Very rare Chelsea title medal on sale at auction and is expected to raise five-figure sum
A 'very special' rare League Championship medal awarded to a Chelsea player 70 years ago is being sold at auction.
The gold medal given to Chelsea star Seamus O'Connell is expected to make at least £10,000 when it goes on sale later this month. He was part of the Blues side which won the League championship for the very first time.
It is part of Sworders' special 'Out of the Ordinary' sale on Tuesday August 19 that also includes a dodo bone a gold pocket watch engraved for Buffalo Bill and a rare photograph of from the funeral of Victorian explorer David Livingstone A Sworder's spokesman said: 'Carrying the top estimate in the sale is a 1954-55 Football League Championship winner's gold medal inscribed for Chelsea striker Seamus O'Connell.
'His gold 9ct medal is offered together with a silver medal engraved Winners 1954-55 and 15 signed photos of O'Connell with an estimate of £10,000-£12,000. They were bought directly from him before he died in 2013.'
Andrew Rowley, of the Chelsea Graves Society, said: "This is a real piece of Chelsea history. Seamus was one of the great players of that 1954/55 team - the first Chelsea side to win the league title.
"Unfortunately I haven't got a spare £12,000 to buy it! But I'm sure a Chelsea supporter would love to have this medal in their collection.
"It's very special and from a time that is so different to today." The Sworder's sale takes place in the village of Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex and is expected to attract wide interest from both Chelsea fans and collectors of football memorabilia..
The Sworder's spokesman added: 'Born in Carlisle to a farming family, O'Connell played in Scotland for Queens Park and in England for Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Carlisle United. He joined Chelsea in August 1954, scoring a hat-trick on his debut against manchester -united-fc> Manchester United in the club's first title-winning season.
'O'Connell remained with Chelsea for another season before returning to the amateur game, playing for Bishop Auckland and winning four caps for the England amateurs." He was a fantastic character who retired to live in Spain.
Chelsea's first league title win holds a special place in the memory of many supporters- it wasn't until half a century later they won their next top flight league title under legendary Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho.
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