MH17 victim John Alder's NUFC memorabilia goes on auction for charity

Rare football memorabilia collected by super-fan who was killed when flight MH17 was shot down is to be auctioned off in aid of Sir Bobby Robson’s cancer charity.

John Alder missed only ever missed one Newcastle United game, home or away, in 40 years and was travelling to New Zealand with friend and fan Liam Sweeney to watch the Magpies play in a pre-season tournament when the plane was brought down over Ukraine in July.

The 63-year-old amassed a large collection of mementos from his football trips and his home was full of carefully-stored match programmes.

His sister, Joyce Robbins, has paid tribute to her big brother ahead of the auction and said that they were “shocked” when they found all the boxes at his home in Low Fell, Gateshead.

Auctioneers Anderson and Garland, who will hold the sale at St James's Park on Sunday, estimate the collection is worth at least £18,000. Fred Wyrley-Birch, one of the auctioneers, has said that thecollection is like “none I’ve ever seen before.”

The family has decided to auction off John’s collection so that “some good come out of something horrendous” and says that the family are “touched” by the support of Newcastle United.