SIXTEEN historic and rare football programmes have failed to sell at auction.

Fifteen rare Blackburn Rovers programmes were expected to fetch up to £2,400 at an auction at Sotheby's in London.

And a further programme from the Nelson match at Stockport County on September 21, 1929, when the club was still in the Football League, also failed to find a buyer.

The Rovers programmes, which each cost 3p new, were from the disastrous 1947-1948 season when the club was relegated from the top flight, then known as the First Division, with fellow strugglers Grimsby Town.

Trilby-hatted Will Scott was Rovers's manager at the start of the 1947-1948 season, after replacing Eddie Hapgood in May 1947.

But after just six months and a dismal start, Scott resigned because of ill health and was replaced by former pit lad John Bruton.

Despite 15 goals in 32 league games by new signing Les Graham, Rovers managed only eleven wins in 1947-1948 and were relegated.

The programmes, including those for the league games against Burnley,Manchester United and Grimsby, were described by auctioneer Graham Budd as ‘very scarce issues’.

Nelson were a Football League club for 10 years, from 1921 to 1931, and they were founder members of Division Three North.