A match-worn jersey from Roger Hunt's 1966 World Cup campaign recently sold for £11,000. The shirt was used during England's 2-0 victory over France, a game in which Hunt scored both goals.
The £14,300 total for the number 21 jersey
The white, long-sleeved number 21 jersey worn by Roger Hunt was sold through Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, Wiltshire. While the hammer price reached £11,000, the final cost including auctioneer fees totaled £14,300, according to the report.
Andrew Aldridge of Henry Aldridge & Son noted that the item represents a "tangible link" to the only time the England men's national team has won the World Cup. The sale occurred against a backdrop of ongoing frustration for England fans, as the auctioneer remarked that the team has been unable to end "60 years of hurt" on the global stage.
Two goals against France on July 20, 1966
The specific provenance of the shirt dates back to July 20, 1966, when Roger Hunt scored twice to secure a 2-0 win against France in a group stage match. This performance was a critical component of England's trajectory toward the final at Wembley Stadium, where they eventually defeated West Germany 4-2.
Roger Hunt was a mainstay of the 1966 squad, appearing in every single game of the tournament. As reported, Hunt scored three goals throughout the campaign to help England navigate the group stages, contributing to a career total of 18 international goals across 34 caps.
From 285 Liverpool goals to the Devizes connection
Beyond his international success, Roger Hunt is remembered as a cornerstone of Liverpool FC. For decades, Hunt held the record as the club's all-time leading goal scorer with 285 goals, a milestone that remained untouched until Ian Rush surpassed it in 1992.
The location of the auction in Wiltshire was not coincidental. Roger Hunt, who was born in Cheshire, spent a significant portion of his National Service in the Devizes area, during which time he played for the local side, Devizes Town. this local connection likely added a layer of regional interest to the sale at Henry Aldridge & Son.
The gap between Roger Hunt and Bobby Charlton's £45,000 sale
The valuation of Roger Hunt's shirt provides a window into the hierarchy of sports memorabilia. In 2023, a shirt worn by Sir Bobby Charlton sold for £45,000 via Derbyshire-based Hansons Auctioneers, significantly eclipsing the price fetched by Hunt's jersey.
The Bobby Charlton item was associated with a 2-1 victory against Portugal in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley, a match that seled England's place in the final. The disparity in price suggests that while the 1966 victory is a collective triumph, the market places a much higher premium on the "superstar" status of players like Charlton compared to the essential, yet perhaps less globally fetishized, contributions of strikers like Roger Hunt.
Who purchased the signed 1966 relic?
Despite the high profile of the item, the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed. it is unclear whether the shirt has been acquired by a private collector of English football history or a sports museum seeking to preserve the legacy of the 1966 win.
Furthermore, the report does not specify the exact chain of custody for the shirt before it reached Henry Aldridge & Son. Whether the item remaied with the Hunt family or passed through several private hands before the auction remains an open question.
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