This was the first official silverware commissioned by the Football League, awarded to winning teams for almost 100 years.
The trophy is colloquially known as ‘The Lady’, due to the female statuette that adorns its lid.
Preston North End won the inaugural First Division, then defended the title the following season – but were not presented with the trophy, as the silverware itself had not yet been commissioned.
Instead, the first club to lift the trophy was Everton, pipping PNE to the title by two points in 1891. This ornate and sizeable silverware would remain in use for just over a century, with Leeds United the last to hoist it aloft before the formation of the Premier League.
During the 1980s, this trophy was temporarily retired in favour of one created by the league’s then-sponsor, Canon. As a result, Liverpool and Everton celebrated with a rather different trophy between 1984 and 1986, before the original was restored to its previous position.
