An unusual find.....

[Auchinleckian]

Had a large donation of programmes and fanzines today for Auchinleck Talbot, probably about 700-800 items. Some of the early Scottish fanzines are quite collectable so hoping to make a few bob from them.

There were about 100 foreign programmes, mainly 1970s South African, but a few Nordic countries as well. As is my wont, I always go through such a collection methodically because you never know what might turn up, and out of the consignment of South African ones I saw one from 1972 from Hellenic from 1973 that had on it's front cover "Welcome back George Eastham" I had quite a number of Hellenic programmes so went through them to see if there were any more with him in, and the programme shown below was a real eye opener for me.



No George Eastham in the team this time, but on the "Supporters Club News" page the first sentence reads "Dear Members, I am sure you will all join with us in welcoming Bobby Moore and Jeff Astle to our club...." Bobby Moore played five games for Hellenic before coming back to sign for Fulham where he did rather well in the 1974-5 season. I thought, I never knew he'd played for them, so checked a few other programmes and he's also playing away at Cape Town City two weeks before, so this must have been his first home game for them.

A good find, I thought.....then I checked out the opponents, and they were playing the Jewish Guild, who I have to admit I'd never heard of before. In their team line up though was one George Best, who played five games for them.

A fairly innocuous looking programme has probably turned into something quite collectable. Just another 650 plus more to go through with a fine toothcomb now.

[Texas Rangers]

Great read, what's the chances of that showing up in a random donation.

[Supermono13]

An example of the Hellenic programme signed on the cover by George Best did quite well on ebay recently

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222575660039?clk_rvr_id=1350720152576&rmvSB=true

[Auchinleckian]

That's very interesting indeed thanks. Give or take half of that for George signing it I aassume and it's a money spinner by the looks of things.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

That's a superb item John, and a right old treasure trove landing in Talbot's lap.

Re the Hellenic programme, can you see Johnny Byrne's name anywhere in there please? He may have been manager or coach then.

[Auchinleckian]

Johnny played for Durban City Peter, and he's in a couple of the programmes, and they're now on ebay.

I do have an Hellenic programme, see below, that heralds george Easthams' return to the club. Johnny Hyanes is playing for Durban City, so two of Englands finest post war inside lefts were in opposition in South Africa of all places.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

JB coached there after leaving Durban and even played for them once in 1980.