Football memorabilia isn’t just about the current crop of super famous sports stars. Some of the most valuable and valued pieces of souvenir kit, signed photos and so on come from the legends that have already stood the test of time – the undying greats whose names are inscribed on paintings in director’s boxes and fall from the mouths of fans in every pub at every closing time on every Saturday night in the land. Consider some of the classic Liverpool memorabilia or Manchester United memorabilia available from the online stores of outfits like UK based Sports Idols, for example. Some of these guys haven’t seen a football from a closer distance than up in a commentary box for years – but their places as assured Titans of the British sporting world are such that fans of the modern clubs fall over themselves to get their hooks on a piece of kit or a picture that they may have touched.

The obvious choice as far as Liverpool memorabilia goes is Kenny Daglish. What a man – what a player – and what a manager. A legend of this stature becomes more than just a hero – Daglish is representative of everything great about the club and the game, a kind of combination fetish and ambassador for the values that have always made football, at its best, the sport not just of champions but of kings and queens. Manchester United memorabilia, of course, has its own fetish in the shape of the uber legendary George Best, the game’s first ever super star and template for all the Beckhams and Rooneys who have followed him.

Fans may well be surprised to learn that classic Liverpool memorabilia, and classic signed Manchester United souvenirs, are barely more expensive than their modern counterparts. Unless signed items by these historic footballing greats are exceptionally rare, they can, in general, be had for the same kinds of prices as the signatures of the men who currently stand astride the pitches of Anfield and Old Trafford.

Manchester United memorabilia featuring the autographs of the old guard frequently appears alongside more modern items in site sales, as do the John Hancocks of some of the most famous 70s and 80s Kop Enders.

With respect to both teams (and without detracting in any way from the prowess or deserved adulation of their current playing staff), some of the old names on those hundreds of League and Cup trophies bear more than just a temporary significance – which is, of course, why they are still holding their value so well. The Liverpool memorabilia that features signatures from players like Ian Rush and John Aldridge (guys who, with all the will in the world, probably wouldn’t have had the legs to cope with the modern game), are items that celebrate way more than simple current success. Old school items of Liverpool and Manchester United memorabilia are still living examples of the rich histories of some of the most important clubs in the land. Thank goodness they’re still in the affordable price bracket!