The self storage unit was packed from floor to ceiling with boxes. What was in those boxes has now been described as “mind-blowing.”
The boxes belonged to lifelong football fan Edward Spink, who had amassed an amazing collection of football memorabilia throughout his lifetime. The boxes contained thousands of football programs, ticket stubs for matches played as long as half a century ago, more than 2,000 pin badges, scarves, shirts and books. Perhaps most importantly, there are over 10,000 player autographs, from Pele to George Best.
“Edward Spink was an 11-year-old schoolboy when he went to his first football match at Elland Road in the 1960s,” said Auctioneer Will Duggleby, who is putting the collection under the hammer as part of an online auction which ends on Sunday. “It triggered a passion that lasted his entire life.
“[Spink] never married, spent his entire career with the NatWest (a London banking company), followed Leeds United home and away for decades – but collected the autograph of just about anybody who kicked a football.”