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Wolves legend Billy Wright's football sells for £1,300 at auction

An historic match ball from the famous game where Wolves legend Billy Wright became the first international footballer to earn 100 caps has fetched more than £1,000 at auction.

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The leather football, which sold for £1,350, was used during England's 1-0 win over Scotland in 1959. Ironbridge-born Wright owned the ball until his death in September 1994 at the age of 70, before wife Joy gave it away to an unnamed footballer.

The historic England match ball

The ball was expected to sell for between £1,500 and £2,000 during the sale at London's Graham Budd Auctions yesterday afternoon. Also during the auction, a rare Wolves shirt worn during the 1921 FA Cup final was sold for £6,700.

The British Championships match, held at the old Wembley Stadium, saw England win 1-0 and was attended by more than 98,000 people.

Wright captained Walter Winterbottom's side to victory thanks to a Bobby Charlton winner in the 59th minute.

Wright was born on Belmont Road in Ironbridge in February1924. He captained both England and Wolves, making almost 500 league appearances for the Molineux club and helping them win three league titles in 1954,1958 and 1959, as well as the FA Cup in 1949.

His achievements with the club have led to a stand being named after him and a statue of the legend outside the ground – which was unveiled in 1996.

Wright remains Wolves' most capped player.

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