Football folklore goes under the hammer - 25/02/2010

A Bonhams auction in Chester has seen the sale of the boots Sir Stanley Matthews wore in the 1953 FA Cup final sold for £38,400.

The boots were estimated to sell for £8,000 but an anonymous buyer forked out nearly five times that amount to secure a piece of football history.

Matthews gave the boots to a fan, Wilf Coomer, after the game and they had only recently resurfaced.

Blackpool beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in the contest which was later dubbed 'the Matthews final' due to the winger's remarkable display.

Though the game also saw Stan Mortensen score the first ever hat-trick in an FA Cup final, his performance was overshadowed by the skill and speed with which Matthews attacked from the wing.

The football legend's daughter, Jean Gough, told The Times: "It is stunning that my father's boots have fetched £38,400. I'm delighted that someone thinks they are worth so much."

Other items offered for sale by Bonhams included a medal that then Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, threw into the crowd celebrating their second Premier League win in 2006.

An FA Cup winner's medal from the first game to be played at Wembley also went under the hammer.