Naming trophies is fascinating – many pay tribute to political figures despite adage that sport and politics don’t mix
Northern Ireland international Justin Devenny toasts FA Cup success with Crystal Palace (Getty Images)
If you were asked who the holders of the Alcock Cup are, would you know? Maybe not, but if the question is posed in the pub quiz, the answer is Crystal Palace. They won it last May, beating Manchester City in the final. Sadly it’s just referred to as the FA Cup, but the name Alcock should be engraved on the gleaming silverware. Charles William Alcock created the competition — and if anyone deserved the honour, he did. The naming of trophies in elite-level sport has always fascinated me. So many pay tribute to political figures despite the old adage that sport and politics don’t mix.
Association football or soccer at the highest grade seems, until recently, to have steered clear of political recognition, with Jules Rimet, who developed the World Cup, being given in 1930 the sort of honour Alcock missed out on.
