A tennis racket smashed by John McEnroe during one of his famous fits of rage is going under the hammer next month, in a sports memorabilia auction expected to generate sales of more than half a million pounds.

The wooden-framed Dunlop Maxfly Fort, mangled by McEnroe, dates back to his heyday in the early 1980s, when the combustible American won multiple Wimbledon and US Open championships. That era made his confrontations with officials — capped by the “You cannot be serious” outburst at Wimbledon in 1981 — as much a part of his legend as his touch play, and a smashed frame is among the most recognisable artefacts of that reputation. The racket also comes from the tail end of the wooden era, before graphite and composite frames took over the professional game later in the decade, leaving surviving wood-era frames from that generation of champions as period pieces.

It is being sold by UK-based specialist sports memorabilia seller Budds, which expects the racket to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000.

The McEnroe racket is one of the headline lots in a two-day live auction running 8–9 September. An England cap awarded to Paul Gascoigne and an original “This Is Anfield” sign — previously displayed in the tunnel of Liverpool’s stadium, where players traditionally touched it for good luck — are also up for sale.

Other items in the auction include a 1928 Olympic medal, a tennis racket used by Rafael Nadal, and shirts worn by former footballers Dave Beasant and Micky Thomas in heroic FA Cup performances from the last century. The identity of the current owners of the items is private.

“We pride ourselves in bringing the best sporting memorabilia to market for collectors who love every aspect of the games they follow, but this particular sale is without doubt an Olympics-league memorabilia sale,” said David Convery of Budds.

Collectors and investors drive memorabilia boom

The sale comes as interest in sports memorabilia sits at an all-time high, with collectors and investors in alternative assets vying for iconic pieces belonging to the likes of Diego Maradona and Pele.

Gascoigne’s England cap is a red velvet “legacy cap” embroidered with the number 1006, marking the fact that he was the 1006th player to represent the national team. The Football Association introduced legacy numbers for England’s 1,000th match in 2019, and last year began issuing them retrospectively to former stars such as 1990s icon Gazza.

The “This Is Anfield” sign was first installed during the tenure of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, who wanted to instill pride in his players and fear in opponents. It became synonymous with the most successful period in the club’s history, which saw Liverpool become England’s dominant team of the 1970s and 1980s as well as repeat European champions.

Beasant’s shirt is the one he wore when he became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in the FA Cup final, as Wimbledon stunned Liverpool at Wembley in 1988.

The Thomas jersey is from Wrexham’s celebrated 1992 FA Cup third-round win over champions Arsenal, in which he scored a memorable free-kick.

Together the lots span more than six decades of sporting history, and the hammer prices across the two September sessions will offer a picture of what today’s collectors are prepared to pay for game-used and match-worn pieces at auction.

Source: City AM Markets