Medal from Albion cup victory sells for £13k at auction
An FA cup winner's medal belonging to a member of the victorious Albion side of 1968 exceeded all expectations when it sold for £13,000 at auction.
The nine carat gold medal went under the hammer for £5,000 more than the auctioneer's estimate.
It had been the property of centre half John Talbut who was in the starting XI for the match fondly remembered by Baggies' fans for Jeff Astle's extra time winner.
The medal was sold at Graham Budd Auctions in London this week who confirmed it had gone to a private collector.
The memorable victory is the club's last 'major' trophy to date and the side is associated with iconic figures including Tony 'Bomber' Brown.
Alan Cleverley, Secretary of the Albion's Official supporters club, said: "I've been going down the Albion for a long time so I remember John very well. He was a good player, a good centre half pivotal in that great cup winning side.
"He was particularly commanding in the air. In those days there were a lot of big centre forwards, like our own Jeff Astle, but he was strong and powerful enough to go up against the biggest among them."
The medal was one of ten items up for sale belonging to Talbut.
His white shirt from the match against Everton sold for £3,600 and the sale of a further eight items brought the total to more than £20,000.
Mr Cleverley added: "I'm always sad when a player has to sell their medals. The modern day players earn so much money but in those days they would have been bringing in just thirty or thirty-five pounds a week.
"The 1968 side was exceptional. They were a good team but a particularly good cup fighting side. "
The centre half joined West Bromwich Albion from Burnley in December 1966, aged 26, for £30,000.
He went on to play 144 league matches for the Baggies in the late 1960s and early 1970s, during which time the club appeared in four League Cup finals.
At the end of his career Talbot, who is now aged 74, moved to Belgium to play for KV Mechelen, who he later managed.
Auctioneer Mr Budd said: "In the end it went for well above the estimate so we are delighted with the price. West Bromwich Albion have a lot of fans who have a deep regard for the club's heritage which of course dates back to the very early days of football."
