Littlewoods Challenge Cup winner's trophy awarded to Perry Groves of Arsenal FC in season 1986-87, in the form of a silver-plate miniature of the com

Littlewoods Challenge Cup winner's trophy awarded to Perry Groves of Arsenal FC in season 1986-87, in the form of a silver-plate miniature of the competition trophy, the body engraved THE LITTLEWOODS CHALLENGE CUP, the detachable lid surmounted with a figure of a footballer, mounted on an ebonised plinth set with a plaque inscribed FINAL, 5th APRIL 1987, WINNER, overall height 24.5cm., in original fitted box baring sponsor's competition logo, fitting from trophy to plinth in need of attention, otherwise good In the 1987 Football League Cup Final, Arsenal defeated Liverpool 2-1. Having trailed the game through a 23rd minute Ian Rush goal, Arsenal's Charlie Nicholas scored a brace with the decisive strike coming in the 83rd minute from a Perry Groves cross. Until this point Liverpool had been on a 144-match unbeaten streak in matches when Ian Rush had scored. It was Arsenal's first win in the competition. The sponsors at this time Littlewoods acquired a trophy from an old defunct football competition to present to the winning team. Its original use was for the winner's trophy for the inter-departmental football competition at the Furness Shipyard, Haverton Hill, Stockton-on-Tees. Perry Groves was signed by Arsenal's George Graham from Colchester United in September 1986 for a fee of £50,000 - this trophy therefore came from his first season at Highbury and in a match where he set up the winning goal.