Action figure of West Ham hero Knollsy sells for £6000 on eBay after bravery in Holland
You CAN put a price on bravery! WWE-style action figure of West Ham hero Knollsy sells on eBay for £6,000, with winning buyer securing custom doll designed after ‘Angel of Alkmaar’ battles hooded Dutch hooligans
A WWE-style action figure of famed West Ham supporter Chris Knoll – better known as Knollsy – has sold on eBay for more than £6,000, with bidders scrambling to take the doll home after his display of bravery against the gangsters of AZ Alkmaar.
Knollsy became an overnight sensation after almost single-handedly fighting off crooks who tried to break into the seating areas where the partners and children of West Ham players sat during their Europa Conference League semi-final.
The father of four, who was dubbed the ‘Angel of Alkmaar’ after turning the tide of ultras, was then immortalized in the form of a custom doll fitted with bruises.
Pertinently, the person responsible for putting the figure together admitted that they were inspired by Knollsy’s own action-heroish exploits in the Netherlands.
The bidding started at £20 on Monday but shot past the £100 and £1000 milestones as the week progressed. Earlier today, the winning buyer was successful with a sum of £6000with all bids above £1k submitted this morning.
A bespoke statue of infamous West Ham supporter Knollsy has sold on eBay for £6,000
Knollsy bravely fought hordes of masked AZ Alkmaar villains and has been praised ever since
The father-of-four showed up for a match in high spirits just days after suffering bruises
There were a total of 58 bids on the item, with a flurry of eye-popping offers pushing up the final sale price before the deadline earlier this afternoon.
The seller of the one-off doll outlined the painstaking process behind the design.
“Knollsy custom figure,” read the description. ‘I was inspired to create this custom and hand-painted figure with unique packaging to match. It took about 28 hours to complete and looks great on display. It’s a complete one-off.’
The figure sees Knollsy dressed in identical clothing to the outfit he wore the night he was filmed clashing with Alkmaar supporters. The immaculately detailed doll is completed with a screaming face, clenched bloodied fists and a bruised face.
The packaging, meanwhile, featured the West Ham crest, photos of Knollsy in action in the fight and an aftermath photo with purple eyes around his eyes.
Fittingly, Knollsy was given a hero’s reception after attending West Ham’s 3-1 win over Leeds just days after battling the masked thugs in Alkmaar.
He received a standing ovation at the London Stadium and took numerous photos with supporters on the ground, albeit with his heavy bruises.
Later, a video of a large group of West Ham faithful chanting ‘Knollsy is huge everywhere we go’ outside a nearby pub made him visibly emotional.
Knollsy’s figure is equipped with the same clothes he wore the night he fought the ultras
It was also completed with a screaming face, bloodied fists and purple bruises around his eyes
This week, Mail Sport announced he has been awarded a ticket to West Ham’s first European final in 47 years after being contacted by the club.
Knollsy revealed he was close to tears when he heard the news, which followed a request from Mail Sport to the Premier League side.
“I’m at work and when I got the call today, I almost cried,” he said. ‘I’m so happy, so happy. I’m made up.’
He added that a club official he had met during the game against Alkmaar called him personally, after seeing with his own eyes how he tried to protect supporters.
“She said she was two rows behind me and saw what happened,” he explained. “She said I had been very brave and I deserved a ticket.
“It’s ironic that she was the one who called me today. I remember joking with her before about whether she could get me a ticket if we reached the final.
“I know how hard it is to get a ticket. I’m so happy with this.’
Knollsy was pictured still smiling and in good shape, despite being on the front lines of the fight