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World Cup 1966 autographs to be sold for charity

Nick WilsonYorkshire
John Heyes Three framed collections of photographs and autographs of the players in the 1966 World Cup finalJohn Heyes
Dr John Heyes is selling items he has collected since he was a child

As England's footballers look to end 60 years of hurt, a doctor from Sheffield is selling off his collection of 1966 World Cup memorabilia to raise funds for charity.

Among the items is a framed set of autographs and photos of the victorious national team and their manager Sir Alf Ramsey.

Current owner Dr John Heyes said proceeds from the sale would go to Weston Park Cancer Charity.

He said he wanted to help the charity after the "brilliant" support his family received when his daughter, Jenny, was being treated for bowel cancer before her death in 2018 aged 35.

Other items in the collection are the autographs of the West Germany side, famously beaten 4-2 in the final at Wembley in July 1966, as well as the signature of Gottfried Dienst, who allowed Geoff Hurst's controversial second goal.

A matchday programme and a signed photo of BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme - famous for his "They think it's all over ... it is now" quote - is also included.

NICK WILSON/BBC The image shows an indoor setting with a plain, light-coloured wall and a grey carpeted floor. In the centre is a person wearing a blue short-sleeved polo shirt, standing behind and holding a large framed display. The person is holding a large framed collage that contains: Multiple small cards or pieces of paper with handwritten signatures. The frame is rectangular and positioned vertically. To the left of the person is a chair with an orange seat cushion. Resting on that chair is another framed display that includes: A mixture of: Black-and-white historical photographs A document or printed text page A poster featuring the World Cup trophy A small scoreboard-style graphic showing England vs West Germany Right side On the right is a second chair with an orange cushion. Leaning against it is another framed collage, which contains: Several portrait photographs of football playersNICK WILSON/BBC
Proceeds from the sale will go to Weston Park Cancer Charity

Explaining how he amassed the collection, Heyes said: "I wrote to Alf Ramsey at the time, and said could I have a photograph of the team and he wrote back personally, with his signature at the bottom and it sparked something in me to say let's try and see if I can get more autographs."

NICK WILSON/BBC The piece appears to be a collectible tribute to football history, most likely linked to the FIFA World Cup and notable players or teams. The combination of autographs, a team photo, and the World Cup trophy imagery suggests it is a commemorative display celebrating a significant era or achievement in football.NICK WILSON/BBC
The sale is due to run until 19 July

Mick Allsop, who has been raising money for Weston Park Cancer Charity for 20 years, is helping to organise the sale.

He said: "I've spoken to several people at different auction houses [about the collection] who said they've never seen anything like it.

"Every pound we raise from these three frames [will go] to the charity."

NICK WILSON/BBC This image shows a framed football (soccer) memorabilia display mounted against a textured wall with horizontal bands of beige and dark grey. The frame is black, rectangular, and oriented horizontally. Inside is a white background with a carefully arranged collage of images, text, and memorabilia related to a historic football event. The layout is symmetrical, with items spaced neatly across the frame.NICK WILSON/BBC
The collection includes a matchday programme and the signature of commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme

He added: "John gave me these frames towards the end of last year but we said let's save them until the 60th anniversary [of the 1966 World Cup] and hopefully, not tempting fate, England can do it again and, hopefully, on July the 19th we will have won the World Cup."

The sale, which is being organised by the Weston Park Cancer Charity, runs until 19 July.

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