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THE £100,000 sale of memorabilia from the career of Bolton Wanderers legend Nat Lofthouse has attracted global interest, according to the auctioneer.
Bonhams in Chester will auction 69 lots of Nat’s belongings tomorrow and online bidding enquiries have been from organisations and individ-uals worldwide.
Items for sale include Nat’s FA Cup winner’s medal and his England cap from the famous “Lion of Vienna” match against Austria.
Chris Hayes, sports specialist at Bonhams, said: “There has been a lot of interest placed already, especially in the higher value lots, such as the trophies and shirts.
“Museums, companies and people have been in touch with us about the sale, some of it coming from overseas.”
Among the lots is the iconic lion trophy, presented to Nat by Wanderers when he retired in 1960, which is expected to fetch about £3,500.
The 1958 FA Cup Winner’s medal, with Nat scoring twice in Wanderers’ 2-0 win over Manchester United at Wembley, has an estimate of between £10,000 and £12,000 attached to it.
Nat’s memorabilia is being auctioned by his children, Jeff and Vivien, who feel others will garner more enjoyment from their father’s mementoes, with both currently living abroad.
On the sale, Jeff, aged 65, said: “Apart from having stuff on display in my office, with nobody who comes round having any idea of who Nat Lofthouse is, there’s not a lot else I can do with it.
“It makes sense for the items to stay local and be properly treasured.
“The main reason, in the end, for auctioning them is that neither myself nor my sister have any children.
“Dad’s stuff might give more pleasure to people who will be able to show it to their children when they are young and then pass it down to them.”
It is understood that Bolton Council has an interest in the sale but no firm decision has been made over which items it is targeting.
There have been calls from the public to keep the memorabilia in Bolton.
The auction tomorrow starts at 11am at Bonhams in Christleton Road, Chester.
Nat’s memorabilia will be lots 69-137 in the catalogue, and the items are expected to go under the hammer at about noon.
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Bonhams in Chester will auction 69 lots of Nat’s belongings tomorrow and online bidding enquiries have been from organisations and individ-uals worldwide.
Items for sale include Nat’s FA Cup winner’s medal and his England cap from the famous “Lion of Vienna” match against Austria.
Chris Hayes, sports specialist at Bonhams, said: “There has been a lot of interest placed already, especially in the higher value lots, such as the trophies and shirts.
“Museums, companies and people have been in touch with us about the sale, some of it coming from overseas.”
Among the lots is the iconic lion trophy, presented to Nat by Wanderers when he retired in 1960, which is expected to fetch about £3,500.
The 1958 FA Cup Winner’s medal, with Nat scoring twice in Wanderers’ 2-0 win over Manchester United at Wembley, has an estimate of between £10,000 and £12,000 attached to it.
Nat’s memorabilia is being auctioned by his children, Jeff and Vivien, who feel others will garner more enjoyment from their father’s mementoes, with both currently living abroad.
On the sale, Jeff, aged 65, said: “Apart from having stuff on display in my office, with nobody who comes round having any idea of who Nat Lofthouse is, there’s not a lot else I can do with it.
“It makes sense for the items to stay local and be properly treasured.
“The main reason, in the end, for auctioning them is that neither myself nor my sister have any children.
“Dad’s stuff might give more pleasure to people who will be able to show it to their children when they are young and then pass it down to them.”
It is understood that Bolton Council has an interest in the sale but no firm decision has been made over which items it is targeting.
There have been calls from the public to keep the memorabilia in Bolton.
The auction tomorrow starts at 11am at Bonhams in Christleton Road, Chester.
Nat’s memorabilia will be lots 69-137 in the catalogue, and the items are expected to go under the hammer at about noon.
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Seems like a no brainer to me.
