Cash in the attic as Alan Rough sells the jerseys

AN EXPEDITION to his mother's loft convinced Alan Rough to sell a stash of swapped jerseys from his 21-year playing career.

A total of 42 shirts Rough acquired during 53 international appearances and in his time with principal club Partick Thistle, and at Hibernian and Celtic, will be put up for auction at the Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston, on 19 May. Parting with this collection will not cause any anxiety for the 58-year-old, the existence of which is owed to the efforts of his father, who passed away 15 years ago.

"I used to give him all my tops but never really thought about how many I had until my mum asked me to get something out of the loft about four months ago," said Rough, who retired in 1990 having made his debut for Thistle in 1969. "It was then I stumbled across a trunk with all these tops I hadn't even bothered to look at in the best part of 20 years. They weren't doing anything in that loft but going mouldy and I decided it would be better if they were out on display somewhere. All I want now is that they find a good home."

The Real Radio pundit maintains it is not because of a need to raise money that he is selling his shirts. What isn't on the list for auction proves that, he insisted. "I'm not giving up any of the jerseys I picked up across three World Cups. They mean the most to me. Or any of my medals. I've not been forced into this or anything like that, it is just that these tops were no good to me."

The shirt Rough wore at his testimonial in 1982 is among items which also includes shirts from matches against Argentina, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and Wales. The colourful keeper has little doubt which jersey is likely to attract the highest price

– England keeper Ray Clemence's shirt from the home international of 1976. "I'd imagine some of the more rabid members of the Tartan Army would be well into having the jersey Clemence wore when he let Kenny Dalglish's shot go through his legs," he said.