A very unique scrapbook from the mid-1950's, including many Manchester Uinted, pre-Munich autographs, and signatures from Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, West Brom, Wolves, York City, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Manchester United autographs include individual pictures of Bill Foulkes (2), Eddie Colman (2), Roger Byrne (2), Duncan Edwards (4), David Pegg (3), Jackie Blanchflower (2), plus Johnny Berry, Colin Webster, Liam Whelan, Tommy Taylor and Ray Wood. A team signed black and white picture has the autographs of Eddie Colman, Ray Wood, Mark Jones, Bill Foulkes, David Pegg, Duncan Edwards (so 5 Edwards signatures in total!), Johhny Berry, Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Dennis Violet and Liam Whelan. These autographs feature seven of the eight players who sadly passed away in the Munich air disaster, and are extremely rare and valuable. A single Duncan Edwards signed picture sold for almost £250 on eBay recently.
The Manchester City autographs include a black and white picture of Roy Paul and his son holding the F.A cup and signed "best wishes".
The scrapbook was put together over 51 years ago and does show signs of its age. As can been seen in the images, the tape has yellowed, but the player pictures look almost as good as new. Most of the scrapbook consists of newspaper cuttings or cut outs from programmes or football books. The autographs were hand signed in person for our client at the age of 12-13 and have been in his possession since. He recollects being allowed on the England coach, meeting Walter Winterbottam and the England team while waiting at Maine Road and kicking balls for Nat Lofthouse on a snowy Bolton pitch. A note in the back of the scrapbook, dated 19th July 1957, reads "I will never part with this book for it is far worth any amount of money in the joy it has given me to collect the signatures of these soccer idols and treasure them for a lifetime."
