RANGERS will today once again host the cherished Loving Cup ceremony in the Ibrox Blue Room, welcoming our guests from Aberdeen to join in the Royal toast.
Most supporters will be familiar with the ceremony and its origins, a tradition that dates back almost 90 years and has been faithfully upheld by the club ever since.
In recent seasons, the decision to share the occasion more widely by broadcasting it on the stadium screens has been warmly welcomed, allowing those inside Ibrox the opportunity to witness this famous ritual.
The story of the Loving Cup begins in 1937. It was commissioned by Sir Francis Joseph, president of Stoke City Football Club, to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on May 12 of that year. The commission was entrusted to W.T. Copeland and Sons at the renowned Spode Works in the Potteries, where a total of 30 Loving Cups were produced.
Just two months after the coronation, the sense of national optimism around the Potteries was tempered by deep sorrow. On 2 July 1937, a disaster at Holditch Colliery, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, claimed the lives of 30 miners and seriously injured eight more.
The tragedy devastated the local community and a Disaster Relief Fund was swiftly established to support the families left behind. As part of the fundraising effort, Rangers Football Club was invited to send a team to play a charity match against Stoke City for the benefit of the dependants.
Despite an already demanding schedule, Rangers manager Bill Struth accepted the invitation without hesitation. In a further demonstration of the club’s values, Rangers declined to claim any expenses for the trip, instead choosing to bear the full cost themselves. It was a gesture entirely in keeping with the club’s outlook at the time, reflecting a belief that football carried responsibilities beyond competition alone.
On 27 August 1937, almost two months before Rangers and Stoke would meet, the Loving Cups were gathered for distribution at a special luncheon held in the Jubilee Hall in Stoke.
Many of the leading figures in English football were present, including representatives of all 22 First Division clubs and the two recently relegated sides. One cup had already been presented to the King, who graciously acknowledged the gift in a telegram that was read to those in attendance.
Sir Francis Joseph then announced the allocation of the remaining 29 cups. 24 were to be distributed among the English clubs represented at the luncheon. Of the five remaining, one was assigned to the Football Association, one to the Football League, one to the British Museum and one to the Lord Mayor of Stoke.
The final cup, significantly, was designated for Rangers Football Club, awarded to them explicitly as champions of the Scottish League.
As the proceedings drew to a close, the president of the Football League, Mr W. Pickford, was ceremonially handed a hammer and he used it to break the mould from which the cups had been cast.
This symbolic act ensured that no further examples could ever be produced. Remarkably, that very hammer is preserved to this day and remains on display in the Rangers Trophy Room.
This documented history corrects a long-held belief regarding the origins of Rangers’ Loving Cup. It has often been suggested that the cup was presented to us in gratitude for travelling to Stoke to play the charity match.
So, while there may have been a dual purpose, the decision to award Rangers a Loving Cup was principally made in recognition of the club’s status as champions of Scotland - a decision taken notably before they travelled to Stoke.
Other misconceptions have related to the origin of the specific cup in our custody. Some believed it was originally Sir Francis Joseph’s personal cup or even that it was a spare from the original set. In truth, none of these are accurate. Quite simply, it was always destined for Ibrox.
When Rangers finally received the Loving Cup on the occasion of their visit to Stoke in October 1937, the formal presentation was made at a civic reception in the splendid Stoke City Hall. Rangers chairman James Bowie accepted the cup from Sir Francis Joseph, who requested that it be used each New Year to toast the reigning monarch, fulfilling the intention and spirit of the cup.
In practice, this has traditionally taken place at the first match at Ibrox following the New Year and to the best of our knowledge, the club has honoured that request every year since 1937.
In the early years, the cup was filled with champagne and shared among the directors of the competing clubs. In more recent times, it has been filled with whisky and passed among directors and invited guests in the Blue Room.
With its three handles designed to allow it to be shared easily among friends, the Loving Cup perfectly embodies the spirit of respect and fellowship it represents. Visiting clubs have almost always embraced the tradition, making it a fitting and dignified way to mark the beginning of a new year.
It is not known how many of the original 30 Loving Cups still survive, though several English clubs are understood to continue the custom. Today, once the loyal toast has been shared, the Loving Cup and its ceremonial hammer will return to the Trophy Room for another year - enduring symbols of friendship, respect and tradition.
We are delighted to welcome today’s guests to Ibrox to share in this unique and historic ceremony.
You can find out more about some of the unique items that the club has by watching the RangersTV series Inside The Trophy Room - all nine episodes available for all subscribers.
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