The Lupton Cup started life as an annual, inter-port football competition 'to perpetuate the esteem and affection felt by the Preventive Staff for Arthur S Lupton CBE', a senior civil servant in Customs and Excise. The trophy was competed for by the various Waterguard Divisions between 1937 and 1972 and presented to the winners by the Preventive Service Sports Club.

	The Lupton Cup		The 'flyer' for the inaugural Lupton Cup final on 6th April 1938, between the Liverpool and London Divisions, held at the Working Men's College Sports Ground, Edgware.

	The Lupton Cup Story - 1937-1972 by Vernon Hill and Brian Searle was published in 1972 as 'The commentary of thirty-four years of competitive Waterguard football, of the colleagues past and present who contested footballing supremacy, the men behind them, the fans who went for the ride and to savour Waterguard hospitality at its best and of the man who inspired the enterprise, Arthur Sinclair Lupton, CBE. The book is presented here for you to read - select the 'button' on the right.

 

The Douglas Football Trophy was awarded to the Runners Up in the Lupton Cup competetions. It was Presented to the HM Customs & Excise Preventative Service Sports Club by CM Douglas CBE - President between 1962 & 1968.

 

1972 - 1993

The last Waterguard competition for the Cup was held in the 1971/1972 season, and LAP won the trophy.After holding the Cup for a year, LAP should have sent it to the Library at King's Beam House for safe keeping in the Trophy Room, but the transfer never took place, and the Cup remained at the airport.

 

1993 - 2011

With the 'shambles' of reorganisation, it was then forgotten about until 1993, when it was discovered in a cupboard. Realizing its value to C&E footballers, the LAP football team sought permission from surviving Lupton Cup stalwarts to resurrect the Lupton Cup, as a trophy to be played for by C&E veteran footballers. Permission was given for the Cup to re-emerge as the focal  point of a new HM C&E tournament and the first game was held in 1993 at the Civil Service Ground in Chiswick, followed by an excellent dinner.

The Douglas Football Trophy for the 'runners up' was also presented.

The Tom Jessop Cup was awarded to the winners of the Scotland v England game from 1994. According to the engraving it was won 11 times by England and 7 times by Scotland between 1994 and 2011 Scotland

During 2009 the Cup was again resurrected, now by HM Revenue & Customs. A football competition, open to all regions within HM Revenue & Customs Sport & Leisure, was arranged under Revenue & Customs Sports & Leisure rules. The first final was held at Largs in Scotland.