By George Mair,Jennifer Hyland
Copyright dailyrecord
A rare gold medal awarded to a star of Airdrie’s only Scottish Cup triumph in 1924 fetched £4650 at auction. The nine-carat gold gong was presented to winger James Somerville after the Diamonds’ 2-0 victory over Hibernian in front of 59,000 fans in the final at Ibrox. The 101-year-old medal, featuring a lion rampant, went under the hammer at McTear’s auctioneers in Glasgow. The medal, which attracted widespread interest, was sold to a mystery bidder following a bidding battle with rival collectors. A McTear’s spokesperson said: “This remarkable medal is a hugely significant piece of Airdrieonians’ history, awarded to James Somerville during the club’s one and only Scottish Cup triumph. “With impeccable family provenance and a direct link to one of the greatest moments in the Diamonds’ story, we were not surprised to see such competitive bidding. We are delighted with the price achieved.” James Somerville was born in Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire, around 1900 and played for his local teams Falkirk, East Stirlingshire and Stenhousemuir before joining Airdrie in 1922. A member of the team that famously finished runners up in the Scottish Football League four years in a row, he played a key role in the Lanarkshire club’s historic Scottish Cup success in 1924. Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on X via @LanLiveSport , like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.
