AS Newcastle United slide towards the lower reaches of the Premier League, an auction next week will recall happier times for the Toon.
Nine medals which belonged to Frank Watt, who led the club to four league titles and six FA Cup Final appearances, will be sold on Tuesday by Newcastle auctioneers Anderson & Garland.
Also for sale will be a batch of images featuring former United player and manager Kevin Keegan, including photographs from his St James’ Park debut in 1982 against QPR.
Frank Watt was appointed secretary of United in 1895 and, during a 37-year spell with the club, ran the team in the days before managers.
He died aged 77, while still in the job.
The sale will include league championship medals from 1904-05, 1906-07 and 1927, FA Cup runners-up medals from 1904-05 and 1911 the Charity Shield winner’s medal of 1909.
Other medals are the Northumberland Football Association Senior Cup winner’s medal from 1911-12, the Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary Cup winner’s medal of 1920-21, the Newcastle & Sunderland Hospital Cup and the Northampton Hospital football competition winner’s medal of 1911.
The medals are together estimated at £4,000-£6,000.
Newcastle United historian Paul Joannou said: “Frank Watt did much to create Newcastle’s standing as one of the finest clubs in the country.”
He died at his home in St Thomas’s Crescent in Newcastle on February 26, 1932, the evening of Newcastle’s home FA Cup tie with Watford, having made arrangements for the match.
The Keegan pictures are among a batch of 49 from the 1980s which could net Morpeth Boys Brigade and Scouts around £200.
There are shots of Keegan during his debut against QPR and of his wife Jean watching the game from the directors’ box as she cuddles their baby daughter Sarah.
Another 1982 picture shows “Newcastle’s new signing” Keegan at the Cafe Royal in London with comedian Freddie Star and singer Elton John.
Other pictures also show United stars such as Peter Beardsley, Chris Waddle, and Kenny Wharton.
The photographs were handed in for the Morpeth Boys Brigade and Scouts annual sale which took place last week.
Geoff Parker, who with wife Pam helps with the sale, said: “They were left for us to sell, but we don’t know by whom.
“When we saw the pictures of Kevin Keegan, we didn’t think we could do the batch justice in our sale and decided to put them up for auction.”
Also handed in for the sale – but which will be sold separately because of their rarity value – was a complete 104-copy set of The Second Great War magazine, published from 1939.
