Yahoo News Antiques Roadshow family reunion reveals £30k football collection
Scottish footballer Robert Boyd's family came together to show the Antiques Roadshow team an incredible memorabilia archive.
What did you miss?
Antiques Roadshow expert Adam Schoon valued a collection of memorabilia connected to pioneering 19th-century footballer Robert Boyd. But most importantly, the Roadshow united three of Boyd's descendants who had never previously met.
Boyd's grandson, great-grandson, and great-great-grandson each brought items they had been passed down from their shared ancestor, despite the fact the three of them hadn't crossed paths before.
What, how and why?
Boyd was a Scottish shale miner who played in the East of Scotland League, becoming the first man from that league to represent Scotland at national level. He earned two caps in 1889 and 1891. Expert valuer Schoon described Boyd as "the David Beckham of his day".
The commemorative velvet cap for the 1891 match came to the Roadshow along with a cutting of the match report, explaining that Boyd scored two crucial goals in order to help Scotland come from 3-0 down to secure a 4-3 victory.
The family also brought along a medal awarded to Boyd for winning the King Cup in 1887, which the star's great-great-grandson had inherited.
"I remember that medal from when I was little," he explained. "We used to go and visit my great-uncle up in West Calder and that particular medal was in amongst a sweetie jar, in amongst other medals as well. I got given that to play with basically, probably to keep me quiet."
Schoon estimated that this medal alone, which was used a child's plaything, was such a "rare, rare, rare piece" that it could command between £15,000 and £25,000 at auction on its own. Along with the caps and the photos, Schoon said the collection could be worth around £30,000.
"It's a highly important record of a brilliant footballer," said Schoon. "But look, he's a part of your DNA."
The family members vowed to remain in touch, having finally connected over their shared link with one of Scotland's early footballing greats.
What else happened on Antiques Roadshow?
Elsewhere on the Roadshow, a lamp almost certainly designed by French luxury merchant Paul Dupré-Lafon in the 1930s got a surprising valuation from Ronnie Archer Morgan. He said the lamp was in "lovely condition" and might be worth as much as £5,000 if its link to the Frenchman could be proven.
The lamp's owner joked that she had thought the lamp, which her father had obtained at a house sale, was only worth around £50.
Antiques Roadshow airs on Sundays at 7pm on BBC One.
Read more:
