Former Norwich City manager’s medal to be auctioned off

A gold medal won by Archie Macaulay, the man who masterminded Norwich City’s record breaking FA Cup run in 1959, which is set to fetch between £800 and £1000 at an auction. (Image: Supplied)

The 15-carat gold medal was presented to the Scotland international after he helped Arsenal win the Football Association Charity Shield at Highbury in October 1948.

Now, 65 years later, the precious medal is expected to sell for between £800 and £1,000 at Bonhams in Chester on Wednesday, February 20.

After a successful playing career in which he starred for club's including West Ham, Arsenal and Fulham, Macaulay became manager of the Canaries in April 1957 when the club was forced to seek re-election to the Football League after they had finished bottom of Division Three (South).

Macaulay then took City from the bottom of the Foot-ball League to fourth in the second division in 1961.

He also memorably led third division City to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1959, after the Canaries beat Matt Busby's mighty Manchester United 3-0 in the third round at Carrow Road.

It was the first time the Canaries had reached the semi-finals stage of the competition and they became only the third team from the third division to reach the semi-finals since the FA Cup began in 1871.

City have only managed to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup on two other occasions, in 1989 and 1992.

Because of the remarkable achievement Macaulay was one of the inaugural members of the Norwich City Hall of Fame when it was launched during the club's 2002-03 centenary celebrations.

Macaulay later managed West Brom Albion and Brighton and Hove Albion but then drifted out of football and became a traffic warden in the Chelsea area, before dying in June 1993, aged 77.

- Have you got a Norwich City story for the Evening News? Contact reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418 or email david.freezer@archant.co.uk