Some loving-cup trophies seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. The one in the centre is the Powergen Cup.

The Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs, on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics. In many sports medals are often given out either instead of or along with trophies.

Originally the word trophy, derived from the Greek tropaion, referred to arms, standards, other property, or human captives and body parts (e.g. headhunting) captured in battle. These war trophies commemorated the military victories of a state, army or individual combatant. In modern warfare trophy taking is discouraged,^[1] but this sense of the word is reflected in hunting trophies and human trophy collecting by serial killers.

Etymology[link]

Trophies have marked victories since ancient times. The word trophy coined in English in 1550, was derived from the French trophée in 1513, "a prize of war", from Old French trophee, from Latin trophaeum, monument to victory, variant of tropaeum, which in turn is the latinisation of the Greek τρόπαιον (tropaion),^[2] the neuter of τροπαῖος (tropaios), "of defeat" or "for defeat", but generally "of a turning" or "of a change",^[3] from τροπή (tropē), "a turn, a change"^[4] and that from the verb τρέπω (trepo), "to turn, to alter".^[5][6]

In ancient Greece, trophies were made on the battlefields of victorious battles, from captured arms and standards, and were hung upon a tree or a large stake made to resemble a warrior. Often, these ancient trophies were inscribed with a story of the battle and were dedicated to various gods. Trophies made about naval victories sometimes consisted of entire ships (or what remained of them) laid out on the beach. To destroy a trophy was considered a sacrilege.^[7]

The ancient Romans kept their trophies closer to home. The Romans built magnificent trophies in Rome, including columns and arches atop a foundation. Most of the stone trophies that once adorned huge stone memorials in Rome have been long since stolen.^[8]

History[link]

In ancient Greece, the winners of the Olympic games initially received no trophies except laurel wreaths. Later the winner also received an amphora with sacred olive oil. In local games, the winners received different trophies, such as a tripod vase, a bronze shield or a silver cup.

In ancient Rome, money usually was given to winners instead of trophies.

Chalices were given to winners of sporting events at least as early as the very late 1600s in the New World. For example the Kyp Cup (made by silversmith Jesse Kyp), a small two-handled sterling cup in the Henry Ford Museum, was given to the winner of a horse race between two towns in New England in about 1699. Chalices, particularly, are associated with sporting events, and were traditionally made in silver. Winners of horse races, and later boating and early automobile races, were the typical recipients of these trophies. The Davis Cup, Stanley Cup, and numerous World Cups are all now famous cup-shaped trophies given to sports winners.^[8]

Today, trophies are much less expensive, and thus much more pervasive, thanks to mass produced plastic trophies.

Types[link]

A trophy held by women's weightlifter Karyn Marshall made of wood and metal.

Trophies can take the shape of two-handled cups, bowls, or mugs (all usually engraved); statues of people, animals, and architecture while displaying words, numbers or images. While trophies traditionally have been made with metal figures, wood columns, and wood bases, in recent years they have been made with plastic figures and marble bases. This is to retain the weight traditionally associated with a quality award and make them more affordable to use as recognition items. Recently trophies have also been made using a resin and molds.

The Academy Awards Oscar is a trophy with a stylized human; the Hugo Award for science fiction is a space ship; and the Wimbledon awards for its singles champions are a large loving cup for men and a large silver plate for women.

A loving-cup trophy is a common variety of trophy;^{[citation needed]} it is a cup shape, usually on a pedestal, with two or more handles, and is often made from silver or silver plate.

Hunting trophies are reminders of successes from hunting animals, such as an animal's head mounted to be hung on a wall.

Resin trophies come in a variety of sports or even in generic forms. These resin awards are often used for participation awards and can be custom made to include an event logo. These can be custom molded to create a unique trophy for businesses, youth sports organizations, and non profits alike.

Sporting[link]

Some sporting trophies include:

Association football[link]

The Copa Libertadores Trophy.

The European Champion Clubs' Cup.

The FA Cup.

