THREE of the oldest surviving York City football programmes are expected to fetch hundreds of pounds when they are auctioned next week.

One of the programmes is so old, it was for a match held before York City were admitted to the Football League.

The programme, issued for the game against Notts County in the Midland League in 1928-1929 season, is the most valuable of a trio which could make as much as £400 at Sotheby's, in London, on June 9.

The Notts County programme was City's last season in non-league football before they were elected to Division Three (North) of the league.

The club had stayed in the league since until they were relegated to the Conference at the end of this season.

During that season in the late 1920s, York's centre forward Jimmy Cowie scored 49 goals in 49 games. It was said he was so likely to score, the fans would often cry out "Give it to Cowie". York were still playing at Fulfordgate at the time, not moving to Bootham Crescent until 1932. The other two programmes up for sale are for a game against Darlington in the 1932-1933 season and against Huddersfield in the sixth round of the FA Cup in 1937-1938.

A crowd of 28,123 packed into Bootham Crescent for a match that finished goalless. York lost the replay 2-1.

Pre-war football programmes are usually more valuable because of their rarity. The current world record for a football programme is £14,400, which was paid at Sotheby's last year for the 1901 FA Cup Final programme between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United.

Meanwhile, an accountant is set to become £70,000 richer by selling a York royal artist's painting, which his grandfather bought for only 70 guineas. Lord Huntingfield, 49, is selling Philip Mercier's 1745 work of a York woman removing her stockings. Mercier was based in York from 1739 to 1751 and had previously been principal portrait painter to the Prince of Wales.

Record programme prices

£14,400 - a world record - for the 1901 FA Cup Final programme between Spurs and Sheffield United

£10,200 for the 1899 Cup Final programme between Derby County and Sheffield United

£7,800 for a 1934 World Cup Finals tournament programme

Updated: 11:00 Friday, June 04, 2004