Work Lowry retrieves record £ 5. 6 m

 the final price for the game of Football is a record for the artist a painting of LS Lowry which was not observed in public since nearly 20 years has sold for a record amount of ￡ 5. 6 m at auction.

The Football Match (1949), which represents hundreds of artist signing stick figures expected to fetch between ￡ 3. 5 m-￡ 4. 5 m.

The final sale of ￡ 5,641,250, including the premium from the buyer at Christie in London is a record for the artist.

The previous record in 2007 when Friday, Daisy nook, (1946) sold for ￡ 3. 77 m.

Lowry, who died in 1976 at the age of 88 years, was known for its simple descriptions of working-class life.

Philip Harley of Christie of the described the painting as"the ultimate for passionate connoisseurs of work of Lowry, and football".

"The large format, birds eye composite panoramic view of the landscape of Lowry captures perfectly the spirit and drama of a city under the influence of the excitation of the Saturday football game," he said.

Painting on tour in London and the United States in Paris, shortly after it was completed, into a collection private in 1950 where he remained for more than 40 years.

Representation of Lowry of one of the streets that inspired SOAP ITV Coronation Street was also under the hammer in 20th century British Christie and action Irish Art Thursday.

It was expected to fetch between 300 000 ￡-￡ 500,000.