<p>Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the new owner of the oldest existing version of the FA Cup trophy, having purchased the silverware at a recent auction, the Premier League club said on Friday.</p>.<p>The Football Association Challenge Cup trophy, a forerunner of the FA Cup in use today, was presented to winning teams from 1896 to 1910, when the original was stolen from a shop in Birmingham after Aston Villa won the title.</p>.<p>It was the first trophy Manchester City won over a century ago by beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0 in the 1904 final, making them the first professional soccer club from Manchester to capture a major honour.</p>.<p>"This cup is a visible reminder of the rich and long history of English football to which City is inextricably entwined," Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement.</p>.<p>"Winning this actual trophy in 1904 was a turning point for the club and for the city of Manchester in that it firmly cemented football in the heart of its community.</p>.<p>"Sheikh Mansour's view is that a trophy of such cultural significance must be shared with the people of Manchester, the English football family, and those who love the English game."</p>.<p>West Ham United co-owner David Gold, the previous owner of the trophy, sold it for 760,000 pounds ($1.03 million) at an auction in September 2020 with the winning bidder remaining anonymous.</p>.<p>Gold had bought the trophy in 2005 for 478,000 pounds during his time as chairman of Birmingham City.</p>.<p>Manchester City said the trophy has been offered on loan to the National Football Museum in Manchester, where it has been housed since 2005.</p>
<p>Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the new owner of the oldest existing version of the FA Cup trophy, having purchased the silverware at a recent auction, the Premier League club said on Friday.</p>.<p>The Football Association Challenge Cup trophy, a forerunner of the FA Cup in use today, was presented to winning teams from 1896 to 1910, when the original was stolen from a shop in Birmingham after Aston Villa won the title.</p>.<p>It was the first trophy Manchester City won over a century ago by beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0 in the 1904 final, making them the first professional soccer club from Manchester to capture a major honour.</p>.<p>"This cup is a visible reminder of the rich and long history of English football to which City is inextricably entwined," Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement.</p>.<p>"Winning this actual trophy in 1904 was a turning point for the club and for the city of Manchester in that it firmly cemented football in the heart of its community.</p>.<p>"Sheikh Mansour's view is that a trophy of such cultural significance must be shared with the people of Manchester, the English football family, and those who love the English game."</p>.<p>West Ham United co-owner David Gold, the previous owner of the trophy, sold it for 760,000 pounds ($1.03 million) at an auction in September 2020 with the winning bidder remaining anonymous.</p>.<p>Gold had bought the trophy in 2005 for 478,000 pounds during his time as chairman of Birmingham City.</p>.<p>Manchester City said the trophy has been offered on loan to the National Football Museum in Manchester, where it has been housed since 2005.</p>