MEMORABILIA

There are many pieces of memorabilia in football, but what about this lot?  Programmes, photographs, shirts, autographs? No, here are some coins, notes, Bovril, stamps.

If you are of more limited financial means how about a 50p souvenir coin? To celebrate the 2012 Olympics the Royal Mint issued a set of 29 50p commemorative coins which have images of all the Olympic sports. The design chosen for the football coin is an explanation of the offside law. There's no truth in the rumour that the Royal Mint presented one to all the country's refs and assistant refs! The Royal Mint claimed that the 29 coins proved to be the most popular sellers since the currency was decimalised with an estimated 36 million out of the 52 million issued having been kept by collectors. So, here is the coin

A pet hate shared by most supporters is of a disloyal player who is seen as greedy. When that happens its not unusual to find that the player concerned is put on a banknote of his own as a tribute to that greed. It's far from being legal tender but it is a genuine piece of football memorabilia all the same. Wayne Rooney was so honoured during his contract negotiations with Manchester United at the start of the 2010/11 season. But perhaps greed does pay - the outcome for him was that he received some 10,000 of the genuine version of the £20 notes every single week!

One piece of memorabilia that will never be worth less than its face value is the Ulster Bank £5 note that was issued to commemorate the life of that great Ulsterman, George Best. Being legal tender the note can simply be handed over the counter to realise its value of £5 but I would guess that few would do that with this unique souvenir of an amazing player.

Now have you got this unique item in your memorabilia collection? When Burton Albion - then a non-league side - drew Manchester United at home in the Third Round of the FA Cup in January 2005 a Burton company wanted to mark the occasion with a commemorative limited issue of their product - Bovril! This they did, with labels in yellow for Burton fans and others in red for United supporters. Burton held the mighty Manchester United in the first match but lost 0-5 in the replay at Old Trafford. You either love it or hate it!

Football supporters with an interest in philately (stamp collecting!) have an almost endless supply of football stamps to choose from from every part of the world. For England fans there is one set that would be a must - the 1966 World Cup set of three and the one overprinted 'England Winners'.