The Welsh Cup final is the third oldest cup competition in the world, and the very first one in 1877/78 was contested by Wrexham at Druids at Acton Park in front of a crowd of around 1,500 people, with James Davies scoring for Wrexham.
This winners medal was awarded to John Price, who was part of the Wrexham side captained by Charles Murless, who himself made history that day by altering his side’s formation by pulling back on of his six forwards to make a half-back line of three – this became the standard formation for pretty much the next 70 years.
One other interesting fact about the Cup Final was that the winning side did not actually receive a cup for winning. As the Welsh FA had no money do buy one, it simply didn’t exist, and the winners had to make do with their medals instead.
Price’s medal caused something of a stir when it came up for auction in Chester when it first came up for auction, and some time before it was acquired by The National Football Collection. The guide price at Bonhams was £400 to £600, but it eventually sold for £3,400.
This weekend our local side Aberystwyth Town will aim to get their hands on the cup for the first time since 1900, when they beat Druids 3 – 0 at Newtown.
We wish them the best of luck against Connah’s Quay Nomads!
