A TREASURED collection of football medals worth £14,500 and England caps once belonging to a Blackburn Rovers winger are to go under the hammer next month.

Joe Hulme was an integral part of the Arsenal team which dominated football in the 1930s and his spoils of a successful career are expected to fetch thousands when they are auctioned at Christie's next month.

One medal alone, his FA Cup winner's medal from 1930 is tipped to sell for £5,500.

But although it was the London giants that made him a household name and earned him his eight England caps, a selection of which could fetch £800 each, the outside right learned his trade right here in Blackburn. Hulme was described as a bright young prospect when Rovers paid York City £250 for him in February 1924.

Although he had only played a handful of games for York Joe Hulme was immediately thrown in the deep end at Ewood Park and soon established a name for himself as a fast and tricky winger.

His reputation as an outside right quickly spread and after just two years at Ewood Park Rovers were persuaded to part with their prize asset for a massive fee at the time of £3,500.

His status that had begin to grow at Rovers was firmly cemented at Arsenal where he went on to collect an impressive collection of medals.

Hulme played a part in winning three league championships in 1931, 34 and 35 as well as FA Cup victories in 1930 and 1936.

In 1938, after a one-season spell at Huddersfield Town, Hulme retired by which time he had notched up 414 league match appearances, 50 FA Cup ties, and had scored a total of 132 goals.

In 1944 he joined Arsenal's great rivals Tottenham Hotspur and took over as manager in 1945 until 1949.

He died in September 1991 aged 87.

The auction will be held on March 23.