The Women’s FA Cup, a pinnacle of women’s football in England, has a rich history dating back to its inception in 1970. This prestigious competition provided a platform for female footballers to showcase their talent and compete for glory on a national stage.
In its early years, the competition was known as the WFA (Women’s Football Association) Mitre Challenge Trophy. This trophy was lifted seven times in the first ten years by the dominant Southampton side of the time: a winning sequence only broken by Foden’s (1974), QPR (1977) and St Helens 1980). In fact, 1980 marked the first time since the competition’s inception that the Saints were not present in the final.
To recognise the independent WFA’s tenth anniversary, The FA commissioned and donated a new trophy, which served as the competition silverware going forward until the 1995/96 season. In the intervening years, the original Mitre trophy disappeared: despite multiple public callouts and searches, it is yet to be found.
As such, the trophy in our Football Heritage Collection is currently the oldest surviving FA Women’s Cup.
