George Best's first pair of football boots, shirts and international cap on sale in new auction expected to score tens of thousands
Some of George Best’s most iconic gear is up for grabs – for anyone who has a few grand to spare, that is.
Items from his first pair of football boots to international caps and trophies are all featuring in an auction next week, with bidders able to pick up some of the best of Bestie’s equipment.
Early bids have already pushed the Belfast Boy’s first every pair of football boots, given to him by his parents when he joint Cregagh Boys youth team around 1960, close to £2,000 – but they’re expected to reach up £5,000.
Best wrote the details of the games in which he scored on the sides of the boots in white paint, and brought the boots with him when he joined Manchester United in 1961.
Other items in the George Best collection include a player of the year trophy estimated at £30,000 to £50,000, which was presented by the Football Writers Association in 1968 following United’s European Cup win.
The sale, run by Graham Budd Auctions, also includes rafts of items from fellow vintage sporting star Pele and Arsenal ace Thierry Henry.
Said David Convery from the auctioneers: “For British football fans, there is no one quite as iconic as George Best, and the opportunity to own something that this sporting legend and World Cup winner once wore is not to be missed.
"These incredible items offer fans the chance to really put themselves in the shoes of one of the greatest players of all time.
"The auction this December is packed with history, from Liverpool programmes, to items belonging to iconic players in Manchester United’s past.
“With bids already starting to roll in, we urge anyone interested to take a look at the catalogue and start thinking about owning your own piece of history.”
The auction, which contains more than 1,300 items, is predicted to bring in up to £1.1m in total.
The memorabilia is being sold off by the estate of a collector and vendor, who picked up the items over the course of many years.
Mr Convery added that he expects the George Best collection to fly off the shelves during the auction next Tuesday and Wednesday.
"There’s a huge interest in him, always has been,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll ever go away.”