What has been described as an “extremely scarce” football programme featuring Reading FC’s away match at Manchester United almost 100 years ago.
The edition from January 1927, which comes under the hammer later this week, is guided at between £3,000 and £3,200, although could sell for more,
Auction house Sporting Gold said: “Manchester United programmes from the 1926/27 season are extremely scarce, and are highly valued by collectors.
“Examples are often fetching thousands when they appear at auction.”
The spokesperson for the auction house added: “The estimated price reflects typical pre-1930 Manchester United home issues, and it is likely to hit closer to £4,000 on the sale day.”
The example from January 12,1927, is listed as having “creasing” and “minor marks.
The match was a third round replay in the FA Cup and ended 2-2 after extra time. Reading won the subsequent replay that was held at Villa Park, before going on a cup run that ended in the semi-finals with defeat to eventual winners Cardiff City.
Another lot features a Reading FC home programme versus Manchester United from January 1936.
That issue is guided at a slightly more modest £1,000 to £1,200.
David Downs, Reading FC’s historian, told Reading Today: “It will likely be the Manchester United collectors who will be driving the prices.
“All it will take is two competing bidders from the prices to go through the roof.”
He added that records held by the football club from this period in its history were destroyed by bombing in central Reading during the Second World War.
