The world-famous FA Cup trophy is coming to Harwich!
As part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the FA has agreed to send the trophy – won by Crystal Palace at Wembley in May – to the Royal Oak on Thursday July 31.
Between 5 and 7.30pm, fans will be able to come to the home of HPFC and get their photo taken with the trophy.
The special event will launch the ‘Emirates FA Cup On The Road’ campaign which helps publicise what is the world’s oldest domestic cup competition.

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Matt Carmichael’s team will kick-off their FA Cup campaign two days later when they host AFC Dunstable in the extra-preliminary round - the opening stage of the 2025/26 competition. It will be the Shrimpers’ first FA Cup tie in six years. They became eligible to compete in it again by winning promotion into the Essex Senior League in May.
Clubs starting at this stage need to win six ties to reach the first-round proper which is when the majority of EFL sides, including Colchester United, enter the competition.
Since making their competition debut in 1898, HPFC have reached round one on six occasions – the first in 1934 and the most recent in 1976. In those ties they have met the likes of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, both current members of the Premier League.
A special display telling the story of those first-round appearances will be on show on the day, as well as the impressive Harwich Charity Cup. Both that trophy, crafted in 1899, and the current FA Cup (1911) were made by the same firm – Fattorini and Sons, who were then based in Bradford.
Club secretary Andy Schooler said: “This is a real coup for the club – there are more than 200 ties taking place in the extra-preliminary round and the FA could have taken the trophy to any of those grounds.
“I believe this is an event which will really engage the community. Even non-football fans know about the FA Cup and we hope to see plenty of people down at the Oak on the night.
“Hopefully a few will return on the Saturday for what we hope will be a memorable game, too.”
Further details will be announced in due course.