Meet the collector with more than 40,000 Leeds United programmes

The 64-year-old first caught the collecting bug as a youngster in the early 1960s and has seen his passion develop and grow throughout the years into somewhat of an obsession.

"The attic is full and the spare bedroom is full of them," said Mick who went to watch Leeds United for the first time at Elland Road against Bury in 1962. "And the most expensive ones are kept in a vault."

His collection features everything from the obscure to ultra rare and valuable and everything in between.

"I have a programme from 1924 when Leeds played Ajax in a friendly in Holland," he says proudly. "And I have one of the first known Leeds City programmes from 1906/07. Both of those are really, really rare."

He points to being given a batch of programmes via a friend as the start of his collecting journey.

"They included one of the Leeds United programmes from 1960/61 season which had the blue and yellow cover. It stood out from all the rest."

Initially he would write off for a bundle of 100 programmes for £1 via small adverts in a football magazine before 'specialising' in Leeds United.

"You would do specific trades. You might exchange two Leeds programmes in exchange for two Stoke City programmes," he recalled. "And then I moved on to getting programmes from club shops and huts. Everton always had a great selection of Leeds United programmes for some reason."

One of his best finds was one in the most unusual of circumstances: "I once went round to someone's house and they showed me what they had which was nothing special. The next thing he handed me a bible and there was a Leeds programme stuck in the middle. It was Leeds City programme from an FA Cup tie against West Ham in February 1909. It was an amazing find."

Mick says there remains allusive Leeds United programmes missing from his collection.

"I would like to get hold of the home programme when Leeds United first played as a league club. It was against South Shields on September 1, 1920. They didn't print many and very few survived."

He became a full-time dealer in 1999 and today continues to buy and sell via his business Michael Hewitt Programmes & Memorabilia.

And his top tips for an aspiring programme collector? "Always buy in good condition and always carry a clear plastic folder," he said. "And never write on them or fold them."

To get in contact with Mick email him at: [email protected]******************