It’s usually a sad day when an ex-footballer ends up auctioning off his medals, caps and shirts. It usually signals that the man in question has fallen on hard times and, though reluctant to do so, is forced to cash in on his precious, prized memories.
Not so in Nobby’s case. Though I may find it sad that he’s taken this decision, he’s made it for the good of his family:
“It was always my intention to leave the entire collection to my children. But I have three sons – how do you fairly divide up this sort of collection between them? They have each selected some pieces they would like to keep for themselves.
“I’m as patriotic as the next Englishman and will always cherish my memories and the friendships I made in my playing days, but at this stage of my life I would rather have some control over the distribution of my memorabilia and know that my family will benefit.”
You can’t argue with that. You’d be a heartless bastard if you did. What it does mean is that there are pieces of real footballing history, both English and Manchester United-related, that are up for grabs for those with deep pockets and, I hope, a real appreciation for such things.
It is to be hoped that the World Cup medal, for example, ends up in the hands of someone with a passion for the game and for England. If it ends up sat in a dark room, never to be looked at and admired, owned by someone who just wanted the prestige of owning it without knowing what it means…that would be a tragedy.
Nobby Stiles won’t care. He’s putting his family first. The rest of us should. The Machester United-related items should, as someone said on Twitter today, really be bought by Manchester United for the museum. Let the public see it, look after one of their own and ensure the items are looked after properly.
That won’t happen though. Sadly.
For me, the one item above all else that I’d love to have from the auction is his shirt from the 1968 European Cup final against Benfica. Not the medal, the shirt. That’s the shirt he sweated blood in to help win us that first European Cup. How good would that be?
So…can anyone lend me about £50,000? If not, and you have it, snap it up yourself. You won’t regret owning it. Just make sure you look after it.