A UNIQUE collection of football memorabilia belonging to a victim of the Malaysia Airlines tragedy has attracted interest from potential bidders around the globe.

The collection of avid Newcastle United supporter John Alder, killed when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July last year, goes under the hammer at St James’ Park in Newcastle on Sunday.

All proceeds will go to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the cancer charity founded by the former Newcastle manager before his death from the disease.

A dedicated football supporter, who missed just one Newcastle United game, Mr Alder amassed an impressive collection, leaving his home full of boxes of carefully stored match programmes.

His collection will be sold with the support of Anderson and Garland Auctioneers and Newcastle United.

Thousands of match programmes, tickets and books, dating from 1920s to the present day, are estimated to be worth at least £18,000.

It has been collated into 224 lots to make bidding as accessible as possible for collectors and football fans.

There will be viewing in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite from 10am to 4pm tomorrow (Saturday, February 21) and from 10am until the auction begins in the adjacent Bob Moncur Suite at noon on Sunday.

Fred Wyrley-Birch, auctioneer at Anderson and Garland, said: “We’re very proud to be involved with this auction. It’s a huge responsibility and we hope John would approve of the way we’ve catalogued his wonderful collection.”

The final lot, number 224, is the match programme from Newcastle United’s pre-season friendly at Oldham Athletic on July 15 2014, which was the final game John attended.

John’s sister, Joyce Robbins said: “We hope the people who buy the different lots treasure this memorabilia as John did.”

The auction will also be live online. For further information please www.andersonandgarland.com.