Some of the world's most famous association football trophies are:

• FIFA World Cup Trophy — Awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup from the 1974 FIFA World Cup onwards. Previous winners were awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy (known simply as Victory until 1949), which was awarded in perpetuity to Brazil after their 3rd win in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Both are referred to colloquially as the World Cup
• Copa Libertadores Trophy - known simply as Libertadores or Copa, awarded to the winners of the Copa Libertadores since 1960. It is the most prestigious laurel in the Western Hemisphere.
• European Champion Clubs' Cup - colloquially the European Cup, awarded to the winners of the European Cup (before 1992/3) and the UEFA Champions League (since 1992/3). It is the most prestigious trophy in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is affectionately known as "old big ears" due to its shape.
• The FA Cup- awarded to winners of the primary English association football domestic knockout tournament, officially The Football Association Challenge Cup, often referred to as just the FA Cup. The tournament is the oldest such in club football, being incepted since 1871.
• The Scottish Cup - awarded to the winners of the primary domestic knockout cup tournament of Scotland (the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, or just Scottish Cup) and the oldest national trophy still awarded in the world.

The original Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in Brazil in 1983 and has never been recovered. Replicas were awarded to winning nations up to the retirement of the genuine trophy. However, prior to the 1966 final, The Football Association made an (unauthorised) replica in secret in gilded bronze for use in post-match celebrations due to security concerns – the genuine trophy was made out of close to 2 kg of pure gold. This has led to several conspiracy theories regarding which trophy was stolen – the FA replica, or the real trophy. FIFA purchased the replica for £254,500 (ten times the reserve price) in 1997, with the inflated price attributed to such rumours.^[9] This trophy is held on behalf of FIFA by the National Football Museum in Preston. The current FIFA World Cup trophy incribe the names of the teams that won the award at the underneath the base of the trophy.

A club that manages to win the Copa Libertadores trophy three consecutive times retain the trophy permanently. The current trophy has been used since 1975. Like the FIFA World Cup trophy, the winners of each edition of the tournament has their name inscribed on the trophy; unlike the FIFA World Cup trophy, a pedastal contains a list of winners in the form of badges. The current pedestal is the fourth in the trophy's history, having been used since 2009. The original trophy was awarded to Estudiantes de La Plata in 1970 (after their third win) - the present trophy is the third, identical edition.^[10]

Clubs that win the European Champion Clubs' Cup three times in successive seasons, or five times in total, are permitted to retain the trophy in perpetuity. The present trophy has been used since 2005/06 after Liverpool FC's fifth win in 2005. The original trophy was awarded to Real Madrid CF in 1966 (after their sixth win) – the present trophy is the sixth (identical) edition.

Four trophies have served as an award (out of five made) for the winner of the FA Cup. The first (1871–1895) was stolen in Birmingham and melted down, the second (1896–1910) was presented to Lord Kinnaird and is presently held by David Gold, the chairman of Birmingham City after private auction in 2005. The third (1910–1992) was retired after the 1992 final due to fragility and is held by The Football Association; two exact replicas of it were made, one of which has been awarded to the winners 1993–present, the other remains as a backup in case of damage to the primary trophy.

Gaelic Football[link]

• Sam Maguire Cup - Awarded to the winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Hurling[link]

• Liam McCarthy Cup - Awarded to the winners of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

Tennis[link]

• Wimbledon tennis trophies - although having no formal name, a cup is presented to the Wimbledon Men's (Gentlemen's) Singles Champion (The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World, as stated on the cup itself). The women's (Ladies) Singles winner is presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish. Other trophies are presented to the winners of the Doubles and Mixed Doubles.

Motorsport[link]

• Borg-Warner Trophy — Awarded to the Indianapolis 500 Champion.
• Harley J. Earl Trophy — Awarded to the Daytona 500 Champion.

Rugby league[link]

• Challenge Cup, rugby league's oldest knock-out competition. Notable for the wide range of teams which start, some taken from amateur ranks, "developing nations" and university teams.

Rugby union[link]

• Webb Ellis Cup – Awarded to rugby union's World Champion
• Bledisloe Cup – Awarded annually to the winner between New Zealand and Australia.
• Calcutta Cup – Awarded annually to the winner between England and Scotland in rugby union

Cricket[link]

• Cricket World Cup Trophy - Awarded to the Winners of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
• The Ashes Urn – widely considered to be presented as a trophy to the winning team of the biennial cricket test series between England and Australia. However, the urn itself was never a trophy and remains in the MCC Cricket Museum at Lord's Cricket Ground. Only from 1998–99 were the winners of the Ashes presented with a replica (not to scale) of the urn in Waterford Crystal.

