The stolen trophy that honours 'the world's most cheerful loser'

Breaking news from the world of sport: The stolen trophy that honours 'the world's most cheerful loser' 48 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Calum Watson Scotland Bettmann/Getty Sir Thomas Lipton acquired a lot of sporting trophies in his lifetime, though none so unique as the Lipton Cup The theft of an 18-carat gold trophy from Glasgow's Riverside Museum, revealed last week, has made news headlines but the Lipton Cup already had an extraordinary story long before a thief made away with it. In December 1930, weeks after his fifth and final attempt at winning the greatest prize in yacht racing, Sir Thomas Lipton was presented with an honour unique in the history of sport. It was not the America's Cup, the silver winner's trophy he had been chasing for three decades.

Instead it was something far more meaningful - a respectful and affectionate tribute, paid for by public subscription, to a Scot who had won the hearts of the American public as the "world's most cheerful loser". Yachting is often thought of as a rich man's pastime and by the start of the 20th Century Lipton was very rich indeed - but he wasn't born that way. The young Tommy Lipton grew up in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, the son of Irish immigrants, often pushing a wheelbarrow from the docks to restock his father's shop.

Match Details

At the age of 15 he set off with just a few pounds in his pocket to America where a job in a huge New York department store opened his eyes to a new way of shopping. When he returned to Glasgow in 1871 he had a vision for how to make his fortune. Glasgow Life The 18-carat gold trophy vanished from Glasgow's Riverside Museum last year Within a few years Lipton's grocery stores were spreading across Britain.

And in the 1890s he identified the mass market potential of tea, purchasing his own plantations in Sri Lanka. As his fortune grew he gained a reputation for philanthropy and global fame as a sportsman - particularly sailing. Between 1899 and 1930 Lipton made five unsuccessful challenges for the America's Cup, representing Great Britain against the US for the most prestigious trophy in yachting.

While his boats were crewed by elite professionals, Lipton was the owner and public face of the challenge with his personal charm and gracious attitude in defeat making him a sporting hero on both sides of the Atlantic. Bettmann/Getty Sir Thomas Lipton joined jazz musicians for a rendition of "Shamrock Blues" during a visit to Chicago in 1920 Lipton's racing yachts were all called Shamrock, each one pushing the boundaries of yacht design. He came closest to victory with his fourth attempt in 1920, winning two races with the best result by a British challenger in decades, but the final score was 3-2.

Shamrock IV won the first race after the sail of the American yacht Resolute was badly damaged - and Lipton played down the victory as a fluke.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.