The earliest-known example of an FA Cup final programme has set the world auction record for a football programme, at Graham Budd Auctions this afternoon (May 14).
 The Old Etonians became the last amateur team to win the FA Cup |
The programme, which sees Old Etonians pitted against Blackburn Rovers in 1882, sold for £30,000 ($45,788), making a 20% increase on its £25,000 high estimate.
In doing so, it beat the previous record - set at £23,500 by a 1909 FA Cup final match card in 2012 - by an impressive 27.6%.
The programme originally belonged to lawyer Sir Thomas Berry Cusack-Smith, a former member of Eton College. Luckily for him, the Old Etonian team prevailed in the match, winning 1-0 to become the last amateur club to lift the FA Cup.
The match was held at the famous Surrey cricket ground, The Oval, on Saturday March 25, 1882. In a diary entry that was included in the sale, Cusack-Smith wrote:
"Gigas came to lunch. Went with him & Guy to The Oval and saw the Etonians win the Cup after a most exciting match in the presence of 5,000 persons. Met S. Goodhart & J.B. Bradshaw."
For collectors of football memorabilia, we have a truly amazing selection for sale, including items signed by all members of the 1966 England World Cup squad.
Read our interview with auctioneer Graham Budd on the potential of sports memorabilia. We also have a superb interview with Kevin Moore, director of the National Football Museum.
