being used. It was made by Thomas Lyte Silver who are both the FA’s silversmiths and the official restorers of silverware to Buckingham Palace. Specifically, it was handcrafted by one of their workers, Kevin Williams, who was actually in charge of looking after the fourth trophy for eighteen years. Made from Sterling 925 silver, this trophy is a lot heavier than the previous versions. More than 250 hours went into its construction and it was designed specifically to be an exact replica of the 1911 trophy.
The Covid Heroes
I think it can be safely assumed that there are a great number of people who worked above and beyond to help others during the pandemic. Sir Tom Moore, Marcus Rashford and Joe Wicks are just a few of the people who brought hope to us all. We automatically thank the NHS staff, but it’s also the delivery drivers, the cleaners, the care workers, the bin men, members of the public striving to make a difference. Lovely that we are able to celebrate them in this way!
Did You Know?
- Despite the competition starting in 1871, it took over 113 years for the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup Final. That unwelcome record is held by Kevin Moran who saw red in 1985 playing for Manchester United.
- Portsmouth hold the record for the most years in possession of the FA Cup – they had it sitting in the trophy cabinet for a whopping seven years in a row! Unfortunately for Portsmouth fans, they didn’t win it 7 times back to back. They were, in fact, the last team to win the cup before WW2 broke out. The FA Cup was postponed for seven years during WW2.
- Arsenal has won the FA Cup 14 times, whereas the record number of Final defeats stands at 8 for both Everton and Manchester United.
- Sir Tom Moore raised £32.8m for NHS Charities.
- Prof Sarah Gilbert designed the Oxford vaccine for Covid-19.
- Marcus Rashford, a professional footballer, campaigned for free school meals for children during the pandemic.
- Pastor Mick Fleming is a former drug dealer who set up Church on the Street in 2019 to help the poor communities around Burnley in the pandemic.