Medals belonging to Hearts legend John Cumming set to fetch £5,000 at auction
‘Blood doesn’t show on a maroon jersey’: Medals of Hearts legend John Cumming up for auction
Four historic medals won by one of Heart of Midlothian’s greatest ever players during the club's golden era are expected to fetch up to £5,000 at auction.
The gold Scottish League Cup winner's medals belonged to the late Tynecastle legend John Cumming, affectionately known throughout Scottish football as "The Iron Man".
They are set to go under the hammer as a single lot at McTear’s specialist Sporting History auction on Thursday.
Cumming remains a revered figure in Gorgie and holds the distinction of being the only player to feature in every one of the Edinburgh club’s major trophy triumphs during their highly successful period in the 1950s and 60s.
The medals heading for auction were awarded for League Cup victories in 1954-55, 1958-59, 1959-60, and 1962-63.
The earliest medal holds particular historical significance for the club. The 1954 final victory over Motherwell ended a 48-year wait for a major piece of silverware and sparked an extraordinary decade of success.
By the time of the 1962 triumph, where Norrie Davidson scored the only goal against Kilmarnock in front of 51,000 fans at Hampden Park, Cumming’s leadership role had grown and he was captaining the side.
That 1962 victory marked Cumming’s seventh and final major honour with Hearts. In total, his impressive haul included two league championships, one Scottish Cup, and four League Cups.
Brian Clements, managing director at McTear’s, said: “John Cumming wasn’t simply a great Hearts player, he was one of the defining figures of the club’s greatest era.
“These four medals tell an incredible story. The first comes from the victory that ended Hearts’ 48-year wait for a major trophy, while the last was won with Cumming leading the team as captain.
“To have all four League Cup medals together is very special. Hearts memorabilia with this history and provenance will always attract attention and we expect strong interest when the medals go under the hammer.”
Born in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, in 1930, Cumming worked as a miner and turned out for Carluke Rovers before signing for Hearts. He went on to make 612 appearances for the club between 1950 and 1967, scoring 58 goals and earning nine caps for Scotland.
He famously cemented his legendary status during the 1956 Scottish Cup Final against Celtic. After suffering a serious head wound, Cumming refused to stay off the pitch, returning to deliver a man-of-the-match performance as Hearts lifted the trophy.
His stoic post-match declaration that “blood doesn’t show on a maroon jersey” became a defining piece of club folklore and is permanently commemorated above the players’ tunnel at Tynecastle.
After hanging up his boots in 1967, Cumming stayed with Hearts for another decade, serving as a trainer and physiotherapist. He was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2006 and died in 2008, aged 78.
His medals, estimated to sell for between £3,000 and £5,000, will feature alongside more than 110 lots of rare sporting memorabilia at the auction house on August 27.