It's amazing what some people find in their lofts

There are blazer badges, bone china, even a Hepworth's blotter; there's a pair of Army cuff links (as given to Middlesbrough FC), a World Cup table flag (£25-£35), a facsimile cheque, a World Cup score book presented free with the Hornet and now expected to realise a tenner. A £1 Middlesbrough share certificate is likely to bring between £20-£30.

"You'd be surprised what people find in their lofts," says John Wilson, the organiser. "One man's rubbish is another man's gold."

The star item is an England shirt worn by the prolific Esh Winning lad George Camsell around 1930 and expected to attract bids of around £500; international caps won by Boro boys Bill Harris and Terry Cochrane are also included.

The memory bank concentrates on items with a North-East connection, particularly Middlesbrough or the 1966 World Cup games at Ayresome Park - "World Cup Willie adds value to almost anything" - though there is much besides.

Non-league fans will find plenty of Amateur Cup finals and - hearts will beat faster just at the mention - a programme from Annfield Plain v Shankhouse, FA Cup, 1948.

Its centre is creased, depleting its value. The catalogue also contains phrases like "slightly foxed", "split spine" and "staple rust", caveats to the connoisseur.

A programme from the first Wembley cup final - split spine and staple rust notwithstanding - is expected to fetch between £300-£400, while an unused ticket for North Korea's 1966 World Cup game at Ayresome may bring £100.

About the size of a bus ticket, there's even a half-time pass for one of North Korea's games - "admit bearer to the Ayresome Park refreshment rooms" - that's reckoned to be worth £25 to a thirsty collector

John Wilson, born in Liverpool but long in Billingham, is a Boro fan who recalls the Welshman Bill Harris playing in the first match he saw, a 6-2 win over Norwich City on a rainy day at Ayresome Park.

A former teacher, he now runs a company called Methusaleh - the old, old story - from an office at the Marton Hotel where his storeroom overflows with bygones in banana boxes. Morrison's, he says, are probably getting fed up of him cadging them.

"It's just got out of hand. People are fascinated by times gone by when everything seemed better than it is today," he says

"There's a sub-culture in this country for collecting football ephemera and it has a very good bush telegraph. There has been an awful lot of interest."

It is not, he concedes, likely to rival the £20,000 bids at Christies and other London auction houses. "This will be a sale where the every day Joe can spend £10-£20, come away with a couple of good programmes and think he's done well for himself.

"It's not just former players. Anyone might have stuff in their attic which is worth a lot more than they suppose."

The catalogue also contains the usual statutory warning - "All statements as to the authenticity, genuineness, provenance, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition and quality of any lot are statements of opinion and are not to be taken as representations of fact" - and much for the football flea marketeer.

There are cigarette cards and trade cards, photographs, autographs, song sheets, place mats, Christmas cards, notepaper, jigsaws, menus, magazines and heaven alone knows what else.

"It should be a very good afternoon," says John. Memorabilia are made of this.

l The 472 lot auction is at the Marton Hotel and Country Club, Middlesbrough, on October 25 at 2pm - viewing from 9.30am that morning and 10-4pm the previous day.

Catalogues are free from Methuselah, Room 112, Marton Hotel Business Offices, Stokesley Road, Middlesbrough TS7 8DS.

Coincidence by the cart load, a McVitie's Victoria Assortment biscuit tin arrives. There are no biscuits, rather a cornucopia of pre-war cigarette cards so little disturbed that the elastic bands snap to the touch.

"Oh yes, very collectable," said John Wilson.

The tin's from John Edgar, the former Darlington footballer who - as we recalled a couple of weeks back - made the programme for the 1951 FA Amateur Cup final between Bishop Auckland and Pegasus but for mysterious reasons never made the team.

It is, as a biscuit maker might say, a rich feast. There are Durham School rugby internationals like H Whitley and C D Aarvold - would that have been the famed Judge Carl Aarvold, then? - footballers like T P Griffiths (Middlesbrough) and the legendary H Carter (Sunderland), cricket men like Hedley Verity, among the greatest of the Green Howards. Particularly, however, our eye is caught by J Lawson, number 32 in a set of 48 British Sporting Personalities probably issued just before the war by Embassy.

Lawson, it says, was a Durham man who in 1927 took over the famous Manton racing stable, twice headed the trainers' table and in 1931 won £93,899 for his patrons from just 69 races - "a world record it will be difficult to eclipse."

One of the Beamish Lawsons, perhaps? Does anyone know anything about him?

Two years later than intended, Consett FC finally received an illuminated FA scroll on Wednesday evening to mark the club's centenary. The original, alas, had been lost in the translation.

It was sent in 1999 to Frank Pattison - FA vice-chairman and Durham FA president - in order that Frank might officially hand it over. There seemed to be an unfortunate mistake, however.

"It was inscribed to Consett Athletic," Frank recalls. "I knew they weren't Consett Athletic now but rang to ask if they ever had been." They hadn't.

The immaculately crafted scrolls were individually produced by an elderly gentleman in London who for some reason had taken "Consett AFC" to mean Consett Athletic FC. Not much word association there.

By the time the mistake could be acted upon, however, the artist had died.

A new calligrapher has now been found, a new testimonial produced and Consett AFC framed at last. "At the FA," said the vice-chairman, "we like to do things to the letter."

The admirable Mr Pattison, 65 next week, also tells of a presentation he made on FIFA's behalf the other day to South Tyneside Athletic Under 16s.

They were formed last year, told there was only a vacancy in the premier division, suffered greatly as a result. In 18 games they conceded over 200 goals, scored just seven - and never had a player so much as cautioned.

FIFA gave them a set of England strips, Frank offered them warm congratulation. "They lost 9-1 but the chap said they were definitely heading in the right direction because last season the same team had beaten them 23-0.

"It's what football's all about."

Martin "Mad Dog" Dixon's 25th anniversary speedway meeting (Backtrack, September 28) went wonderfully - except that his heats included two last places and he failed to make the semi-final.

Around 2,000 spectators stumped up a tenner apiece to pay tribute to the Billingham based rider; an auction afterwards raised another £1,000.

Martin's still just 40, still scoring maximums and intends living by the seat of his pants for several years yet. "I can honestly say I still love it."

Still with motor sport, Murray Walker's long talked about retirement last weekend reminded Stan Coates in Guisborough that Murray's wife - and timekeeper - was a Redcar lass.

"When you heard Murray's dulcet tones screeching out the lap times, it was his wife reading them out to him." Not a lot of people know that, adds Stan.

He'd bought her parents house in 1970 - Dr Phil Allen was Redcar's Medical Officer of Health - and was sorry when they moved south to house and dog-sit for the oft-absent Walkers.

"Phil didn't want to move. His car could practically find its own way to Cleveland Golf Club. His wife, like all wives, prevailed."

Tonight, first time, we shall be at Goodison Park - not for a match but for a dinner and wary of the latest threat to Liverpool's fair name.

Leaflets promoting a high class escort agency are widely being distributed outside both the city's grounds, offering a £140 an hour "passport to pleasure."

"I wouldn't have thought it would help our European Capital of Culture bid," says Coun Joe Kenny.

The column will stick to the roast beef, and to the vegetables in season.

The famous cricketer whose names were Mortimore Maclinne (Backtrack, October 2) was Frank Worrell.

Brian Shaw in Shildon today seeks the identity of the club which in the 1980s set a Football league record of 31 games without a win.

Published: Friday, October 5, 2001