With so much fraud, phishing and downright cheating going on across the World Wide Web we thought we’d just remind you about the security that we use on our servers and website.
Look for the padlock, our site is secured by HTTPS.
The TowerTrophies.com servers are fast and responsive and hosted in the cloud and they are locked down with hyper secure firewalls which blocks everyone out except us and even then we have to go through some considerable security protocols to ensure that we are using an authorised device. Specialist software monitors access to the site and if we think anyone accessing is a little dodgy or maybe just trying to clog us up a little then our engineers block them for good.
Your connection to our site is by an HTTPS connection which stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. That is the secure version of HTTP, meaning all communications between your browser and our website are encrypted. We can’t read it nor can the cheats so what’s yours remains securely yours and once you’ve added your order to our server it remains securely ours.
Your payments are taken on the PayPal server so we never keep or even see your sensitive card details and our PCI Security certificate is audited by Trustwave.
Many of the Major Leagues have trusted us with their annual orders for over 40 years so if you are new to Tower Trophies we think it’s important that you are aware how seriously we take your security.
At 8:55 pm on Wednesday, 12th June 1946 the journey of the TV Chef began with a Worldwide first on British Television. The BBC’s first cookery programme came to air, called simply “Cookery” and starring Philip Harben it was just 10 minutes long.
Philip showed the Nation how to make lobster vol-au-vents during his first broadcast but as Britain was still subject to food rationing following the War he would often use his own rations to show his audience how to make Steak & Kidney Pie and how to cook chips. He may well have been the first but he set the path for the rise of the Celebratory Chef and more importantly the way the British Nation view food, cookery and the kitchen.
Fanny Craddock, Keith Floyd, Ken Hom, Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver, Paul Hollywood. The list is extensive but each has one thing in common with the other, they have all influenced our daily view of eating and cooking and for the most part for the good. During the 1940’s the emphasis was on cooking healthy food on a budget with ingredients sourced from as local as possible, often the cooks own garden, not least because War time food rationing did not end until July 1954.
Locally caught game was complimented by potatoes and vegetables from the garden and followed with a hearty pudding of Blackberry and Apple pie foraged from the hedgerows. and encased in homemade pastry.
As the people became more affluent the cooking programmes reflected the yearning for better things and austere dishes gave way to home entertaining with produce sourced from around the World. Kumquats and Mangoes replaced local berries and Tiramisu trumped traditional pies and of course Fanny, Keith and Ken inspired and led the charge.
In the 21st Century the World of television and radio has its own cooking celebrities and much anticipated programmes – now even it’s own channel. The Great British Bake off commands an audience of 6.3 million and added drama to the airways when vast sums of money enticed it from it’s original BBC home to Channel 4. Now watching Baking is as big an industry as the actual baking itself and encompasses Drama, Popularity and Money . Trends have come and gone with Prawn Cocktail giving way to Snail Porridge but there is an irony to be seen in the turning of the Celebrity Chef circle as flying exotic ingredients half way around the World is now frowned upon with ingredients grown locally or foraged in the hedgerows once again – hello 1940 it’s great to see you back!
Competitive cooking emerged from the early days of Baking with the best short bread taking the winning card at local produce and farming shows around Britain with Granny’s Victoria sponge cake being the talk of the village. Never one to miss an opportunity our celebrity cooking alter egos invented Master Chef, The Great British Menu and of course The Great British Bake Off which is in a Marquee just like the village shows of yesteryear.
Needless to say its not the taking part that counts – its the winning! So you’d expect our Baking Trophies to keep up with the trends and we continue to add more designs year on year. Tower Trophies is one of Britain’s Biggest Stockists of Trophies and Awards and we are regularly asked to supply custom made Cooking Awards, Chef Trophies and Corporate Branded Trophies for village shows and National exhibitions alike.
Since ancient times trophies have marked victories, in fact, the word “trophy” is derived from the Greek tropaion, which comes from the verb trope, meaning “to rout.” In ancient Greece, trophies reflected victory in war, and were created on the battlefield at the place where the enemy had been defeated.
