Ladies & Gentlemen, here's another "niche" for rugby memorabilia collecting: shares and bonds of rugby stadiums!
These documents are sometimes nicely illustrated, and are interesting reminders of the business and entrepreneurial side of sports - even in amateur times...
E.g. this bond issue to finance the modernisation of the Parc des Princes in 1931, signed by Henri Desgrange who was the main shareholder of the compagny operating the stadium, as well as the "boss" of Tour de France (his invention...) and newspaper L'Auto.
To make a long story short, I also have a keen interest in the economics of the early days of my favorite sport... an accounting ledger or a balance sheet can sometimes tell a lot about the life and organisation of clubs and rugby unions...
Other documents include stadiums in Brive, Nice, Bordeaux and Sucy (UAI premises - Union Inter Gadzart, a strong student team which was playing first class rugby in these days...)
I'd love to see (and to purchase...) similar securities from rugby countries all over the world. Would you have any to show?
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