18th Oct 1947 Sunderland v Manchester United

[TheMusic]

Hi, Does anyone know the last publicly-known prices for this rare programme (18th Oct 1947 Sunderland v Manchester United) or what it would go for in decent condition these days please?

Thanks in advance.

[Wullie]

I'd say it would make £1000 plus. You can never be certain in today's market but this one deserves its title as rare.

[RoddyN]

From memory this programme went for £4000 about 12 years ago. I think the last traded price was £1800 about 2 years ago and that particular programme was not in pristine condition.

[treble99]

You are quite correct RoddyN

This was the last programme i needed to complete my collection of post war league games
I paid approximately £4000 for it about 15 years ago.

Amazingly another one came up on Sports a month later with an offer over £2000 required.
I never did find out what that sold for

It was then offered privately around by Ally Ward in March 2004 when she sold her Manchester United collection that she had mostly acquired in 2000
She was asking £6000 but didn't sell it as she put it on ebay in September 2004.
It sold for £2353

Sportingold offered one in their April 2008 auction which sold for £2000 plus commission


One was sold at a small Manchester auction house in August 2008 for £2300 plus commission

The final one in my notes was sold on ebay in March 2009 for £1810.My notes tell me this had a "grubby cover,horizontal and vertical folds,half time scores and team changes in pencil

I hope that information helps

If you want to chat privately about this rare programme,TheMusic then please send me a pm

[nozer]

Why is this so rare ?.

[treble99]

nozer wrote:

Why is this so rare ?.

Sunderland has always been a hard club to collect programmes from.
I have no idea what the print run was but i suspect it was relatively low.

Also i have my own theory on social circumstances as well.
Let's face it you will find it easier to get an Arsenal,Spurs or Chelsea programme from the 1930's than a Sunderland,Newcastle or Middlesbrough programme from the 1950's.
My theory,without foundation,is that there was firstly more money in the south and also Londoners are more of "hoarders" than the rest of the country.

I believe your average football fan in the North East was probably a miner or similiar.
He wanted a pie and a pint more than he wanted a programme as he already knew his team.

just a theory

[Wullie]

I agree with treble on this one. I don't think the Manchester United programmes are rarer than any other programme from this season, in so much as print run. Other programmes from this season , well the prices have come down a lot, but of course it being Manchester Untied then obviously demand outstrips supply. In fact it was the crazy prices of the Manchester United games that made me give up years ago chasing every home and away post war. The one programme was selling for double the prices of all the others put together.

[TheMusic]

Thanks for the useful contributions, guys.

[Cantona93]

Still makes you wonder why the programme from this season is so much more valuable than say the 48/9 and 49/50 ones v United if the print runs are likely to have been similar. Any further theories on this?

[Red C]

Cantona93 wrote:

Still makes you wonder why the programme from this season is so much more valuable than say the 48/9 and 49/50 ones v United if the print runs are likely to have been similar. Any further theories on this?

Purely a theory but it might just be that paper was still scarce, and poor quality, due to the war so copies haven't survived as well.

I have the Sunderland v Man United 46/47 as a NO PROG game. Is this definitely the case, or do they just never show up?

[treble99]

Red C wrote:

Cantona93 wrote: Still makes you wonder why the programme from this season is so much more valuable than say the 48/9 and 49/50 ones v United if the print runs are likely to have been similar. Any further theories on this? Purely a theory but it might just be that paper was still scarce, and poor quality, due to the war so copies haven't survived as well. I have the Sunderland v Man United 46/47 as a NO PROG game. Is this definitely the case, or do they just never show up?

Printers strike

No programme confirmed thank goodness
With the price of the 47/48 as an example i couldn't guess at what a 46/47 would fetch if they hadn't gone on strike

[Red C]

Thanks. It was you that told me it was a No Prog game. Wasn't sure if that was actually confirmed. If there was a programme it would probably rival Stoke no.17

[treble99]

correct