A Manchester United winner's medal awarded to a man from Annbank has sold at auction for £24,100.
Thomas Fitzsimmons played for Manchester United, who were known as Newton Heath at the time, between 1892 and 1894 after leaving Celtic - however, he only made one appearance for the Glasgow club, against Rangers.
Born in Annbank on October 21, 1870, Fitzsimmons was awarded the medal for winning the Manchester Senior Cup in 1893, when Newton Heath beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in the final.
Fitzsimmons played a major part in the success, scoring four goals during the competition, and it was also Newton Heath’s first season in the Football League Division One.
In total, he made 30 competitive starts and scored six goals during his two-year spell in Manchester.
In June 1894 Tommy Fitzsimmons returned to Scotland to play for his local team Annbank FC.
The medal was the earliest Manchester United [Newton Heath] football medal ever to have been offered at auction, and was sold to a private collector.
It went on auction at Graham Budd Auctions, with an opening bid of £12,000.
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