A flag believed to have been flown at Wembley during the 1966 World Cup is poised to spark football bidding fever at a World Cup Auction.
The flag, which was part of the 1966 World Cup 50th Anniversary Exhibition at Manchester’s National Football Museum in 2016, is set to go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers with an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 (lot 1).
It will star in a World Cup and Sports Memorabilia sale on November 3. The auction house says it’s ready to blow the starting whistle on what it describes as ‘our best sports memorabilia sale ever’ thanks to an enviable team of star lots ready to score a winner.
World Cup heritage shines bright thanks to lot 13, an England cap awarded to Bobby Moore for his appearance at an England v Hungary match on May 31, 1962. The World Cup Group Stage fixture was played in Rancagua, Chile. The cap, Moore’s second of 108 England caps, has a guide price of £15,000-£20,000.
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Moore (1941-1993), a West Ham United legend, captained the England team that won the 1966 World Cup. He is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the history of football, and was cited by Pelé as the greatest defender that he had ever played against.
A football shirt in the sale has a quirky tale to tell – because it wasn’t worn. The rare Nottingham Forest 1993-95 long-sleeved away shirt is believed to be a match-prepared shirt for Stuart Pearce which he refused to wear. The vendor obtained the item from a relative who worked for Nottingham Forest, £600-£800 (lot 34).
Another sports lot comes courtesy of Forest’s East Midlands’ rivals Derby County. Up for auction is a 15ct gold medal awarded to Derby County forward Harry Leonard. He was part of the Derby side that won the Football League Division 2 title in the 1914-15 season, the final full season in the run up to the First World War.
The medal inscribed: ‘The Football League Champions Div. 2 1914-15 Derby County FCH Leonard’ is enamelled to the front with a crown and two crests and hallmarked ‘Thomas Fattorini & Sons, Birmingham 1915’, £2,500-£3,000 (lot 105)
Sunderland-born Leonard (1886-1951) was a centre forward who scored 19 goals in 32 appearances during the Rams’ 1914-15 title-winning season. His career spanned six clubs, Newcastle United, Grimsby Town, Middlesbrough, Manchester United, Heanor Town and most notably Derby County where he played from 1911-1920. He also served in the Royal Engineers during WWI from 1915-1919.
Derbyshire heritage emerges again in lot 103, an original Shrovetide football dating back to 1927. The Royal Shrovetide Football Match is a medieval game which has been played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the Derbyshire town of Ashbourne since circa 1667.
The decorated ball set for auction, restored by SJC Avery in 1995, was obtained by the vendor’s late father who originated from Ashbourne. It was ‘Thrown Up By Mr C Holmes of The White Hart Hotel, Ash Wednesday 1927’, and ‘Goaled By Redvers Wibberley at Sturston Mill 1927’. Emblazoned with ‘Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 1927 Ye Olde Game’, it was the only ball used on Ash Wednesday 1927, estimate £2,000-£3,000
Moving away from football, lot 207 is one of only 44small 14K gold charms made as mementos for USA female athletes who competed in the 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics. They were given a gifts by General Douglas MacArthur, president of the American Olympic Committee. The tiny charm bears the US Olympic emblem to one side, and ‘1928 Olympics Game’ on the other, £800-£1,000.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “This is the best sports memorabilia auction Hansons has ever hosted, packed with some incredibly rare and important lots. We were keen to do something special to mark the Qatar World Cup which starts on November 20. We very much hope a auction packed with nostalgic football finds will help to spark some pre-World Cup excitement – and belief that England can bring the trophy home.”
The World Cup, Football Focus and Sports Memorabilia sale will be held on November 3 at Hansons Auctioneers, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire. Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk or www.the-saleroom.com. To find out more, contact David Wilson-Turner: [email protected].
