Sports history, high craftsmanship and celebrity star power come together next month as Ewbank’s Auctioneers hosts two major sales devoted to sporting antiques and memorabilia.

Held at its auction rooms in Send, on Tuesday, November 11, and Wednesday, November 12, the events promise to deliver a collector’s paradise of rare items.

The first day’s sale, beginning at 10am, showcases The Collection of Sean Arnold Sporting Antiques. This remarkable single-owner collection of more than 450 lots spans golf, rugby, tennis, cricket, snooker and polo. With a combined estimate between £28,000 and £48,000, it offers a vivid journey through the evolution of sport over the past 150 years.

Among the highlights is a truly extraordinary item: an Original Vintage Spotlight Golf Machine Game from the 1930s. Long before computers became household items, this contraption allowed players to hit a real golf ball at a screen while an intricate mechanism calculated the shot’s trajectory.

Manufactured by the Spotlight Golf Company of London, the towering 185-centimetre-tall machine originally retailed for 62 guineas — more than £4,000 in today’s money. Though no longer in working order, its historic importance is beyond question. Ewbank’s has set a conservative estimate of £1,000 to £2,000.

Sir Henry Cotton, the dapper three-time Open Champion who dominated mid-century golf, also takes centre stage in the auction. His travel trunks, including a luxurious vintage Hermès example marked ‘Henry Cotton 7’ with a London-to-Monte Carlo label, carry an estimate of £2,000 to £4,000.

Adding to the Cotton memorabilia is a beautifully presented hickory-shafted Whippet putter by George Nicoll, engraved with his initials T.H.C. and estimated at £2,000 to £4,000.

The sporting action continues on Wednesday, November 12, from 11am, with Ewbank’s Sporting Memorabilia Auction, which shifts focus to 20th-century icons.

Chief among them is tennis ace Boris Becker’s match-used Puma Super Four & Five Eighth Mid-Sized racquet, believed to have been used during his victory over Stefan Edberg in the 1988 WCT Finals in Dallas, Texas. It carries an estimate of £7,000 to £10,000.

Complementing it are Becker’s 1982 German Junior Championship trophy, his signed German-language copy of Becker Advantage, two autographed photo cards, and an XXL Lotto warm-up suit bearing official Lotto and Mercedes logos, all previously displayed at the Tennis Hall of Fame. Estimates for these range from £500 to £2,500.

Football fans will be interested in Gordon Strachan’s match-worn number 7 shirt from Alex McLeish’s testimonial match in Aberdeen in 1988, estimated at £700 to £1,000. Completing the line-up is a signed Bobby Charlton 1968 European Cup Winners shirt, celebrating Manchester United’s legendary Wembley victory over Benfica, expected to bring £300 to £500.

Valuations are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, at Ewbank’s, with no appointment required. Jewellery valuations should be booked in advance with a gemmologist. The full catalogue and online bidding registration are available at www.ewbanks.co.uk. For enquiries, call 01483 223101 or email [email protected].