When the European Cup went missing

[Brend'Watkins]

I remember hearing about this at the time.  I blame Dave Cooper and his cronies.

[Chris Harte]

I remember the cup going missing but quickly being recovered. It was reported on Central News / ATV Today at the time.

I didn't realise a bunch of South Yorkshire rozzers were involved though.

[eamonn]

Cracking story. What's Cooper got to say for himself?

I think in the Memories section somewhere on this site there is a story about someone bringing the European Cup home from a pub in a black bin bag to their home in Sutton Coldfield.

[eamonn]

Just listened to Colin Gibson's interview:

''After it went missing we were panicking for an hour or two but we had a couple of beers just in case he brought it back.''

Class.

[Dave Cooper please]

I remember hearing about this at the time.  I blame Dave Cooper and his cronies.

That story was going around for ages in Tamworth after the game, one of my mates at 6th form reckoned it was him who stole it but he was always a bit of a fantasist.
I know a lot of the players used to drink in The Fox, it was always a good place to grab autographs, we'd cycle over there regularly.

I always thought it was a bit of folklore and Chinese whispers but maybe not after all.

[Martyn Smith]

I'd forgotten all about this. What I don't get is how on earth Gordon Cowans and Colin Gibson were allowed to go out on the piss with it. Surely something like that is kept under strict lock and key and only brought out on official occasions?...

Talking of which, coincidentally enough (or probably not, as we of course still around the time of the anniversary), see the post I'm just about to make on this topic.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I'd forgotten all about this. What I don't get is how on earth Gordon Cowans and Colin Gibson were allowed to go out on the piss with it. Surely something like that is kept under strict lock and key and only brought out on official occasions?...

Nah, the players were allowed to take it to their local boozers to show it off.

Funniest tale I heard (from a former player) was when Tony Morley took it to his local pub in Ormskirk and all his mates pissed in it - filled it up to the brim by the end of the night, so they did.

I know it's probably a different trophy now, but when I saw pictures on Man United players drinking champagne out of the trophy in 1999, I didn't half hope they were drinking from the same European Cup that Morley and his mates had pissed in all those years before.

Villa's Cup - Fill It Up!

[Toronto Villa]

David Gold will probably end up buying and add that to the '66 World Cup that his team won.

[Jon Crofts]

Colin Gibson was just interviewed on R5L, there's another interview later with the police officer who recovered it from Sheffield.

[The Man With A Stick]

I know it's probably a different trophy now, but when I saw pictures on Man United players drinking champagne out of the trophy in 1999, I didn't half hope they were drinking from the same European Cup that Morley and his mates had pissed in all those years before.

Ajax kept our trophy after they won it in 1995, so it's a different one i'm afraid.  Nice thought though, Roy Keane and Taggart drinking out of it...

[Legion]

Fantastic story.

[DeKuip]

I remember waking up to hear about it on the radio and was surprised to find it had been taken from the pub down the road from us in Tamworth the night before.
It was taken by a Londoner called Adrian, living just up the road from the Fox in Coton Green. He took it up to show off to his Sheffield Uni mates before handing it into the police up there!
And if the Mail claim to have an exclusive interview with this guy Adrian, don't believe them - he was killed in London a few years ago.
If the Mail check their own archives they'll find his full name. If not, they should try the Tamworth Herald archives - not difficult for a proper journalist... although expecting a Mail journo to deal in research and truth is asking a lot I guess.

[Dave Cooper please]

It was taken by a Londoner called Adrian, living just up the road from the Fox in Coton Green. He took it up to show off to his Sheffield Uni mates before handing it into the police up there!

If that's right then my 6th form mate was lying then! Thought so somehow.

[HK Villan]

... Surely something like that is kept under strict lock and key and only brought out on official occasions?...

Hardly.... it even made an appearance at our school disco.

[mozza]

Not quite as news worthy as the European Cup back in '82 .............

After we beat Manu in the Coca Cola -Deadly Doug's secretary turned up at my neighbour's party with the cup ............

One of the guests borrowed it for half an hour to show his young lads - the look of panic on Marion's face as she searched the house will remain with me for ever