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Summary An excited Afghan soldier dropped the lid of the FA Cup, being used since 1992, and bent it.
The local recruit lifted the trophy above his head after playing a friendly match at a British Army base, where the Cup was on tour.But the lid of the famed silverware, to be contested by Stoke City and Man City in Saturdays final, clattered to the ground behind him, drawing gasps from soldiers and visiting England legend Stuart Pearce.Horrified officials then found the Cups iconic pointed crown had been bent at a crazy angle. FA chiefs and army officials assessed the damage in depth using an MRI scanner at Camp Bastion in Helmand province.The hi-tech image revealed a serious bend but army technicians said that the trophy could be repaired.The trophy - the fourth since the Cup kicked off in 1871 - was made by London-based Toye, Kenning and Spencer and has been in use since 1992.
