WHEN Blackburn Rovers star Sam McClure became ill, the club organised a fundraising benefit match for him against neighbours Accrington Stanley.
Just 20 months after that match took place at Ewood Park on October 22, 1904, Sam McClure was dead, aged just 28.
Now, more than a century later, a rare ticket from the benefit match is up for sale and is expected to fetch between £200 and £300 at Graham Budd Auctions in London next Tuesday.
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McClure – described by Blackburn Rovers historian Mike Jackman as “probably one of the finest natural athletes to wear the blue and white shirt of Blackburn Rovers” – was born in Workington on February 11,1878.
He was the second of the nine children of Irish-born bricklayer John and during his seven-year stint with Rovers (1899-1906), he worked as a bricklayer himself.
At the time of the 1901 Census, Sam was lodging with Blackburn pork butcher Thomas Hodson and his family at 58 Audley Range, Blackburn.
He started off as a goalkeeper before becoming a centre half and played for Workington amateur side Black Diamonds and Everton before signing for Rovers.
He went on to make 144 Football League appearances for the club.
According to Mike Jackman in his book Blackburn Rovers: The Official Encyclopedia: “McClure was not only a popular team mate, but was also a hugely popular figure with the supporters.”
“In 1904, a bout of illness affected McClure so badly that it threatened to bring his career to a premature end.
“However, his battling nature and great inner strength enabled him to recover sufficiently to become a regular with the reserves and make occasional first team appearances.
“Tragedy struck in July 1906 when McClure was again struck down by ill health but this time there was to be no recovery. An abscess in the ear spread inwards towards the brain and a life lived to the full with seemingly boundless energy was ended at the age of 28. Sam McClure was probably one of the finest natural athletes to wear the blue and white shirt of Rovers.”
Tickets to the match, 110 years ago, cost a shilling, or 5p in today’s money.
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