Sold on the-saleroom: Rare programme for football match that never happened draws serious bidding
14 March 2025 Underlining once again the desirability of football match programmes for games that were actually postponed or cancelled, an Arsenal example offered at a recent auction sold at £7500 via thesaleroom.com.
Printer’s proof for a 1968 Arsenal v Estudiantes friendly game never played, £7500 at Graham Budd.
Not only was the programme unpublished, however – this was a printer’s proof version that came up at Graham Budd’s (24% buyer’s premium) auction on March 3 estimated at £500-800.
On October 21, 1968, the Gunners had been set to play Argentinian side Estudiantes, the South American champions, who were in England to play Manchester United for the second leg of the World Club Championship.
Both Arsenal and Birmingham City arranged friendlies but Estudiantes instead headed quickly to Italy to take on Internazionale of Milan, without warning it seems; possibly offered more money or in protest at their treatment by British fans, including assaults on Argentinian naval officers. The first leg of the Man Utd tie in Argentina had been particularly bitter.
Printer’s proof for a 1968 Arsenal v Estudiantes friendly game never played, £7500 at Graham Budd.
There were also claims at the time of political skulduggery with the Argentinian president supposedly ordering Estudiantes not to play these friendlies.
A newspaper report in 1968 suggested Arsenal and Birmingham would claim expenses and compensation for loss of profit, having sold £4000 on tickets for the game in Arsenal’s case.
