'Deeply disappointing' update on unique Preston North End chair auction backed by SpudBros
The Mayor of South Ribble has shared a “deeply disappointing outcome” regarding the £10,000 sale of a special Preston North End item.
A “truly unique” chair - handcrafted using an official current season Preston North End shirt and signed by every first-team player - went up for auction last year, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Mayor’s chosen charities.
Viral Preston jacket potato vendors, SpudBros, backed the charity initiative and shared updates regarding the bidding on their social media page.
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The silent auction ended on December 5, with the one-of-a-kind piece of PNE history selling for a top bid of £10,000.
St Catherine's Hospice, Miles of Smiles Lancashire, SLEAP and Teddies for Loving Care were chosen as the charities to benefit from the sale but the Mayor of South Ribble, Cllr Paul Wharton-Hardman BEM, has now issued the “deeply disappointing” news that payment for the chair has still not been received.
In a statement shared on social media on Sunday (February 22), Cllr Wharton-Hardman said: “I am very disappointed to share an update regarding the recent one-of-a-kind Preston North End Memorabilia Auction.
“As many residents will know, bidding for the chair rose quickly and reached an incredible £10,000. Regrettably, the winning bidder has still not completed payment.
“This is extremely frustrating after the genuine goodwill shown by our community, and many earlier genuine bids.
“Many of you will have seen the significant online attention the auction received, particularly from SpudBros, who were monitoring the bidding very closely and posting within minutes when bids hit £3,000 and later £10,000.”
Cllr Wharton-Hardman said SpudBros’ enthusiasm had helped “generate considerable online interest” and that he was “grateful for the visibility”.
He added: “I have been working closely with the auction company to obtain further information about the bidder, including relevant technical tracking details.
“This work remains ongoing and we are pursuing the matter appropriately. Charity auctions are about real support for real causes.”
He noted that local charities “ultimately suffer” when bids are placed without genuine commitment and said his chosen charities and local residents “deserve better”.
The Mayor added that the two highest bids for the unique memorabilia were from the same person and said: “We will provide further updates as our work with the auction company continues. Thank you to everyone who supports our local charities with sincerity and integrity.”