The only known medal relating to Newcastle East End Football Club: a 9ct. gold medal presented to the England goalkeeper Bob Roberts by Newcastle East

The only known medal relating to Newcastle East End Football Club: a 9ct. gold medal presented to the England goalkeeper Bob Roberts by Newcastle East End FC in April 1891, engraved with a monogram to the obverse, and inscribed to the reverse PRESENTED TO R.J. ROBERTS, BY N'CASTLE EAST END F.C., APRIL 91 This medal relates to the Northern League fixture between East End (Newcastle United) and Sunderland Albion played at East End's old Chillingham Road ground on 18th April 1891. Roberts's Sunderland Albion lost the game 1-0. There is a match report for the game but no mention of a medal presentation. It can only be assumed that East End generously decided to mark the visit of the great WBA and England international to Chillingham Road by presenting him with a gold commemorative medal. It may well have been known at the time of this game at the back end of the 1890-91 season that Roberts was returning to West Brom and would in all likelihood never be seen in the north east football scene again. The auctioneer is grateful to Paul Joannou, the Newcastle United club historian, for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.