The Bass Charity Vase is a friendly

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

tournament founded in 1889 in

Burton upon Trent Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2011, it had a population of 72,299. The ...

to raise funds for medical and hospital charities. The trophy was donated by Lord Burton and

Hamar Bass Hamar Alfred Bass (30 July 1842 – 8 April 1898) was a British brewer, race horse breeder and a Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1878 to 1898. Early life Bass was born in Burton upon Trent, the second son of brewer ...

the great-grandsons of William Bass, the founder of the

Bass Brewery The Bass Brewery () was founded in 1777 by William Bass in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, once the highest-selling beer in the UK. By 1877, Bass had become the largest brewery in the world, with ...

. The trophy itself is made from gold and inscribed with the names of all previous winners. It is reputed to be one of the most valuable trophies in English football. The first final was played in 1890 and was won by

Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...

, who remain the most successful club, with 20 titles. Over 130 years since the tournament began, the Bass Charity Vase match is now hosted almost exclusively by the only surviving professional football club in Burton upon Trent,

Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home grou ...

. The trophy is presented to the winning club on the day of the match, and is displayed year-round at the nearby St George's Park National Football Centre. It still continues on its original purpose, raising money for medical and hospital charities - as well as local community initiatives. Notably, in 2021, raising funds for community trusts during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and supporting

Midlands Air Ambulance The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC), formerly County Air Ambulance, is a charity operating a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. ...

. The current champions are Stoke City, in their 6th reign.

Results

Most titles

Winners up to and including 2016 are sourced to the competition's website;{Derby County more recent winners are individually sourced. {, class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" !Club !data-sort-type="number", Wins !Last final won , - , align=left,

, , 20, , 2019 , - , align=left,

, , 13, , 2021 , - , align=left, Burton All Saints/Town, , 11, , 1940 , - , align=left, Gresley Rovers, , , , 1989 Centenary , - , align=left,

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...

, , 6, , 2005 , - , align="left" , Newhall United, , , , 1974 , - , align=left, Stoke City, , 6, , 2023 , - , align=left, Leicester Fosse/City, , 5, , 1982 , - , align=left, Stapenhill, , , , 1966 , - , align="left" ,

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...

, , 4, , 2017 , - , align="left" , Aston Villa, , 3, , 2018 , - , align=left, Burton Swifts, , 3, , 1900 , - , align=left, Burton United, , 3, , 1910 , - , align=left, Coventry City, , 3, , 1919 , - , align="left" ,

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...

, , 3, , 2002 , - , align="left" , Birmingham F.C./City, , 2, , 2022 , - , align="left" , Derby Corinthians, , 2, , 1948 , - , align="left" , Ibstock Penistone Rovers, , 2, , 1969 , - , align="left" , Kingsbury Colliery, , 2, , 1946 , - , align=left, Rawdon Colliery Welfare, , 2, , 1963/64 , - , align="left" , 1st R.F.R. Royal Artillery, , 2, , 1942 , - , align="left" , Tamworth F.C./Castle, , 2, , 1937 , - , align=left, Burton Wanderers, , 1, , 1895 , - , align="left" , Burton Workers' Union, , 1, , 1915 , - , align="left" , Chesterfield, , 1, , 1901 , - , align="left" , Coalville Munition Girls, , 1, , 1918 , - , align="left" ,

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

, , 1, , 1906 , - , align="left" , Enderby Town, , 1, , 1972 , - , align="left" , Kidderminster Harriers, , 1, , 1939 , - , align=left,

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, , 1, , 1897 , - , align=left, Mansfield Town, , 1, , 1935 , - , align=left, Moira United, , 1, , 1947 , - , align="left" , Overseal Swifts, , 1, , 1912 , - , align="left" , Pegson's Athletic, , 1, , 1945 , - , align="left" , Tutbury Hawthorn, , 1 shared, , 1950 , - , align=left, Whitwick Colliery, , 1, , 1951 , - , align=left, Wilmorton & Alvaston, , 1, , 1960

References

{{Friendly association football tournaments in England Football cup competitions in England 1890 establishments in England Recurring sporting events established in 1890 English football friendly trophies