He was a key player in the Huddersfield Town squad that won the old First Division Championship three times in a row during the 1920s.
Now the three championship medals presented to striker George Brown when Town became the first to secure the hat-trick of titles are up for auction as part of a collection expected to fetch a five-figure sum.
Brown – nicknamed “Bomber” for the ferocity of his long-range shooting – was an ex-miner from Mickley, Northumberland, who signed professional papers for the club in 1921 at the age of 17.
He went on to become Huddersfield’s all-time leading goal scorer, netting 159 times in all competitions. His haul included 35 league goals in the 1925/26 season when Huddersfield clinched their third successive title and he received his third 1st Division Champions gold medal.
Now those medals have surfaced and will come under the hammer on April 20 at a specialist sporting sale at Sheffield Auction Gallery.
And the emergence of the intriguing lot has delighted sporting valuer and auctioneer Robert Lea, a familiar face on TV’s Bargain Hunt show.
Said Robert: “As a lifelong Huddersfield fan on both a professional and personal level this is one of most exciting items I have ever been asked to bring to market. George Brown is one of the true legends of Huddersfield Town FC, although a group like this will attract interest from many quarters.”
The three gold medals are attached to a gold watch chain which it is believed is how George liked to wear them. The lot also includes a fascinating collection of photographs, letters and associated items relating to George’s career.
An estimate of £15,000 to £20,000 has been put on the collection.
A gallery spokesperson said: “Just for some perspective – in 1925 the average wage for a footballer was perhaps £5. In 2018, top footballers are reported to earn up to £200,000 a week. The estimate feels a small price to pay for a piece of outstanding English football history.”
Brown went on to win nine England caps, play for Aston Villa, Burnley and Leeds in his later career before retiring after a 17-year career to run a pub in Birmingham before his untimely death in 1948 at the age of just 45.
For details of the auction phone 0114 281 6161 or email enquire@sheffieldauctiongallery.com