Len Dawson's Super Bowl jersey to head US auction
The jersey worn by MVP Len Dawson in 1970's Super Bowl is to star on June 15
The jersey worn by Len Dawson in 1970's Super Bowl, for which he won the MVP award, is to lead bids in a US sale on June 15.
Dawson's jersey from the last AFL-NFL World Championship Game
1970 presents an important date for football fans as the year the American Football League (AFL) was incorporated into the National Football League (NFL). The Len Dawson jersey is therefore a rare keepsake from the last AFL-NFL World Championship game, now known as the Super Bowl. Dawson was playing for the Kansas City Chiefs at the time, who had recently changed their name from the Dallas Texans due to relocation. The quarterback had previously led the Chiefs to three AFL championships. After retiring in 1975, Dawson was eventuallyinducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 for his play with the Chiefs. Following the jersey will be a baseball signed by the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1955, the Dodgers finished 13.5 games ahead in the National League pennant race and led the league in both runs scored and fewest runs allowed. They went on to beat their rivals the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series, the first and only won title won by a teamlocated in Brooklyn. Also featuring in the sale is an important letter handwritten by the late Pittsburgh Pirate, Roberto Clemente. The two-page letter reportedly contains "incredibly graphic content" and provides a scarce item of memorabilia from the Hall of Famer. Clemente died in a plane crash while attempting to deliver aid to Nicaraguanearthquake survivors in 1972. A PSA 10 graded Roberto Clemente baseball card brought $432,690 on May 19, as part of the collection of Dmitri Young. The auction will also feature a signed baseball from the star. A 1937 signed cheque from Babe Ruth is set to receive strong attention from canny collectors, who will behoping to cash in on last week's monumental success. Another US auction house saw a Ruth jersey sell for $4.4m, setting a new world record for sports memorabilia. For British sports collectors, Paul Fraser Collectibles has this superb menu, signed by all members of the 1966 World Cup. See more of our fantastic sports memorabilia here.
