10 Things (Other Than Money) Used To Purchase Footballers

3. Ernie Blenkinsop - £100 & A Barrel Of Beer

The Transfer: Cudworth United Methodists (England) to Hull City (England). The Year: 1921. The Fee: £100 and a barrel of beer. No-nonsense left back Ernie Blenkinsop spent the majority of his professional career at Sheffield Wednesday and was a major factor in their rise to the top of the English footballing pyramid in the mid-1920s. Prior to that, however, he played for his local village team in Cudworth, where he was spotted by Hull City and a fee as uncompromising as his playing style was offered for his services. You can just imagine Hull City officials saying "we'll give you a hundred quid and some ale for him" - and it worked. £100 and the equivalent of eighty pints of ale acquired Blenkinsop's services and he went on to have a highly-successful professional career.