Behind the Scenes: The Mitre Golden Ball

From Grassroots to Glory: Mitre and Thomas Lyte Celebrate the FA Cup’s Top Scorers with Golden Ball Trophies

As Wembley prepares to host the finals of the Emirates FA Cup and the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, a quieter but no less meaningful celebration is also underway—the crowning of this season’s top scorers through the presentation of the Mitre Golden Ball Awards.

First introduced in the 2021/22 season to mark the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup, the Mitre Golden Ball trophy honours the leading goal scorers across both the men’s and women’s tournaments—from the earliest qualifying rounds to the final itself. In a true celebration of the FA Cup’s democratic spirit, winners can emerge from any tier of the game.

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These extraordinary awards are the result of a continuing collaboration between Mitre, one of the most iconic names in football, and Thomas Lyte, world-renowned goldsmiths and silversmiths, Official Trophy and Silverware Supplier to The FA, and the makers of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup trophies.

Each Golden Ball trophy is an exact replica of the season’s Mitre match ball—gilded in 24-carat gold and hand-engraved with painstaking detail by Thomas Lyte’s master craftspeople in London. Using a combination of traditional silversmithing techniques and modern 3D software, each trophy takes months to complete and is reimagined every season to reflect the latest ball design—making every award a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

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“Collaborating with Mitre, a brand with over 200 years of heritage and engineering innovation, is a natural and exciting fit for our London workshops.

“As the makers of both the Emirates FA Cup and the Adobe Women’s FA Cup trophies, we take great pride in helping honour the game’s most prolific goalscorers, from grassroots heroes to global stars.”

Meri Markoska, Business Development Manager at Thomas Lyte

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This season’s winners will join a proud list of past recipients that includes Jonathan ‘JJ’ Lacey of Biggleswade Town and Natasha Leach of the Arnold Eagles, players whose efforts in the early rounds captured the hearts of fans and earned them the coveted golden prize. Leach, who received her award at Wembley ahead of the 2024 Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final, scored 15 goals from the sixth tier of English football—beating top scorers from Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and beyond.

“The creation of the Mitre Golden Ball trophies brings together Mitre’s legacy and cutting-edge innovation in football, alongside Thomas Lyte’s globally recognised craftsmanship in elite trophy making.

“This collaboration delivers something truly unique—a trophy that not only reflects sporting excellence, but also celebrates the full breadth of English football.”

Beth Fletcher-Hunt, Senior Marketing Manager at Mitre

For the winners, it’s more than a trophy. It’s a moment of recognition. A reminder that whether the goals came in front of a crowd of 90 or 90,000, greatness can come from anywhere.