Golden haul of Wolves memorabilia going under the hammer
A golden haul of Wolves football treasures – including a 1949 FA Cup winner’s medal – are set to go on auction today.
And Alistair Lofley, a sports memorabilia expert who has unearthed the finds, thinks the collection will spark strong bidding among devoted Wolves fans – and sell for thousands of pounds.
Mr Lofley, who works for Hansons Auctioneers, said: “It’s a tremendous array of memorabilia connected to Wolves legends. It includes a 1949 FA Cup winner’s medal awarded to Johnny Hancocks. Any Wolves fan would be proud to own these items.”
The haul of Wolves memorabilia – potentially worth more than £30,000 - will be sold at Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers’ Football in Focus Auction.
As well as Hancocks’ medal, which has an estimate of £12,000 to £15,000, the collection includes a Billy Wright England cap from a match against Portugal in 1955, estimated to go for £1,800 to £2,000, and two Bobby Mason Division 1 Championship medals from 1958 and 1959, each with an estimate of £5,000- £7,000
There is also a 1959 Charity Shield plaque awarded to Bobby Mason, which could sell for £800 to £1,200.
Johnny Hancocks made his debut for Wolves on August 31, 1946 and was called up for England in 1948. He helped fire Wolves to their first league title in 1953-54 and collected the 1949 FA Cup winners medal up for auction after playing in a 3-1 win over Leicester City.
Billy Wright spent his entire career at Wolves. He was the first footballer in the world to earn 100 international caps. He made 105 appearances for England, captaining them a record 90 times.
Bobby Mason, now 82, was signed by Wolves, his local club, as a youngster and turned professional in 1954. He scored 10 goals during the 1957–58 season to help Wolves win the league title. The following year he scored 13 times as Wolves raced to a second successive championship.
Mr Lofley said: “All three players will be fondly remembered by many Wolves fans, and rightly so.
"These items have come from a private collection in the West Midlands and it would be nice to see them stay connected to the fans and the club.
“In our last sports auction, a lifelong West Bromwich Albion supporter paid £13,000 for a 1954 FA Cup winner’s medal awarded to former WBA goalkeeper Norman Heath to keep it in the West Brom family.”
