A charity auction of rare sports memorabilia has raised over £35,000 to mark the 30th anniversary of a Scottish scaffolding company.
John Horne, managing director of JR Scaffold, part of The JR Group, sold more than 80 items from a personal collection he has built up over nearly three decades.
Highlights included a framed Celtic shirt signed by club legend Jimmy “Jinky” Johnstone, which fetched more than £5,000, and a signed Lionel Messi Barcelona top, which attracted a bid of £1,300.
The two-week sale, hosted online by Blue Parrot Events Group through its Event PAL fundraising platform, drew interest from collectors around the world. More than 200 bids were placed on items ranging from football shirts signed by Graeme Souness and Messi to memorabilia bearing the signatures of Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Diego Maradona.
All proceeds will go to the Emmie Smillie Foundation and MND Scotland, charities which hold personal significance for Mr Horne and his family.
He said the response had been overwhelming and that parting with the memorabilia had been an emotional decision but “the right one” as the company marked its 30-year milestone.
Some items from the collection have also been donated to support the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. Others will feature at the December to Remember charity ball in Glasgow later this year, which Mr Horne is set to host.