Sailing[link]

• America's Cup – Awarded to Yacht Racing Champion

Australian rules football[link]

• McClelland Trophy – Awarded to the Australian Football League's Home & Away season / Minor Premiership champion.
• AFL Premiership Cup – Awarded to the Australian Football League's Premier/ Winner of the AFL Grand Final

Golf[link]

• Claret Jug — Awarded to the winner of The Open Championship.
• Ryder Cup — Awarded to the winner of a biennial competition between Europe and the USA.

American and Canadian sports[link]

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the champions of the National Football League's Super Bowl

• Heisman Trophy – Awarded to the NCAA's Most Valuable Player in College Football
• BCS Trophy – Awarded to College Football's National Champion
• Vanier Cup – Awarded to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football champion
• Grey Cup – Awarded to the Canadian Football League's champion
• Calder Cup – Awarded to the American Hockey League's playoff champion
• Stanley Cup – Awarded to the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Champion
• Commissioner's Trophy – Awarded to Major League Baseball's World Series Champion
• Vince Lombardi Trophy – Awarded to the National Football League's Super Bowl champion
• Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy – Awarded to the National Basketball Association's champion
• MLS Cup – Awarded to the Major League Soccer's champion
• Mann Cup – An Indoor Lacrosse trophy awarded to the senior men's lacrosse champions of Canada.
• Steinfeld Cup – Awarded to the Major League Lacrosse champion
• Champion's Cup – Awarded to the National Lacrosse League champion

Many combat sports, such as boxing, mixed martial arts, and professional wrestling use championship belts as trophies; however, unlike most of the trophies mentioned above, a new one is not created every time a new champion is crowned; rather, the new champion takes the belt from the old one.

Military[link]

The United States military also issues a type of trophy which are known as "non-portable decorations". This indicates that the trophy carries the status of a military award, but is not meant to be worn on a uniform but rather is presented for static display. Such military trophies include athletic excellence awards, unit excellence awards, and superior service awards presented annually to the top service member of a command.

Professional awards[link]

Many professional associations award trophies in recognition of outstanding work in their respective fields. Some examples of such awards include:

• Academy Award – Awarded by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for excellence in the Film Industry.
• Collier Trophy – Awarded by the US National Aeronautics Association for outstanding work in aviation engineering.
• Harmon Trophy – Awarded by the Clifford B. Harmon Trust for outstanding achievement in aviation or ballooning.

Hunting[link]

In hunting, although competition trophies like those mentioned above can be awarded, the word trophy more typically refers to an item made from the body of a killed animal and kept as a keepsake.

See also[link]

• Acrylic trophy
• Championship belt
• Trophy wife
• Headhunting
• Salver
• PlayStation 3 Trophies
• Eglinton Trophy

Cup[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2005). Silverware: Hockey Hall of Fame. HB Fenn and Company. ISBN 1-55168-296-6. 
• Osborne, Robert (2003). 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards. Abbeville Press. ISBN 0-7892-0787-7. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trophy

• The Awards and Recognition Association- Awards Industries Trade Association
• Daytona 500 Trophy History – Website with history of the Daytona 500 Trophy
• Stanley Cup history – Website with official NHL history of the Stanley Cup
• History of the Trophy - The History of the Trophy
• How Trophies Are Made - How Trophies Are Made
• Recycle Trophies - How to Recycle Unwanted Trophies

Bat for Lashes
Bat for Lashes performing at the PLUG Awards in New York City on 6 March 2008
Background information
Birth name	Natasha Khan
Born	(1979-10-25) 25 October 1979 (age 32) London, England
Genres	Indie pop, folktronica, dream pop, baroque pop, Synthpop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, piano, bass, guitar, synthesiser, harpsichord, autoharp, percussion, xylophone[1]
Years active	2006–present
Labels	She Bear, Echo, Parlophone, Manimal Vinyl, Caroline, Astralwerks
Associated acts	New Young Pony Club
Website	www.batforlashes.com

Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), better known by her stage name Bat for Lashes, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. She sings and plays the piano, bass, guitar, harpsichord and the autoharp.

Khan's debut album, Fur and Gold, released in 2006, peaked at number forty-eight on the UK Albums Chart and was shortlisted for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2008, Khan received two BRIT Award nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female Solo Artist.

Khan's second album, Two Suns, released in 2009, reached number five on the UK Album Chart and number seventeen on the Irish Album Chart. It produced her first UK top forty single, "Daniel", and was shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize. Khan was nominated for Best Female Solo Artist at 2010 BRIT Awards.

