Antiques Roadshow’s Wayne Colquhoun was gobsmacked when an array of historic items turned up on the beloved BBC One programme.
Filming at Alexandra Gardens in Cardiff, the episode saw the experts delve into a treasure trove of curios, including unseen snaps of The Rolling Stones, repurposed Indian silver jewellery and artefacts from the days of Napoleon.
Amongst the visitors was a lady with a treasure chest of football memorabilia that piqued the interest of the Liverpool-native antiques connoisseur. Her collection boasted badges, kits, photographs, amongst other items.
The woman shared that her dad, Iorweth Jones, used to be a football referee and officiated the infamous 1973 clash between Liverpool FC and Leicester City.
She handed Wayne a programme from that very match, remembered for the contentious disallowing of a Leicester City goal which led to a goalless draw, reports the Express.
Perusing the programme, Wayne remarked: “This is quite a famous match in my memory: Liverpool versus Leicester City 1973. It was a bit of a controversial match as well, wasn’t it?”
In addition, she showed Wayne a football adorned with autographs, including that of the legendary Bill Shankly, leaving Wayne clearly enamoured and wishing to claim the ball for his own collection.
He reminisced: “I was there so I probably shouted a few names at your father. That’s etched in my memory because Liverpool won the league but what I really remember it for was my hero, Bill Shankly, who signed this ball – when they won it, took his jacket off and he had his red shirt on. The whole crowd went mad. So your father is a piece of my history as well. Can I have this ball? Can I keep this ball?”
The expert playfully tried to tuck the coveted ball under his jacket, drawing laughter from both the guest and the crowd.
Antiques virtuoso Wayne went on to astonish the lady with his evaluation of her treasure trove of football memorabilia. He expressed his delight that she had come to Antiques Roadshow, reiterating that these pieces were slices of “cultural history”.
Delivering his verdict on the worth of the collection, Wayne declared: “I’m so pleased you brought it along today. The collection is far too vast to put out today, but as a rough valuation, there’s £1,000 worth of merchandise there,” adding sentimentally to her, “But, to me, it’s a bit of cultural history and our viewers might even remember your father.”