MEMORABILIA from one of the region’s most beloved footballers and managers is set to go under the hammer.

Before his career in football management, Sir Bobby Robson was an extremely talented footballer, playing in the 1950s and 1960s for Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, and scoring four goals for England.

Sir Bobby’s cousin, Michael Robson, aged 74, followed his matches and collected football memorabilia including signed photos, match programmes, cigarette cards and an autograph book bursting with players’ names.

In honour of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the memorabilia will be auctioned in Newcastle today (Tuesday, July 9).

The collection also includes match programmes from Sir Bobby’s successful time as manager of Ipswich Town.

Mr Robson was born and bred in Langley Park and his father, also called Michael Robson, was Sir Bobby’s father’s brother.

The families lived only a few streets apart in the village and remain close to this day.

He decided to donate his collection to “do his bit” to support his cousin’s cancer charity and Anderson and Garland auctioneers offered their services to help.

He said: “I donated the collection because I want to know it will go to someone who’ll appreciate it and to know it’s doing some good too.

“I have lots of special memories of that time, Bob was a few years ahead of me and I was still at school when he signed for Fulham.

“My dad and his brothers, including Bob’s dad Philip, would go and watch him play whenever he came to the north and when I was about 11, I started to go to as well.

“We’d meet up with Bob before the game and he’d sort out our tickets. Often, I’d give him my autograph book and he’d pass it around the dressing rooms for me.”

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has raised over £13m to help find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.

The work funded directly benefits cancer patients in the North-East and Cumbria.

Fred Wyrley-Birch, of Anderson and Garland, said: “We’re very proud to support Sir Bobby’s Foundation because we know how important the work they fund is.”

To make a bid on Michael Robson’s collection visit andersonandgarland.com