History[link]

Early life[link]

Khan was born in London on 25 October 1979.^[2] Until the age of five she was raised in Wembley where her parents had met and married several years before. She was born to a Pakistani father, Rehmat Khan (a former professional squash player from Peshawar) and to an English mother. Her father decided to relocate the family to the commuter town of Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire to help with his coaching of future squash world open winner Jahangir Khan, Natasha's cousin.^[3]

As a child Khan, along with her sister Suraya and brother Tariq, attended her uncle's squash matches. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Khan reflected that seeing her uncle helped inspire her. "The roar of the crowd is intense; it is ceremonial, ritualistic, I feel like the banner got passed to me but I carried it on in a creative way. It is a similar thing, the need to thrive on heightened communal experience." With her father's abandonment of the family Khan turned to the piano. Deciding to play improvised pieces instead of attending lessons, Khan felt the piano became an outlet for her emotions. "You need to find a channel to express things, to get them out", she said.^[3]

During her teens Khan was also a victim of racism. Speaking about her time in after-school clubs she claimed "the kids there totally ripped me to shreds." This rejection led Khan to rebel, making the decision to "bunk off" school and stay at home listening to music. "My mum would take me to the train station and I pretended to get the train; she'd drive to work and I would go home and play a tape of Nirvana all day".^[3] With the completion of her GCSEs and A-Levels she decided to embark on a road trip through America with her boyfriend at the time, using the money earned from her part time job at a local card-making factory.^[3]

After spending three months touring through the US and Mexico, Khan returned to the UK and settled in Brighton to study a degree in music and visual arts at the University of Brighton.^[3][4][5] While at university her experimental work was influenced by artists such as Steve Reich and Susan Hiller, and she produced multi-media work centred on sound installations, animations and performance.

[edit] 2006–08: Fur and Gold

Following graduation, Khan worked as a nursery school teacher, and it was during this period that she began writing the material for her first album.

Khan playing New York City's Bowery Ballroom in support of Fur and Gold

Khan's debut single, "The Wizard", was released digitally through Drowned in Sound records and on seven-inch vinyl through Khan's own imprint, She Bear Records. She then signed to the record label Echo, alongside Feeder and former Moloko singer Róisín Murphy, and released her debut album, Fur and Gold, in September 2006. In 2007, Bat for Lashes parted company with Echo and signed to Parlophone Records, which re-released Fur and Gold with the addition of bonus material. A limited vinyl version was released by Los Angeles indie label Manimal Vinyl in May 2007. Fur and Gold reached number forty-eight on the UK Albums Chart and has since been certified Silver by the BPI for sales exceeding 60,000 copies. In 2007, Khan appeared at the Glastonbury Festival and toured the United States.^[6]

Critics likened Khan's music to the work of Siouxsie Sioux,^[7] Björk, Kate Bush, Cat Power, PJ Harvey, Annie Lennox, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.^[8] Both her albums were described by MTV Iggy as "at once haunting and way danceable."^[9] Fur and Gold was one of the albums nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize, losing out to Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future despite being a favourite of British media to win the award.^[10] Also in 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awarded her with the ASCAP Vanguard Award and chose her to perform at their "ASCAP Presents..." showcase at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. In 2008, Khan was nominated for British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards.

Radiohead's 2008 tour featured several shows with Bat for Lashes as their opening act. Her version of the The Cure's "A Forest" appeared on a charity album called Perfect as Cats on Manimal Vinyl in late 2008.

[edit] 2009: Two Suns

Khan's second album, Two Suns, was released in April 2009 and produced by Natasha Khan and David Kosten.^[11] In preparation for the album, Khan journeyed to the Joshua Tree Desert in California to gain inspiration, before returning to New York and London to write and record the finished material for release.^[11]

A concept album,^[12] Two Suns focuses on Khan's desert-born alter ego Pearl, whose personality she adopted while staying in New York to gain a better understanding of the character. She revealed to the BBC's Newsbeat, "I really just did it as an experiment of dressing up myself with quite garish extreme feminine make-up. I wanted to photograph myself in that situation and just see what it made me feel.”^[13] Khan believed that living in Brooklyn when bands such as TV on the Radio, MGMT and Gang Gang Dance were emerging on the music scene had an influence on the album's musical style. In an interview with MTV she said, "I experienced that whole thing coming out, in terms of beats and like going out dancing and checking out all this new music it was really inspiring."^[12] During the album's production, she also collaborated with Brooklyn artist Yeasayer for the bass and beat programming.^[11]

