A MEDAL presented to an Ipswich Town legend was today expected to generate interest when it goes under the hammer.

A MEDAL presented to Ipswich Town legend Sir Alf Ramsey was today due to under the hammer.

Sir Alf was awarded the medal just a few weeks after steering England to its historic World Cup victory in 1966.

The former Portman Road manager, who transformed Ipswich Town during his reign in the 1950s and 60s, took charge of a Football League representative team at the time.

The inter-league game against an Irish League XI in Plymouth on September 21, 1966, was Sir Alf's first match since his epic win against West Germany at Wembley.

The gold-plated and silver medal was expected to fetch around £800 at Bonhams in Chester this afternoon.

Alasdair Ross, who runs the Ipswich Town Programme and Memorabilia club, said the medal would attract more interest from England collectors than those linked with the Suffolk club.

He said: “There are a number of big collectors out there and because it is in the same year as the World Cup it could do well.”

In his eight years at Portman Road, Sir Alf transformed Ipswich Town by taking them from Division Three South to the Football League Championship.

Sir Alf continued to live in Ipswich with his wife Lady Victoria until his death in 1999.

IpswichTown bought three championship medals won by Sir Alf Ramsey at an auction in 2001.

But the club says they will not be bidding for his medal today because it does not have strong enough links to Portman Road.

The gold medals in the club's possession were for the 1956/57 Division Three South Championship, the 1960/61 Division Two Championship and the 1961/62 Division One Championship.

Are you interested in the medal up for auction? Do you have any Alf Ramsey memorabilia? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

In his eight years at Portman Road from 1955 to 1963, he transformed Ipswich Town by taking them from Division Three South to the Football League Championship.

It was these exploits at Ipswich which earned him the England manager's job on an initial salary of £4,500 a year.

His salary rose to £9,500 and he received a £5,000 bonus for winning the World Cup in 1966.

He was knighted in 1967.

When he was sacked as England manager in May, 1974, he received an £8,000 pay off and a pension of £23 a week.

A street in Ipswich - Sir Alf Ramsey Way - was named after him and in 2000 a statue of him was erected near Portman Road.