The 73-year-old Cup that's been handed a well-earned retirement
“We are retiring the old trophy."
After 73 years of being bounced around from club to club, drunk out of, and being constantly photographed, the historic Donald Gray Memorial Cup has been handed a well-earned retirement.
The Donald Gray Cup - Southland’s symbol of supremacy for men’s football - was donated in 1950 by Thistle FC.
It was presented to Southland Football by Thistle to commemorate Mr Donald Gray - a staunch Thistle supporter.
Gray was also a member of the Southland Football Association and on occasions had acted as the chairman.
The Cup was first competed for in 1950 with Brigadiers winning it. Thistle first won it in 1953.
At the 2023 Southland Football Awards Thistle FC president Dylan Meehan - who is also a Southland Football board member - announced the historic trophy had served its purpose.
“It’s been played for for 72 years and won by quite a few clubs, unfortunately some clubs have folded or moved on to other clubs.
“So, what we decided, with the age of the trophy, it’s been welded up a few times… to preserve it and to keep it alive, we’ve bought a new trophy. I’m very privileged to be able to present it to Southland Football.
“We are retiring the old trophy,” Meehan announced.
The old trophy will be returned to Thistle FC who will now display it as part of its memorabilia as a historical piece.
As it turns out, fittingly, the last time the old trophy was awarded was in 2022 when Thistle FC won it.
The new Donald Gray Cup is significantly bigger and does point to the history that the old Cup amassed.
It includes engraving on the new Cup acknowledging how many times each club won the former Cup from 1950 to 2022.
Southland Football development and operations manager Iain Walker told The Southland Tribune everyone seemed to be impressed with the new Donald Gray Memorial Cup when it was revealed.
“I think everybody was a bit in wow when I brought it out. It’s a magnificent trophy, it weighs quite heavily.”
2023 Donald Gray Cup champions Old Boys AFC are the first holders of the new Cup.
Thanks Thistle FC, well done.