The most expensive football number plates

Footballers are known for having personalised number plates – Harry Maguire was recently spotted leaving Manchester United’s headquarters in a Range Rover with his name as the plate. But did you know football fans are just as likely to pay out for a personalised number plate which proudly announces their allegiance to the world (or the motorway, at least). Over the years, some of the more unique or sought-after team-related football number plates have made huge sums of money selling at DVLA auctions and privately. West Ham (sold as WE57 HAM) tops the league table of highest grossing sales at DVLA auction since 1989, selling for £58,320, according to CarReg.co.uk. “We all know football fans are some of the most dedicated and passionate fans of any sport anywhere in the world,” said Russell from CarReg. “So, it is no surprise that they want their cars, vans, lorries and bikes to reflect that passion with a personalised plate.” Top ten highest grossing football number plates The most expensive number plates sold at DVLA auction since 1989 according to CarReg are: West Ham (WE57 HAM) – £58,320 Arsenal (AR53 NAL) – £46,736 Hull City (HU11 CTY) – £46,736 Villa (V1 LLA) – £45,440 Albion (ALB ION) – £24,000 Bristol (BR15 TOL) – £20,168 Derby (DER 8Y) – £18,872 Manchester United (M417 UTD) – £17,835 Saints (S41 NTS) – £14,984 Preston (PRE 570N) – £11,953 Create your own football number plate While the prices above might be eye-watering to most of us, there are plenty of ways you can incorporate your favourite team into your number plate. Try combining elements of your favourite team with your initials to make your perfect registration number. For example, an Aston Villa supporter called John Doyle might go for the number plates AV60 JON or JV11 LLA. Number plates featuring CFC are popular for Celtic Football Club fans while Rangers fans are more likely to opt for RFC. Hearts fans can go for HEA while DU is likely to be the top choice for Dundee United supporters. Even if a name or initials are not your thing, a private registration incorporating something related to your beloved football team could be just what you’re after. Popular choices include the year of league victories or when the club was founded. You can search for a number plate to match your favourite team here. What you need to know when choosing a number plate While you can choose almost any number plate to fly the flag for your favourite team there are a couple of rules that you have to follow to ensure your registration is still legal. The most important rule is that you cannot choose a number plate which makes your vehicle appear newer than it is. So, for example, you couldn’t choose a current style number plate which included 09 if your vehicle was registered in 2004. However, you can select a number plate which is older than your vehicle or choose a dateless number plate which was originally produced from 1903 until 1963. You also cannot put a number plate starting with the letter Q on your vehicle. This is because the DVLA issues Q number plates to vehicles whose age or identity is in doubt. To assign a new number plate to your vehicle, it must be registered in the UK and have been taxed, or subject to a SORN, for at least five years. How do I assign a new number plate to my vehicle? To officially assign a private number to your vehicle you will need one of the following: a V778 retention document, a V750 certificate of entitlement, or, an online reference number. You should receive these when you buy your number. Start looking for your football number plate today - CarReg.co.uk has a whole host of personalised number plates which allow you to show your support for your favourite team.