A remarkable collection of 145 rare Manchester City shirts, collected over a lifetime by a devoted supporter, will go under the hammer this May. The auction will offer fans and collectors a unique opportunity to own a piece of the club’s history.
The Mark McCarthy Collection spans a full century of match-worn shirts, and will be sold by Graham Budd Auctions on Tuesday 6 May as part of its ‘Auction of Two Halves’ event. The first day of the auction will be devoted to Manchester City shirts, with day two dedicated to Manchester United.
The sale features one hundred years of match-worn shirts of Manchester City’s past, from Maine Road to the modern Etihad era.
Some of the shirts up for auction have been worn in the club’s most iconic matches, from early FA Cup finals to Premier League title wins. Highlights include a 1926 FA Cup Final shirt worn by George Hicks, complete with original Wembley mud stains, a 1999 Wembley Play-Off Final shirt worn and signed by Shaun Goater, and a goalscoring match-worn ‘Vicks stained’ Yaya Toure shirt.
David Convery, Head of Sporting Memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions, said: “This is the most complete and personal collection of Manchester City match-worn shirts we’ve ever handled. From the mud of Wembley in 1926 to the celebrations of 2014, each shirt tells its own story.
“It’s not just a tribute to the players, but to the fan who collected them, someone who lived through every promotion, relegation, and trophy lift. There’s a real emotional depth to this archive that collectors and supporters will immediately connect with.”
Mark McCarthy, the collector behind the archive, said: “I’ve followed City since I was a kid – at home, away, across Europe. The shirts have always meant something much more to me than souvenirs. They are a part of some specific moments in history: Goater at Wembley, Bradford Promotion, the iconic 70’s Umbro styles and the buzz of that last Maine Road derby.
“Most of them came through years of dedicated research, friendships, swaps, or just looking in the right places. Now feels like the right time to let other fans enjoy them too, and keep those stories alive.”
The collection will be offered to bidders around the world via live online auction. The full auction catalogue is available here for more information, visit Graham Budd Auctions website.
