Sport
Manchester United fan auctioning off the world’s ‘largest collection’ of memorabilia this week
Hugh Mortimer's haul includes over 70,000 pin badges.
Emily Sergeant -
26th October 2020 
A Manchester United superfan is to pass on his memorabilia collection of over 70,000 pin badges through online auction this Wednesday.
Hugh Mortimer’s haul is believed to be the largest Manchester United memorabilia collection in the world.
It includes badges commemorating the Munich Air Disaster, as well as membership badges for a host of different supporter branches and homages to decades of footballing victories, and also includes a huge selection of books – from collector’s editions, to autobiographies – and flags, which have been flown at games home and away.
Speaking on the ever-growing collection back in 2018, the United superfan explained that he wanted to boost his collection of badges to 62,958 as a means of reflecting the anniversary date of the Munich Air Disaster – 6.2.1958 – but judging by the sheer number on offer this week, he’s definitely managed to exceed that number.
Hugh – who started badge collecting at the start of the millennium – said: “United are my one love in life.
“I’ve spent my life demanding things of the team, because that’s what we do as fans and this is my small way of putting United in the record books and saying thank you for everything,”
He added: I left everything behind me to move to Manchester and be closer to Old Trafford and I’ve never regretted what I did. When I arrived here, I got a job on a stall outside the ground and I would be paid in badges instead of cash, it was a deal that worked well for me and the guy who owned the stall.
“Some players didn’t have a badge, so I would have batches made up.
“My favourite badge is of Joe Jordan because he was my favourite player. He really battled for United and I loved him more than Bryan Robson or Roy Keane.
“He was everything.”
The memorabilia collection is to be divided into around 300 separate lots at the auction.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the auction will be fully hosted online by auctioneers Charles Taylor – who are based out of Salford – on Wednesday 28th October and bidders interested in the haul are encouraged to contact Charles Taylor as the auction house will be opening its doors by appointment-only for the two days preceding the auction.
Matthew Bateman – Director and Auctioneer at Charles Taylor – said: “As local auctioneers in the shadow of Old Trafford, we were humbled to be approached by the vendor to sell his lifelong collection of Man Utd memorabilia.
“We’ve sold lots of sporting collectors items in the past – a Stirling Moss signed racing suit and an autographed Ayrton Senna racing helmet to name a couple – but none that is as unique and special as this.
“As dedicated United fans ourselves, we’ve followed our team both home and away – so the significance of this collection really isn’t lost on us. We’re all season ticket holders ourselves so, whilst we can’t go and see our team play right now, we hope the winning bidders will take as much pleasure in owning their badges as we know the vendor did collecting them.”
You can find more information ahead of the auction via the Charles Taylor website here.
