LCFC memorabilia to go under the hammer
A collection of memorabilia belonging to Paul Matthews, a Leicester City midfielder of the 1960s and 1970s, is to be auctioned on Tuesday August 6th.
A Leicester City shirt and Umbro tracksuit commemorating the Foxes’ 1969 FA Cup Final against Manchester City will be offered with a guide price of £600 - £800 at the Antiques & Collectors auction at Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough.
Paul Matthews, 77, who made 61 appearances for Leicester City between 1964 - 1972, was part of the squad on that day at Wembley. However, ultimately his role was as a spectator, as he made way for his team mate David Gibson, who was unexpectedly match fit following an injury. As a result, his shirt and tracksuit do not have a squad number.
Leicester City lost the match 1 - 0, meaning they would have to wait until their fifth FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2021 to finally win the title. This disappointment was compounded by the fact that reaching the FA Cup Final in 1969 was the bright spot in a season that saw them relegated to Division Two.
Paul Matthews’ career at Leicester City began at 16 when his father, who worked with the then club captain Colin Appleton’s brother, asked if Leicester would be willing to look at his promising son. Following a trial game in the Filbert Street car park, his career was launched.
Matthews scored his first goal in April 1966 against Blackburn Rovers and he was part of the Foxes side that moved on from the disappointments of the 1969 season to win the Second Division title in 1970/71.
“As a born and bred Leicester fan all I ever wanted was to play for my club and I was incredibly proud to do so. But the time now feels right to pass these items on to a new owner who will appreciate their place in Foxes’ history,” Paul explains. “It’s a story I’m still very much enjoying being a part of as I first saw Leicester play at Filbert Street aged 14 over 60 years ago and I still go to as many home games as I can.”
Matthews transferred to Mansfield Town after the 1972 season, in a common move for Leicester City players of the era. Two 9 carat gold Football League plaques dating from Mansfield Town’s glory years when they won the only league titles in their history, will also be offered as one lot with a pre-auction estimate of £3,000 - £5,000.
One plaque commemorates the Stags’ Division Four win in the 1974/75 season; the other marks their victory in Division Three in 1976/77. Matthews, who made 124 appearances over five years at the club, was one of only nine players to have been involved in both winning campaigns.
“We’re excited to offer this football memorabilia at auction,” comments Gildings director Will Gilding. “Just days before the kickoff of the football season, it’s great that fans of not one but two historic East Midlands-based clubs will have the opportunity to get their hands on some vintage footballing kits and League winners’ medals from the personal collection of Paul Matthews, a lifelong Leicester fan whose talent opened up the golden opportunity to play for his club.”
Alongside Paul Matthews' collection, items from a much larger private collection of sporting and entertainment memorabilia are also up for grabs in the auction, including a well-presented signed World Cup 1966 Winner’s shirt and a signed Pelé shirt, both estimated at £200 - £300.
To view the auction catalogue, please visit