Two Suns debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart,^[14] and has been certified Gold by the BPI for sales of 100,000 copies. The first single from the album, "Daniel", became Khan's first hit, peaking at number thirty-six on the UK Singles Chart;^[15] it later won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song and was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year. The following singles were "Pearl's Dream" and a double A-side of "Sleep Alone" and "Moon and Moon", the latter of which was featured in a high profile advertising campaign for children's charity Barnardo's in late 2009.^[16]

Bat for Lashes at the Primavera Sound 2009

Critical response to the album was generally favourable, generating a score of 77 on the review aggregator Metacritic.^[17] In their review for Two Suns NME awarded it 8 out of 10 describing the album as "epic in scope and ambition and requires a similarly epic patience to unravel its charms."^[18] Rolling Stone also rated it favourably stating, "Khan proves she's a powerhouse under her billowy sleeves. She could be the next Kate Bush."^[19] However some critics such as Popmatters found problems, reviewing the album they claimed, "While the weaker songs are definitely not throwaways, they miss the mark in more than one way."^[20] Blender magazine also felt the album was average, awarding it 3 out 5 stars, claiming "The contrast between Pearl and Natasha isn't always crisply drawn".^[21] As with Fur and Gold, Khan was nominated for the Mercury Prize for Two Suns.^[22] In 2010, she won Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards and received a second BRIT Award nomination for British Female Solo Artist.

As part of the 2009 summer festival season, Khan played at Glastonbury, Somerset House and the iTunes Festival. In September 2009, a special edition of Two Suns was released in the United Kingdom ahead of Khan's October tour. The special edition, which includes a cover version of Kings of Leon's single "Use Somebody", was released simultaneously in the United States. Later in 2009, the cover artwork for Two Suns was nominated for Best Art Vinyl.^[23]

2010–present[link]

In early 2010, Khan toured South America supporting Coldplay^[24] after a one-off gig at The De La Warr Pavilion.^[25] In mid 2010, she collaborated with Beck on the track "Let's Get Lost" for the Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack.^[26] Khan expressed interest in working with Beck on her third album, saying he had "creative ideas."^[27]

In 2010, Bat for Lashes contributed the song "Sleep Alone" from Two Suns to the Enough Project and Downtown Records' Raise Hope for Congo compilation.^[28] Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo's women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo. For Record Store Day 2010, Bat for Lashes released an exclusive double A-side 7" single comprising a live performance of "Trophy" single B-side "Howl" recorded at De La Warr Pavilion and a cover of Wild Is the Wind, originally written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington.^[29]

In 2011, Khan recorded a cover version of Depeche Mode's song "Strangelove" for a Gucci advertising campaign. The song was released as a free download from Gucci's channel on YouTube and various blogs.^[30] In June 2011, Khan performed two shows at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid LIVE Arts Festival, her only performances of the year.^[31][32]

In May 2010, Khan stated she was in the early stages of writing a third album and "wanted to take more time with this one".^[33]

Touring[link]

The Bat for Lashes live line-up contains an ever-revolving cast of musicians often changing on a per-tour basis. The latest line-up includes Ben Christophers, Charlotte Hatherley and Sarah Jones, who also plays drums with New Young Pony Club. This line-up was announced in March 2009.

In the media[link]

Thom Yorke, Debbie Harry, and M.I.A. have complimented Khan's work, Ringo Starr said she was one of his favourite new artists, and Björk was also spotted at one of her early gigs.^[34][35]

In April 2009 Khan appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed an acoustic version of the single, "Daniel", and also covered "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. Her first appearance on US broadcast television was on Late Show with David Letterman on 1 May 2009, performing the song "Daniel".^[36] In April 2009 she appeared on the BBC2 live music show Later... with Jools Holland performing two songs from Two Suns: "Daniel" and "Sleep Alone." On 11 August 2009 Bat for Lashes performed on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel performing the songs "Daniel" and "Sleep Alone." She also performed "Moon and Moon" during the Mercury Award's 2009 event.^[37]

Discography[link]

• Fur and Gold (2006)
• Two Suns (2009)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikinews has related news: Bat for Lashes plays the Bowery Ballroom: an Interview with Natasha Khan

• Official website
• Bat for Lashes at Allmusic
• Media related to Bat for Lashes at Wikimedia Commons

Trophy wife is an expression used to refer to a wife, usually young and attractive, who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband, who is often older and wealthy.

