Set of Euro 96 tickets found fully intact in old suitcase
Monday 30 April 2018 13:22, UK
In what can be described as a footballing mystery, a set of 31 Euro '96 tickets were found in an old suitcase unused.
In 1996, England hosted the European Championships and at the time a set of 31 tickets for every match in the tournament through to final went missing.
But they have now been discovered by accident by Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, near Derby, with games such as Scotland versus England [2-0], as well as Portugal against Turkey [1-0].
The owner, from Stoke, who wishes to remain anonymous said: "I had no idea where the tickets have come from. It's a complete mystery.
"They were in a case that housed my grandad's old cigarette cards. My mum had the case for years and then gave it to me about 10 years ago. It was actually the cigarette cards that I took along for valuation.
"We were just looking through the cards with the valuer when the tickets got in the way and he pulled them out. He said they might be worth something.
"Until that second I had no idea they were special. I'd never given them a second glance. I'm not interested in football and don't support a team and nor is anyone in my family.
"My mum, who died last year aged 90, certainly wasn't interested in football. I have no idea how they ended up in the suitcase. I don't think mu mum was a ticket tout!"
Tickers to Italy against Russia and Romania versus France are also among the set found.
The tickets are still in pristine condition, covering the entire tournament, which saw Germany beat the Czech Republic 2-1 with a golden goal in the final.
The price range starts at £45 for the first games to £130 for the final and if they were bought as a complete package it would have cost £1,680.
Hanson Auctioneers football valuer Alistair Lofley said: "I have seen the odd ticket from Euro 96 before but never an entire set like this.
"It's a mystery, all the tickets are printed with the name Ben Edwards. Perhaps they were a competition prize or given to a member of the FA.
"Some of the matches were played on the same day so it would have been logistically impossible to go to them all, unless they were bought to share with friends.
"For any diehard football fan, to think of these tickets going begging is hard to swallow, an entire tournament of matches in England that someone could have watched.
"It's enough to make a grown man cry. I'm not saying people would have paid 40 times their face value for them but we all know dedicated football fans will go to extreme lengths to see a game."
The auctioneers estimated their value at of £100-£150 and they will go on auction on May 23 at Hansons.
