10 Things (Other Than Money) Used To Purchase Footballers

6. Hugh McLenahan - A Freezer Full Of Ice Cream

The Transfer: Stockport County (England) to Manchester United (England). The Year: 1927. The Fee: A freezer full of ice cream. Back in 1927, even Manchester United were offering silly packages in exchange for acquiring new players. These days, their top ten outgoing transfer fees - which date back to 2002 - are all in excess of £24 million. Back then, they could sign players for a hell of a lot less. Hugh McLenahan was a half back - a term that was replaced in the 1970s by "midfielder" - and was plying his trade at United's neighbours Stockport County. When he was eighteen, he attracted the Red Devils' attention and, having heard that County were holding money-making event to ease their financial difficulties, United's assistant manager Louis Rocca (whose family happened to run a successful ice cream business), donated a freezer full of ice cream to the event as a transfer fee.