Joe Kirkup Continental 18ct gold & enamel European Cup-Winners' Cup medal
£9,000 - £12,000
Joe Kirkup Continental 18ct gold and enamel European Cup-Winners' Cup medal, the obverse cast with a footballer and inscribed UEFA, the reverse inscribed 1964/65, Coupe des Vainqueurs de Coupe Europeene, stamped PEKA.750 in original box
In the final match played on 19th May 1965 at Wembley, West Ham defeated 1860 Munich 2-0, the club's first European success
Provenance: Joe Kirkup Collection
The following lots 522 to 545 relate to the career of West Ham United, Chelsea, Southampton defender Joe Kirkup
Joseph Robert KIRKUP was born in Hexham, Northumberland on 17th December 1939.
A proficient and talented rugby player and footballer who represented Northumberland Schools at rugby, he concentrated on the football code after his family moved South - signing for West Ham United at 16 years old to become another product of the blossoming Youth development policy at the club in the late 1950s and early 1960s that went on to produce many first team regulars including the likes of Bobby Moore ,Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst as well as Joe himself.
Joe was a member of the West Ham Youth team that lost to Manchester United in the 1956/57 FA Youth Cup Final. He made his first team debut at Manchester City on 13 December 1958, a few days before his 19th birthday.
A very consistent and speedy right back, proficient with tackling and passing skills, he was capped for England at Youth and Under 23 level and established himself as West Ham’s first choice right back by the end of 1960.
Although missing out on the Hammers 1964 F.A. Cup triumph he was in the triumphant West Ham team that returned to Wembley a year later to win the European Cup Winners Cup defeating TSV Munich 1860 by a 2-0 scoreline in a classic display of attacking free flowing football by both teams in front of 100,000 fans on 19th May 1965.
That European victory was the first and last time an English team won a major European club trophy using solely English players throughout the tournament. Incredibly, Joe was one of the 9 players in the West Ham eleven man team to have been produced through the club youth ranks.
After 187 first team appearances for the Hammers, Joe was transferred to Chelsea in December 1966 for £27,000.
He made Wembley and F.A. Cup Final history again just six months later when he featured in the 1967 FA Cup Final as this was the first ever F.A. Cup Final where substitutes were permitted and selected. Joe was the Chelsea substitute with Cliff Jones being the Tottenham Hotspur substitute. Neither were called upon to play in Spurs 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
After 69 first team Chelsea appearances, he was transferred again during the 1967/68 season - this time to Southampton where he amassed another 192 first team appearances for the Saints before finishing his playing career in 1974.
Despite commuting from his Surrey home to training during his Southampton career, not once was the reliable and thoroughly professional Joe late for training!
Every Football League appearance of his 16 year career had been at the top flight First Division level, with 448 first team appearances covering all competitions.
In 1975, he emigrated to Durban, South Africa to take on the Manager role at Durban City FC. It was not an enjoyable time, made untenable by the Club Chairman meddling in team affairs and Joe and his family returned to England in the summer of 1976 to embark on a life away from football.
The career collection of items, superbly preserved by Joe - offers some unique items of 1960s football history, principally his 1965 European Cup Winners Cup jersey and winners medal when he became one of “The First and Last Englishmen” to win a European trophy. Two of the eleven match jerseys (Bobby Moore and Jim Standen) are owned by West Ham United, with Jack Burkett and Brian Dear match worn shirts now owned by private collectors.
Likewise, the Chelsea 1967 F.A. Cup Final items include not only the match shirt, but also the iconic numbered shorts that Tommy Docherty introduced in redesigning the clubs playing strip - but also the stylish tracksuit as worn by the Chelsea players on the day substitutes first featured in the Final.
These showcase items are accompanied with international honours items, Youth and reserve team medals and trophies, rare exchange and goodwill gifts from Continental opponents including the mighty Real Madrid plus autographed ephemera and documents covering a 16 year career of one of the gentlemen of the game - and a highly respected professional who gave great service to his clubs.