A unique football trophy won by Stoke United ladies in Barcelona in 1923 and lost for decades, has been snapped up at a Nantwich auction.
Now the trophy will go on permanent public display at the National Football Museum following the sale at Nantwich auctioneers Peter Wilson.
Bidding by telephone, an agent for the National Football Collection paid £2,800 for the trophy.
It had been consigned to the sale by Keith Bridgett, grandson of the founder of Stoke United, Leonard Bridgett.
The brass twin-handled trophy, inscribed “Ano 1923 Cooperativa De Periodistas De Barcelona” (Barcelona Journalists’ Union), was only expected to fetch £400-600.
It will go on display in the museum in Manchester alongside a 14cm Longton Art China figurine, believed to have been presented to each player in the winning side by pottery owner Edwin Leadbeater.
This was bought in the same sale by the same buyer for £420.
The trophy and figurine both recall victories by the Stoke ladies team in two matches arranged by Len Bridgett in Barcelona against Les Sportives of Paris.
The games were held abroad two years after the Football Association banned women from playing on FA grounds, deeming the sport to be “unsuitable for females”.
Stoke United founder, businessman and entrepreneur Len Bridgett was born in 1878 in Forsbrook, Staffordshire.
The National Football Collection is the largest collection of football memorabilia in private ownership, a large part of which is on display at the National Football Museum.
The museum opened in the city’s Umist building in 2010 after moving from Preston and attracts thousand of visitors from across the globe annually.
The museum’s President is Sir Bobby Charlton and Vice Presidents include Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Geoff Hurst.
(Pic: David Alexander, left, from the National Football Collection, and Peter Wilson auctioneer Nick Allsopp)
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