Dad builds huge fan cave to store Leeds Utd memorabilia worth more than his home
A footy-mad dad has extended his home so he can fit all the memorabilia for his football team inside.
Ben Hunt has created a museum of Leeds United memorabilia including match worn shirts dating back from the mid-50s. His impressive display is so vast that he had to build an extension to his three-bed semi to store it all in - and it’s now worth more than his house. And while he didn’t want to reveal exactly how much his collection is worth, Ben did concede it ran into the hundreds of thousands.
Postman Ben, 46, said: “Some blokes spend all their money on cars or whatever, but I had no interest. This is where all my money’s gone over the years.” He said it all began snapping up worn shirts, starting with his first belonging to club legend Eddie Gray, bought 26 years ago.
Ben believes his collection probably costs more than his house (Lee McLean/SWNS)“I was hooked. I spent all my first wage on it and I’ve been doing it since. Now I’ve got over 500. I did have a garage where it was all stored, but I extended all the way to the back of the house.”
The collection, which has been on public display for around five years, boasts match shirts from FA Cup Finals in 1965, ‘70, ’72 and ’73, and the ‘68 League Cup Final shirt. Among Ben’s most prized possessions in his gallery are Gordon Strachan’s promotion winning shirt and the last Leeds shirt club legend Eddie Gray wore. He also cherishes a match worn Luke Ayling shirt which was signed by ex-manager Marcelo Bielsa who invited him to training after hearing about his shrine. And he even has a shirt worn in the club’s only European Cup final appearance, when they lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in 1975.
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(Lee McLean/SWNS)Ben added: “The ones I liked the most were Bremner and Batty, they’re proper Leeds, so when I got their shirts, it had that extra pull for me. I don’t have anything replica, it’s all match worn.” As well as more than 500 match worn shirts - featuring every kit the club has had since the 1950s - he also has other quirky items in his collection. On view for visitors is an old seat from the West Stand of Elland Road, a full set of sock tags numbered 1-12 , man of match trophies, boots, keeper gloves and kit bags. He added: “I have people round and I say to them ‘name a player, I bet I have something of theirs. It’s like a game because they’ll struggle to name anyone I’ve not got something of.”
Ben’s love affair with the club started in his youth and has been passed on to his sons Bernie, 13, and 12-year-old Grayson, named after ex-manager Simon Grayson. He went on: “It’s like another full-time job. If I’m on the sofa, I don’t sit and watch tele, I’m always on the lookout for more stuff. I’ll go to auctions, I’ll find kits through word of mouth and people get in touch with me directly. The wife’s glad of it in a way, it gets me from under her feet and keeps me busy.”
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