Memorabilia nets cash for charity

An ardent Wolves fan has bid farewell to his £50,000 lifetime’s collection of club memorabilia.

Dennis Lee was at Molineux, where yesterday’s grand sale was held, to watch his prize possessions snapped up by new owners in aid of city-based children’s wish-making charity Promise Dreams.

An avid supporter of the team since he was just six years old, Mr Lee said: “I won’t miss the stuff.” He added: “I used to spend a lot of time cataloguing and adding to the collection but the money is going to a good cause.”

The 58-year-old human resources director for London Scottish Bank was raised just a few streets away from Molineux in Dunstall Road but has lived in Manchester for the past 30 years.

The bulk of his collection was amassed over the last 15 years. He retires this week and is moving to France, which meant it was time to make a decision about what to do with his vast gold and black stock.

“I had planned to sell some of it but woke up one morning and thought ‘I’m going to give it all away.’ I’d come across Promise Dreams in my job and knew it was a worthwhile charity, so I decided to give it to them.”

On sale were around 2,500 programmes from as far back as the early-1960s.

Among some limited prints for auction was a framed photograph of Wolves hero Steve Bull embraced by England team mate Paul Gascoigne after a friendly against Czechoslovakia in 1994.

Bully, who was at the sale with former Wolves favourite Andy Thompson, said: “This is a fantastic gesture by Dennis.”

Wolves season ticket holder Stuart Bradley, 45, made the trip from Dudley to find a programme from the first game he ever attended in February 1969, against Burnley.

The programme, priced at a shilling, lists Parkes, Parkin, Bailey, Wagstaffe, Dougan and Knowles as among the team that day.

Mr Bradley, who paid £1 for it, said: “I’m delighted.”

Around £1,000 of the memorabilia was snapped up, but the rest will be sold at a later date.