This collection once belonged to former Darwen FC captain Patrick Quigley, and relates to the club’s hotly anticipated FA Cup 3rd round tie against Arsenal at Highbury in 1932.
Clearly a lot of people around the UK were rooting for the underdogs ahead of the game, looking at the selection of telegrams sent to Quigley and the rest of the team.
The badge comes from Quigley’s matchworn shirt from the Highbury clash on 9th January.
Also included is a letter from a chap who had a premonition that Darwen beat Arsenal 4 – 3.
Sadley he was wrong, and the Lancashire side lost 11 – 1!
Arsenal were so impressed by Darwen’s sportsmanship on the day despite the heavy defeat that the London club presented them with their own red strip, which Darwen have used as a home kit almost ever since.