The use of the term also usually reflects negatively on the character or personality of the husband, and has a connotation of narcissism and desire to impress others, and that the husband would not be able to attract the sexual interest of the attractive woman but for his wealth or position.

History[link]

The term's etymological origins are disputed. One claim is that trophy wife originally appeared in a 1950 issue of The Economist magazine^{[citation needed]}, referring to the historical practice of warriors capturing the most beautiful women during battle to bring home as wives.^[1] William Safire claimed that the term trophy wife was coined by Julie Connelly, a senior editor of Fortune magazine, in a cover story in the issue of Aug. 28, 1989^[2] and immediately entered common usage.^{[citation needed]} Many sources claim the term was coined earlier (for example, the Online Etymology Dictionary cites 1984^[3]) but easy online access to William Safire's article about the term has led many (such as Oxford English Dictionary) to believe that August 28, 1989 was its first use.^[4]

Comedian Steven Wright once quipped, "A friend of mine has a trophy wife. But from the looks of her, it wasn't first place".^[5]

The marriage of former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith to oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall was widely followed by the US mass media as an extreme example of this concept.^[6] At the time of their marriage, he was 89 years old and she was 26.^[7]

See also[link]

Sexuality portal

• Age disparity in sexual relationships
• Erotic capital
• Narcissistic supply
• WAGs

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Look up trophy wife in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Alpha males forsake the trophy wife, article in the Sunday Times, stating that "Academics say they have found the first evidence that successful British males increasingly prefer a spouse with a high-powered job to one who stays at home with the children."
• http://www.t3.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-aura-mobile-phone-review T3 magazine in a review of the Motorola luxury "Aura" mobile phone model: "We think it’s best to think of the AURA as the trophy-wife of the phone world, it’s great to look at and bring to social occasions, but that’s about it."

Sergio Ramos

Ramos in action for Real Madrid
Personal information
Full name	Sergio Ramos García
Date of birth	(1986-03-30) 30 March 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth	Camas, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid
Number	4
Youth career
1996–2003	Sevilla
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2004	Sevilla B	25	(2)
2004–2005	Sevilla	39	(2)
2005–	Real Madrid	229	(28)
National team‡
2002	Spain U17	1	(0)
2004	Spain U19	6	(0)
2004	Spain U21	6	(0)
2005–	Spain	85	(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:03, 13 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Sergio Ramos García (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo ˈramoz ɡaɾˈθi.a]; born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Spain national football team. Mainly a central defender, he can perform equally as a right back.

After emerging through Sevilla's youth system, he went on to be a defensive mainstay for both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, gaining his first cap at the age of 18.

Club career[link]

Sevilla[link]

Born in Camas, Seville, Andalusia, Ramos began his career at local side Sevilla FC, emerging through the club's youth system alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 1 February 2004, coming on as a second half substitute in a 0–1 away loss against Deportivo de La Coruña.

In the 2004–05 season, Ramos appeared in 31 games as Sevilla finished sixth and qualified to the UEFA Cup, scoring in home fixtures against Real Sociedad (2–1)^[1] and Real Madrid (2–2).^[2]

Real Madrid[link]

Ramos (in white) against Valencia.

Ramos celebrates with his teammates.

In the summer of 2005, 19-year old Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish teenager.^[3] He was the only Spanish player brought in during Florentino Pérez first stint as Real Madrid president.

At the club, Ramos was awarded the number 4 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Hierro. On 6 December 2005 he netted his first goal for the Merengues, in a 2–3 UEFA Champions League group stage loss at Olympiacos FC.^[4]

During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergency defensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival of Christoph Metzelder and Pepe in the 2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back, whilst displaying a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 overall goals in Real Madrid's shirt during his first four seasons combined. On 4 May 2008, Ramos assisted Gonzalo Higuaín in the 89th minute against CA Osasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed Real Madrid's 31st league championship; on the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegated Levante UD, one through a header and another after an individual effort, taking his league tally to five.^[5]

