Newcastle memorabilia up for auction

May 31 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

THE Newcastle United keepsake of a headmistress who was dubbed the club’s number one fan is to be put up for sale.

The folder of memorabilia which belonged to Jane Nelson was rescued by chance from a bonfire.

Containing items ranging from newspaper previews of United’s 1932 FA Cup final to autographs of Newcastle’s 1950s Cup-winning players, it will be sold by Newcastle auctioneers Anderson and Garland on Wednesday.

Miss Nelson, who died in her 80s, was an ardent Newcastle supporter who flew to United’s European away games in the club’s 1968-69 Fairs Cup winning run. At that time Bill McEwan, chairman of the Newcastle Supporters’ Club, said: “Nobody can recall Miss Nelson missing a game.

“Her knowledge of football equals her fervour. She discusses the strengths and weaknesses of players and managers, and understands tactics.”

She made the headlines when she travelled to Aberdeen for a Newcastle United friendly match only to find that she had mixed up the dates and the game was still seven days away.

Sympathetic Aberdeen officials gave her a tour of their Pittodrie ground so that her journey was not entirely wasted.

Miss Nelson was headmistress of Kirby Hill Primary School, near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire. To attend Newcastle home matches she would catch the bus from her home for the 18-mile trip to York and then go by train to Tyneside.

In 1977 a newspaper report described her as “a nice old lady who spends her days travelling to wherever Newcastle United may be playing, despite the fact that her arm is permanently in a sling”. Her former neighbour John Deignan recalled how United legend Malcolm Macdonald would call on Miss Nelson in his sports car and that Newcastle players would sometimes take her for tea at a local hotel.

“Sometime skinheads and young men with Mohican haircuts would call at her house and help her on to the Newcastle supporters’ bus for away matches,” he said.

“She loved Newcastle United with a passion. She was a fanatical supporter. If pupils in her class wanted to get out of a lesson, they would just mention Newcastle United and she would be off talking and the lesson was at an end.”

After Miss Nelson died, sacks of unwanted items from her home were left outside. “Eventually I had to dispose of them on a fire and out of one bag dropped this folder,” Mr Deignan said.

Sometimes skinheads and young men with Mohican haircuts would call at her house and help her on the supporters’ bus