Football trophy name dispute approaches trademark hearing

A legal hearing is being lined up later this month to resolve a dispute over the Youdan Trophy football tournament in Sheffield.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Jun 2016, 10:00 BST
26/06/13 Picture shows the Football Challenge Cup, believed to be the first football cup which was awrderd the Hallam Fottball Club in 1867. A game of 1858 rules football, known as 'Sheffield Rules' played at Hallam FC for the first time in 150 years. rossparry.co.uk / Tom Maddick26/06/13 Picture shows the Football Challenge Cup, believed to be the first football cup which was awrderd the Hallam Fottball Club in 1867. A game of 1858 rules football, known as 'Sheffield Rules' played at Hallam FC for the first time in 150 years. rossparry.co.uk / Tom Maddick
26/06/13 Picture shows the Football Challenge Cup, believed to be the first football cup which was awrderd the Hallam Fottball Club in 1867. A game of 1858 rules football, known as 'Sheffield Rules' played at Hallam FC for the first time in 150 years. rossparry.co.uk / Tom Maddick

Sandygate club Hallam FC is opposing a bid by former football referees Jock Waugh and Keith Hackett to trademark the name ‘Youdan Trophy Est 1867 Sheffield’, claiming the name infringes its intellectual property rights.

Mr Waugh and Mr Hackett, of the website You Are The Ref, organised the first tournament, a contest for under-14s teams across the country, last year, with a final at Bramall Lane stadium.

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Another competition is scheduled for this August, and a draw took place in Manchester last month.

The contest pre-dates the FA Cup and was played once in 1867. The winner’s trophy - the Youdan Cup - was presented to Hallam FC by Thomas Youdan Esq.

Lawyer Scott Loveluck, who is representing Hallam FC pro bono, said the tribunal hearing - overseen by the Intellectual Property Office - would be held in Sheffield and that he was ‘pretty damn confident’ any ruling would be in Hallam’s favour.

“If the trademark is registered they will have a monopoly on the mark,” said Mr Loveluck. “If we were to celebrate the 1867 trophy with a football match then we, legally speaking, would be vulnerable to infringement proceedings.”

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The matter could still go to the High Court, depending on the hearing’s outcome, Mr Loveluck added.

“It’s step one of a very important set of proceedings.”

Hallam FC awards a Youdan Trophy to its player of the year. The Youdan Cup - kept at Bramall Lane - was lost for decades before it was rediscovered 18 years ago.

Hallam bought it back for £1,600 - in 2014, the cup was valued on the Antiques Roadshow as being worth at least £100,000.