Graham Budd

Forget Jose Mourinho being criticised for a stultifying style of play at Manchester United – when Matt Busby started as manager of the Red Devils he was contractually obliged to play entertaining football.

Liverpool FC supporters are being given the opportunity to own a piece of Reds’ history in a special memorabilia auction being held at Anfield.

No offence to Neil Diamond, a highly respected singer, but if you are a 12-year-old boy then memorabilia linked to him is not likely to be top of your present list. Fortunately, the other gift was a pair of boxing gloves owned by Muhammad Ali.

The boxing trunks worn by Muhammad Ali in a famous but controversial fight against Henry Cooper will be offered at a Graham Budd auction next month, estimated at £70,000-90,000.

The Olympic Games produce magical memories and high achievement and few competitors have created so many memories and achieved as much as Usain Bolt.

It may only be a few weeks until the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup final but, judging by the way their team exited the Euros, England fans will have to wait a lot longer before their team ever again reaches the final a major football tournament.

Setting a record for a football medal at £220,000, Stanley Matthews's 1953 F.A. Cup Final winner's medal drew dramatic competition at Graham Budd’s sale of sporting memorabilia earlier this week.

“They think it’s all over... it is now!”

It is not often that auctioneer Graham Budd finds his name splashed over the front pages of Estonian newspapers but when a particular group of cycling memorabilia came up at his November 4-5 sale it is exactly what happened.

Eton College is now the new home of the world’s most expensive football programme.

Almost exactly a year after Graham Budd set a record for any football programme at auction he has done it again.

While the eyes of the world have been on the 2012 London Games, the Olympic influence did not leave the auction scene untouched.

Setting a record for any football programme at auction, an official one penny match card from the 1909 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Bristol City sold for £20,000 at Graham Budd’s sale in association with Sotheby’s.

IN a week when the 1968 European Cup winner’s medal awarded to George Best sold for £130,000, the appearance of more blue-chip sporting memorabilia on the auction market has been announced.

“This was the earliest Cup Final programme I’ve ever seen,” said Graham Budd (15% buyer’s premium), referring to lot 747 in his sale on May 9-10 in association with Sotheby’s Olympia.

RACEHORSE trainers may be used to a photo finish but a battle between two famous breeders went right to the wire on May 17 when Graham Budd (17.5% buyer’s premium) in association with Sotheby’s Olympia offered a selection of chattels from Ascot Racecourse.

THE first outing for Sotheby’s associate Graham Budd Auctions (15% buyer’s premium) offered a large range of sporting memorabilia in a 885-lot sale held at Sotheby’s Olympia on June 9. Football was the most represented sport, contributing to well over half the total number of lots.