THREE businessmen who were determined to bring a historic football medal back home have achieved their goal.

Engineering company boss Robert Yorke quickly worked out a game plan after learning that a winner’s medal from what many consider to be the first World Cup in 1909 – won by West Auckland from County Durham - was to be auctioned.

A Newcastle man found the medal in a box of football programmes he bought at a car boot sale and put it up for sale by city auctioneers Anderson & Garland.

Mr Yorke, who represents West Auckland on Durham County Council, decided to bid for the medal.

He has already submitted a planning application to the council for twin artworks on West Auckland green to celebrate the village’s 1909 win against Swiss side FC Winterhour and their 6-1 victory two years later over Juventus in the same competition.

For the bidding Mr Yorke enlisted the help of friends John Elliott, who owns the Ebac dehumidifier company in Newton Aycliffe and property developer Rob Hill, who lives in Wolsingham in County Durham.

They agreed to share the bidding cost and landed the medal for £5,200. Now they are to donate the medal to West Auckland Football Club.