SIR BOBBY FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA UNDER THE HAMMER

Before his stellar career in football management, Sir Bobby was an extremely talented footballer, playing in the 1950s and 1960s for Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, and scoring four goals for England.

Brenda and Michael Robson with Sir Bobby in 1978

Sir Bobby’s cousin, Michael Robson, aged 74 from Belmont in County Durham, loved following his matches and travelled all over the country to watch him play.

During that time, Michael amassed a wonderful collection of football memorabilia including signed photos, match programmes, cigarette cards and an autograph book bursting with players’ names, all of which will be auctioned in Newcastle on Tuesday (9th July) in aid of our Foundation.

The collection also includes match programmes from Sir Bobby’s hugely successful time as manager of Ipswich Town.

Michael was born and bred in Langley Park and his father, also called Michael Robson, was Sir Bobby’s father’s brother. The families lived only a few streets apart in the village and remain close to this day.

Michael decided to donate his collection to ‘do his bit’ to support his cousin’s cancer charity and Anderson and Garland Auctioneers kindly offered their services to help.

Michael says: “I donated the collection because I want to know it will go to someone who’ll appreciate it. And to know it’s doing some good, too.

“I have lots of special memories of that time. Bob was a few years ahead of me and I was still at school when he signed for Fulham.

“My dad and his brothers, including Bob’s dad Philip, would go and watch him play whenever he came to the north and when I was about 11, I started to go to as well. We’d get the train from Durham and watch him play at clubs in Sheffield, York, Rotherham and Leeds, places like that.

Fred Wyrley-Birch, a Director at Anderson & Garland

“We’d meet up with Bob before the game and he’d sort out our tickets. Often, I’d give him my autograph book and he’d pass it around the dressing rooms for me and give it back afterwards.

“We also went to Wembley to see him play for England and the match programme from that game against Scotland is one of the auction items. I think Bob scored that day.”

In 2015, Anderson & Garland also generously gave their time to support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation by auctioning the vast collection of Newcastle United memorabilia donated by the family of John Alder.

Fred Wyrley-Birch, a Director at Anderson & Garland, says: “We’re very proud to support Sir Bobby’s Foundation because we know how important the work they fund is.

“Michael’s wonderful collection evokes a very different time of English football, a golden era of Manchester United’s ‘Busby Babes’ and England’s magnificent World Cup win. We’re extremely pleased to have the opportunity to auction it and we’re sure it will attract strong interest.”

For more information or to make a bid on Michael Robson’s collection (Lot 300 in The Collectors’ Auction), please visit: www.andersonandgarland.com.