Welcome, everybody to soccer 101. My name is Taylor Rockwell, and this week, with seasons coming to an end and international tournaments kicking off this summer, we figured it might be worth discussing silverware. It's trophy time. When did they first start getting awarded? What makes for a good one? And what are some of our favorites and maybe least favorites in soccer history? Here with me to talk it all out is a man who will never be melted down and sold a scrap medal because he's not a Terminator or the original World Cup trophy. It's Graham Ruffin. Hello, Graham. Hello, Taylor Rockwell. And I've also never been to Brazil. So that's a good thing that I'm not going to be melted down. I have a question for you. Have you ever won a trophy? Because I don't think I have when I was thinking about this I don't know what that

experience is like I'd be fearful that the trophy would be like too heavy and in my greatest

moment of triumph I would never look weaker as I was unable to lift this trophy over my head I have

never won a trophy of that style I have have won, like, tournaments in my youth

and teenage years where you get, like, plaques and medallions and things like that. I've won a few other things, but no, I've never gotten, like, a big cup or something like that to lift above my head in that way. I'm not sure that was even a thing when I was a kid, because I'm not sure we watched enough soccer to know that's what you're supposed to do with a cop at the end of it.

They hand over this giant European country. I'm not sure that was even a thing when I was a kid, because I'm not sure we watched enough soccer to know that's what you're supposed to do with a cop at the end of it.

They hand over this giant European cup style thing. You're like, okay, is this the bath, like the post-match bath? I'm going to drink caprisen out of this. It's going to be awesome. Yeah, okay. Well, maybe one day I'll win a trophy. Is that what you're leaning towards?

Is that what you need me to make happen?

I will, Graham.

If you could, that would be good, yeah.

Yeah. Okay, well, maybe one day I won a trophy. Is that what you're leaning towards? Is that what you need me to make happen? I will, Graham. If you could, that would be good, yeah. Yeah, that would make me feel better. Because, I mean, they are like a ubiquitous thing in world sports and in other, you know, fields as well. The Oscars come to mind. But we don't really spend a ton of time talking about them, about their history, about why they're awarded in the first place.

I did some reading on that front, and it's bleak, Graham.

Did you look up the history of the word trophy?

I did not.

Go on.

Elaborate.

Derived from the Greek word tropeon, referring to arms, standards, or other human captives and body parts, uh, that were captured in battle and then displayed. So yeah, uh, we've, we've evolved from that. And I think it wasn't always human body parts and human captives, but more so like arms that you would collect on the battlefield and then like mount to a tree as a sign of what had happened. And then you would write the history of the battle along with it. Uh, but yeah, it's evolved from there,

uh, the battlefield and then like mount to a tree as a sign of what had happened and then you would write the history of the battle along with it. But yeah, it's evolved from there into the stuff that we hoist aloft now, some of which is very pretty and some of which is is somewhat garish.

But Graham, in terms of the footballing history, when do we first see cups and trophies and

the like come to existence?

So if we're going way back to look at the concept of a trophy in sport in general, not just soccer,

in ancient Greece, you've already mentioned ancient Greece, Taylor,

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