At that time some sporting trophies included shields originally used in battle, thought to be the inspiration for the Wooden Shields we give today, but some contestant winners were given prized Olive oil which was naturally held in a vase or cup. This is most likely to be a forerunner to the silver cups and chalices that we use as trophies to this day.
For many years where a trophy was presented for Annual Perpetual Challenge, that is competed for every year, the Winners name was recorded on the original trophy cup, usually by engraving, however it became tradition to award a small replica of the original trophy cup so that the Winner had a memento to display at home after the main trophy had been returned. These replica cups became the fore runner of the Football Trophies that we award today.
Traditionally these cups were made from silver by skilled Silversmiths and smaller exact replicas made for the winner to keep after the original cup was handed back for presentation to it’s next winner. Mostly Sports Trophies were available from the local Jeweller’s shop but as popularity grew the specialist Sports Trophy Shop began to appear throughout the Country. With the rise of these trophy shops came an explosion of designs and ideas.
As costs escalated the fledgling trophy industry began to explore new materials and production methods to ensure the continued affordability of the replica trophies.
A Sporting Trophy Cup made from solid silver is still available but commands a price in the thousands of pounds so identical items finished in silver plate, nickle plate or even chrome are more likely to be found on the shelf of your local trophy shop today. The trophy cup shown here is, amazingly, made of metallic vacuum plated plastic!
The oldest Association football trophy is the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup (Scotland), commonly known as the Scottish Cup, which has been continuously awarded since 1874. The Cup is played for annually as the main national cup competition in Scotland. The only known football trophy older than the Scottish Cup is the Youdan Cup, which was awarded for Sheffield rules football and only once, in 1867.
As fashions and trends develop the traditional trophy cup remains popular but more regularly the replica has become a model of a footballer, a medal or even a shield.
The winners and runners-up of both the FA Cup and the Scottish Cup receive medals to mark their achievement and this tradition is becoming increasingly fashionable again at Football’s Grassroots level. The popularity of bespoke football medals is on the rise and increasingly affordable.
Modern production methods and materials have opened the door to a diverse Football Trophy range. The 1970’s saw the rise of American influenced plastic awards as tall as a skyscraper but as light as a butterfly wing. As the decades have passed we have seen more British design influencing the Football Awards readily available with cast resin figures dominating the Industry for some considerable time.
This humorous football trophy is cast in Resin and individually hand painted and costing around £10 shows just what incredible value can be achieved.
From Ancient Greece to the 21st Century the attraction of rewarding our great achievers is as popular as it ever was and new generations of Youth Football Players are spurred on by the excitement of receiving their first ever Football Trophy some of whom, of course, will one day mount the steps at Wembley Stadium to receive their ultimate goal with no care for the history that has proceeded them.
Football at ‘Grass Roots’ level is all about the local heroes, often unsung, who make the game work week in week out. Tens of thousands of boys and girls turn up every week to play a game of Football but you’ll know that it takes more than a pitch and 22 enthusiastic children to make it happen.
Football Trophies are important for the players; particularly the young. They are great motivators and often the spring board for greater things. Invariably they are the protector of dreams and memories. Ask any Dad who proudly shows his Son or Daughter trophies from his youth.
The smile on the face of my seven year old, voted Man of the Match, was wider than the pitch on which he achieved it but although he takes it for granted that the game will go on its the Ladies and Gentlemen behind the scenes that have enabled it. That’s why it is so important that you should nominate the best of your best for the FA Grassroots Awards. Eleven different categories allow you to take a broad view of the most dedicated, committed members of your organisation.
You can find out more about the Awards criteria and Values at the FA Grassroots site here but in the meantime we’ve chosen a few Football Trophy suggestions so that you just have to nominate your own heroes. Take a moment to put your own nomination to each section.
We’ve upgraded our blog to take account of the differing way that our customers are interacting with us. If Facebook, Instagram or Twitter are your preferred method of gleaning information then you’ll find us there too.
A series of How to…guides will be added as time plods on as will more in depth coverage of product types and services.
It says HEAVYWEIGHT Trophy, what exactly does that mean?
David Smith,
Good question. In our first article on the new heavyweight trophies we’ll smash the mystery – literally.
You must be logged in to post a comment.