Football tournament brand scores with legal row win

COMPETITION organisers and match official platform You Are the Ref have won a legal dispute with Hallam FC over the name of their flagship tournament.

The Intellectual Property office has ruled in the Sheffield company’s favour

You Are the Ref and the Youdan Trophy are organised by former football referees Jock Waugh and Keith Hackett.

An U14 competition, the Youdon trophy commemorates the world’s first-ever football tournament, the Football Challenge Cup which was played once in 1867 and pre-dates the FA Cup.

The winner’s trophy – the Youdan Cup – was presented to Hallam FC that by Thomas Youdan Esq.

Mr Waugh and Mr Hackett applied to register ‘Youdan Trophy Est 1867 Sheffield’ as a trademark but were opposed by Hallam FC.

The club said the name infringes on its intellectual property rights, and it has been in dispute since 2014.Hallam FC awards a Youdan Trophy to its player of the year, and the original Youdan Cup, kept for decades at Bramhall Lane, was reportedly lost until 18 years ago when it was returned to the side, valued at £100,000.

The first Youdan Trophy match was played in 2015, and the You Are the Ref team aim to turn it into a global football brand.

You-Are-The-Ref.com director Keith Hackett said: “It’s a relief that this dispute is finally at an end and common sense has prevailed.

“We believe Hallam FC were badly advised in choosing this course of action and pleased that today’s decision finally allows us to promote Sheffield’s footballing heritage right around the globe by way of this unique competition.

“We have invested a huge amount of time, effort and money in the Youdan Trophy and have enjoyed high profile backing from Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University as well as securing involvement from some of the biggest clubs in the world.

“The Youdan Trophy will now grow into the most prestigious of its kind in Europe and next year we will have a satellite tournament in the USA and the following year launch one in Asia.”

Over 800 players competed at this summer’s Youdan Trophy in Sheffield.

Clubs from Rosenborg to Everton, Seattle Sounders to FC Basel and Newcastle United to Royal Antwerp lined up with top-flight teams from Europe and the USA for the tournament which also included the city’s own Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

In 2015, the Seattle Sounders of the USA won the U16 final against FC Basel of Switzerland whilst Charlton beat Sheffield Wednesday in the U14 final.