So you have your prized collection of football programmes gathering dust or old football shirts that don’t fit anymore stuck in a closet somewhere. They have sentimental value to you, but in the world of collecting football memorabilia, they’re practically worthless.Enter the world of the serious collector.This week, Sotheby’s is hosting an auction of sporting memorabilia (May 7-8 at Sotheby’s Olympia saleroom). One of the items available for bidding includes a rare 1938 Football League scroll found in the bottom of a cupboard
and kindly donated by football historian and author Simon Inglis.Other rare items include:

Browsing through the collection, it’s plausible that some footballers (or their families) may have fallen on tough times financially, which is why many of their treasured items are for sale to the public. For example, former Spurs and England international Maurice Norman has a massive collection of his memorabilia for sale through the auction. Liverpool legend Phil Neal has more than 20 items for sale including a Manager of the Month plate, Liverpool shirts and more.