Three Lions pioneer sells shirt but retains pride

In 1978 Viv Anderson became the archetypal achromatic footballer to triumph a afloat England cap. With his garment from that lucifer present acceptable to fetch thousands astatine auction, helium reflects connected a vocation that saw him triumph connected immoderate of the biggest stages astatine a clip erstwhile terrace racism near heavy scars connected the crippled and immoderate of those who played it.

Stained with mud and yellowed from age, its value whitethorn beryllium hard to spot astatine first.

Complete with Three Lions crest, it is the England jersey worn connected a acold November nighttime erstwhile 90,000 fans watched full-back Anderson stride retired astatine Wembley against Czechoslovakia and into the past books.

"I got a large ovation," the present 68-year-old recalls. "The crescendo of sound got louder and louder arsenic we made our mode to the centre circle.

"Obviously I was precise arrogant and precise privileged to beryllium the first."

In all, Anderson would marque 30 planetary appearances crossed a decennary and beryllium portion of 4 World Cup and European Championship squads.

Achieving that landmark call-up did not travel casual though.

At nine level, similar different non-white players of the time, helium was often targeted by supporters.

"We're talking astir the 1970s and aboriginal 80s. I wouldn't accidental it was each week that things were thrown astatine me, but it was a pugnacious clip for achromatic footballers.

"It was ever much prevalent the further northbound you went due to the fact that they didn't spot arsenic galore achromatic faces arsenic down south.

"It was a portion of increasing up. Not a bully part, but they were the times.

"What helped maine dramatically was having Brian Clough arsenic my manager [at Nottingham Forest]. He said 'you tin play, I wouldn't prime you if you couldn't'.

"It was a happening I had to get done to beryllium palmy successful the teams I was portion of."

Laurie Cunningham, past astatine West Brom and aboriginal of Real Madrid, had been the archetypal achromatic subordinate capped astatine under-21 level, but it was Anderson who, successful his ain words, "broke the mould" by making it into the broadside for a afloat international.

"There was speech successful the papers astir whether it was going to beryllium maine oregon Laurie, but determination was nary rivalry betwixt america astatine all," helium explains.

"It was whoever gets the motion first, bully luck to them. It conscionable happened to beryllium me."

In the stands astatine Wembley that nighttime was Anderson's father, Audley, who had near Jamaica with woman Myrtle successful the 1950s, conscionable 2 of the estimated fractional a cardinal radical waving goodbye to the Caribbean and determined to marque a caller location successful Britain.

He looked connected with joyousness arsenic his lad played a cardinal role, progressive successful the physique up to Steve Coppell's match-winning goal.

After a league title and 2 European Cup wins astatine Forest, Anderson's vocation saw notable spells successful the 80s and 90s astatine Arsenal, Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday earlier a twelvemonth arsenic player-manager astatine Barnsley and 7 much arsenic adjunct to Brian Robson astatine Middlesbrough.

On 1 October, his postulation of much than 100 shirts and medals volition spell up for auction.

With the prices of sporting memorabilia continuing to rise, the haul is estimated to fetch astir £150,000, with the fig 2 jersey from his debut planetary valued astatine up to £50,000 alone.

While that had been connected amusement for respective years astatine Manchester's People's History Museum, astir of the different items had been "gathering dust".

"I've got 3 kids. One's getting joined adjacent year, one's 17 and volition beryllium wanting a deposit connected a location and the different one's 14, truthful it's truly for them," states Anderson, who present lives successful Manchester.

"I thought it was the close time. I've moved truthful galore times, they've ended up successful boxes successful my location and successful my ex-wife's house.

"The [debut] garment was the catalyst. Then I was asked if I had thing else.

"When I went successful the store I recovered things that haven't seen daylight for 40 years. I mightiness arsenic good marque the astir of it and fto the kids bask it."

David Convery, of Graham Budd Auctions, says the items' provenance is of peculiar value to their value.

"That shirt, headdress and tracksuit correspond a peculiar infinitesimal successful English shot history.

"It's showing its age, but the information it's travel from Viv himself adds to its appeal."

While Anderson is pleased much than 100 achromatic players person since represented the nationalist side, helium is frustrated fewer marque it into the game's managerial ranks oregon administrative levels.

"There's inactive a batch to do," helium says. "The likes of me, Laurie, Brendon Batson and Cyrille Regis broke the barriers for players.

"There was ever a story achromatic players couldn't play successful wintertime due to the fact that it was excessively cold, oregon they can't bash this and can't bash that. Now you spell up and down the state and determination are achromatic faces astatine astir apt each club.

"But the absorption broadside is wholly antithetic and successful medication there's lone 1 I tin deliberation of who has done it - Les Ferdinand [at QPR].

"I don't cognize what tin beryllium done. You tin person a regularisation to interrogation achromatic and Asian candidates for each job, but if they're ever going to springiness it to a achromatic idiosyncratic past it's not worthy doing."

Regardless of those issues Anderson's bequest is assured, though helium is keen to accent tegument colour unsocial should not specify his achievements.

"People accidental what bash you privation your epitaph to be. It should beryllium 'he was a bully footballer', that's each really.

"The achromatic happening comes up from clip to time, but erstwhile radical speech astir that Nottingham Forest squad I was portion of it's due to the fact that we were the champion successful Europe."

Casting 1 last glimpse astatine his shirt, though, helium acknowledges helium volition everlastingly transportation the tag of pioneer.

"I person to admit walking retired astatine Wembley [for that archetypal England game] was a large feeling.

"It's a portion of history, which I like, but I don't request carnal things to punctual me.

"I'll person those memories and experiences arsenic agelong arsenic I proceed successful bully health."