A football signed by Tottenham Hotspur legends will be auctioned on eBay to raise money for veterans’ charity Royal Star & Garter.
The owner of the ball, Billy Stanley, whose mother is a resident in the charity’s Surbiton care home, has timed the auction to open at 11.45pm on December 21 and close at the same time on New Year’s Eve.
“I have friends that are chomping at the bit for the ball, but I don’t want it going for nothing. I’d like to sell it and raise money for Royal Star & Garter,” Stanley said.
Once the link goes live on December 21, the football can be bid on, and the online auction watched here.
The prized football was signed by the 1976-77 Tottenham team which boasted an array of football legends, including:
- Pat Jennings OBE: the renowned Northern Ireland goalkeeper.
- Steve Perryman MBE: Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year 1982.
- Keith Burkinshaw: manager of the team winning back-to-back FA Cups and sealing a UEFA Cup victory.
Royal Star & Garter provides specialist care to veterans and their partners who are living with disabilities and/or dementia.
The Surbiton Home is in the top one per cent of homes for dementia care in England.
“My mum moved in at the beginning of March, just before the first lockdown, so we haven’t seen very much of the Home,” Stanley said.
“But my cousin is an audiologist who visits the Home and says how good it is.
“My Mum is very happy there, and if she’s happy, we’re happy too.
“I think it would be great to auction off the ball and raise some money for the charity.”
Here is the full list of signatures:
- Pat Jennings OBE: legendary Northern Ireland goalkeeper.
- Steve Perryman MBE: made 854 first team appearances for Tottenham and was voted Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1982.
- Keith Burkinshaw: won three major trophies for Tottenham as manager of Tottenham, making him one of their most successful managers.
- Cyril Knowles: the inspiration for the Cockerel Chorus song “Nice One Cyril”, released before the 1973 Football League Cup Final where Tottenham played Norwich City.
- Alfie Conn: remembered by Spurs fans for sitting on the ball during a game against Leeds.
- Ian Moores: scored three out of nine goals for Tottenham against Bristol Rovers in 1977.
- John Duncan: played centre forward for Tottenham and subsequently managed six different teams over 30 years.
- John Gorman: went on to become assistant manager of the team in 2001
- Ralph Coates: earned four caps for England during 1970 and 1971.
- Terry Naylor: played full back and became known by Spurs fans as “Meathook”.
- Willy Young: made 64 appearances for Spurs in two seasons.
