The Youdan Cup, considered by many to be football’s first cup competition, has been revalued at an astonishing £350,000.

Owned by Hallam FC, the cup’s value has sky-rocketed in price since its last estimate, which featured on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.

The Youdan Cup was first awarded after a match between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC played in 1867.

Steve Basford, the Chairman of Hallam FC, discussed the cup’s valuation:

“Thomas Youdan was a theatre producer and owner and he thought, what a way to get our name forward. The Bill Gates of his time really.

“The valuation, for insurance, is £350,000, but we think if it went onto the open market… we think it would fetch considerably more.”

Turns out I had £350,000 sitting across from me in the studio for this show. The new valuation of ⁦@HallamFC1860⁩’s Youdan Cup. You’ll see I picked it up at the end 🤣. The trophy, that is – then put it down. Great info from ⁦@BasfordSteve⁩
.https://t.co/rDHdEdjvEZ

— Alan Biggs (@AlanBiggs1) February 19, 2023

Despite the cup’s valuation, Mr Basford maintains that the cup is not for sale.

The chairman is certain of the cup’s place as the oldest of football’s knockout-competition trophies. The FA have claimed that their cup is the oldest.

He said: “The Youdan Trophy is the oldest football cup in the world.

“The Guinness Book of Records state it, we’ve got the certificates.”