Ramos scored a vital goal in the Spanish Supercup contest against Valencia CF, making it 2–1 to and 4–4 on aggregate in an eventual 4–2 win (6–5), despite the fact Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time. Although he experienced a slight dip in form, he returned to his best and on 11 January 2009, netted on an acrobatic volley against RCD Mallorca (3–0 away triumph),^[6] continuing his scoring run in the following week, in a 3–1 home win against Osasuna.^[7]

Ramos was named in both FIFA and UEFA's 1754 Team of the Year, adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.^[8]

Just at the start of the 2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid's four captains of Real Madrid. As Pepe suffered a serious knee injury during the campaign, he was often deployed as central defender, and scored four goals in 33 league contests, but the team eventually came out empty in silverware. On 21 February 2010, he played his 200th official match for the capital team against Villarreal CF (150 in the first division).

In Real Madrid's 0–5 loss at FC Barcelona on 29 November 2010, Ramos was sent off after kicking Lionel Messi from behind, then pushing Carles Puyol in the ensuing melée.^[9] After this ejection, he equalled Fernando Hierro's previous record for red cards at the club, having played in 264 fewer games.^[10]

On 20 April 2011, Ramos started in the season's Copa del Rey final, a 1–0 win against Barcelona in Valencia. In the subsequent victory procession, while celebrating on the top of the club's bus, he accidentally lost hold of the cup, which fell under the wheels of the vehicle; the trophy was dented as a result.^[11]

On 12 July 2011, Ramos extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017.^[12] Early into the season, he profitted from an injury to Ricardo Carvalho to return to his more natural position as stopper.

On 25 April 2012, in the Champions League semifinals' second leg against FC Bayern Munich, Ramos missed his penalty shootout attempt, shooting well wide over the bar. Real Madrid went on to lose 1–3 and be eliminated.^[13]

International career[link]

Ramos (#15) lining up for Spain against Sweden at Euro 2008.

In 2004, Ramos became an instant hit for Spain's under-21, for who he played six international matches. On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win over China in Salamanca, he first appeared for the senior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years (he held this record until it was broken by Barcelona's Cesc Fàbregas).

Just seven months later, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was selected for the final stages in Germany and, after the international retirement of Real Madrid teammate Míchel Salgado, became the undisputed first-choice right back.

Throughout Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, above Sweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win over Denmark, in 11 appearances.

In the tournament's final stages, Ramos played in all matches and minutes, except the 2–1 group stage win against Greece. In the final, his pass nearly set up Marcos Senna's first international goal, but the latter barely missed it by inches. During the celebrations after the 1–0 defeat of Germany, he wore a T-shirt in honor of close friend and former Sevilla teammate Puerta, who died in August 2007.^[14][15]

Ramos was selected in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third position. At the 2010 World Cup, held in the same country, he started every game, helping the team keep five clean sheets and reach the final, which they won 1–0 against the Netherlands; he topped the tournament's Castrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79.^[16]

International goals[link]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	13 October 2005	Stadio Olimpico, San Marino, San Marino	San Marino	0–3	0–6	2006 World Cup qualification
2.	13 October 2005	Stadio Olimpico, San Marino, San Marino	San Marino	0–4	0–6	2006 World Cup qualification
3.	13 October 2007	Atletion, Aarhus, Denmark	Denmark	0–2	1–3	Euro 2008 qualifying
4.	17 November 2007	Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain	Sweden	3–0	3–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
5.	3 March 2010	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	France	0–2	0–2	Friendly
6.	6 September 2011	Estadio Las Gaunas, Logroño, Spain	Liechtenstein	4–0	6–0	Euro 2012 qualifying

Statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 13 May 2012 (2012 -05-13)^[update]

¹ Includes Supercopa de España.

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11
• Supercopa de España: 2008; Runner-up 2011

Country[link]

Spain U–19

• UEFA U-19 Championship: 2004

Spain

• FIFA World Cup: 2010
• UEFA European Championship: 2008
• FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009

Individual[link]

• La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2005
• ESM Team of the year: 2007–08
• FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2008, 2011
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2008
• 2010 FIFA World Cup: Castrol Index Winner^[17]
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sergio Ramos

• Real Madrid official profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• 2010 FIFA World Cup profile
• Sergio Ramos at National-Football-Teams.com
• Sergio Ramos – FIFA competition record
• Sergio Ramos – UEFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile
• Official website (Spanish)