Introduction by Stephen Done, LFC Curator
This auction is in itself a piece of history. For the first time, Liverpool Football Club are giving fans an opportunity in a live auction-room setting at Anfield, to bid for their own piece of Liverpool FC history - in this, our special 125th Anniversary year.
The driving force behind this unique occasion was the re-building of the Main Stand. This hugely significant project saw the end of the 1970s era stand pulled down whilst retaining the original 1906 Archibald Leitch section intact, beneath the fabulous new structure that opened in September 2016.
It was always the plan to recover items from the Main Stand immediately prior to demolition – with some items now safely secured as part of the museum collection; for example, the interiors of the two dressing rooms are in storage awaiting a time when they can be rebuilt for all to enjoy in our museum. However, it is impossible and unnecessary to retain everything. We always said that we would run this special auction to offer up items that might otherwise have just been disposed.
The range of items offered here is diverse. From quirky directional signage that hung on the walls of the Main Stand, to the sofa and hat stand that resided in the LFC manager’s private office, and the actual dugout seats our manager and team used pitch-side! Pictures that adorned the player’s lounge walls and the actual sign from the Boot Room office door, as it existed in the year prior to demolition are all here. We have also recovered the huge illuminated letters declaring ‘The Kop’ that have hung on the outside walls of the Spion Kop stand for many years, and which are such a prominent feature in the dark of an evening game.
We have also taken the opportunity to see if there were other items in storage that could be released, without compromising our commitment to preserving and protecting the heritage of this great Club. The outstanding item without doubt is the Shankly Statue maquette cast in bronze and mounted on marble. This was presented to the Club by the Liverpool-based sculptor Tom Murphy in 1997 in advance of unveiling the statue that has become a favourite fixture at Anfield. This is one of just three such identical maquettes, making this a truly exceptional item. One maquette is on permanent display in LFC’s head office and the second in equally safe-hands, but this third example had not seen the light of day - until now. Tom has given his full support to auction this very special item.
In hosting this exclusive event, it is important to reassure all those who care about the history and heritage of Liverpool FC that there is no intention to sell significant and unique items. The Club archive is as safe as it has ever been and a team within the Club has carefully filtered the selection you see here, always erring on the side of caution, to ensure we do not weaken our ability to tell the story of our wonderful Club and to retain vital mementoes of past games and heroes.
However, we do also feel that the time is right to offer this eclectic and intriguing collection as just one of the special events to mark our 125th anniversary season.
I wish you all good luck in your bidding. Best wishes,
Stephen Done
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