TYPHOO TEA - International Football Stars

 

One of the best thrills for my generation was going up and down the food store isles and finding products that has the words" FREE inside" on the package. For sports card collectors, this was probably the most common post-war theme after the extinction of the cigarette card.

 

So while I was collecting Kellogg's and Hostess baseball cards, fellow enthusiasts across the Atlantic were collecting biscut and tea cards. I recently acquired two of these food issues.

 

TY-PHOO, the Chinese word for doctor, was a brandof tea that produced many trading cards on various subjects. For a 10 year period (1963-1973) they issued soccer cards on the side of their boxes. Like many of the sets from this era, the size of the cards were depedent on the discretion of the person cutting the package.

 

1969 TyPhoo Tea - International Football Stars - Bobby Charlton

 

The sets, which almost always consisted of 24 cards, featured the best players from England and the 2 Glasgow clubs of Scotland. Manchester United, European Champions in 1968, led the set with 4 players. Their Captain for club and country was BOBBY CHARLTON who appears as # 57 on the Football League 100 top players.

 

1 Mike Bailey - Wolverhampton

2 Colin Bell - Manchester City

3 George Best - Manchester United

4 Billy Bremner - Leeds United

5 Bobby Charlton - Manchester United

6 Martin Chivers - Tottenham

7 Charlie Cook - Chelsea

8 Ron Davies - Southampton

9 Mike England - Tottenham

10 Tommy Gemmell - Celtic

11 John Giles - Leeds United

12 John Greig - Rangers

13 Pat Jennings - Tottenham

14 Brian Labone - Everton

15 Rodney Marsh - Queens Park Rangers

16 Bobby Moore - West Ham United

17 Terry Neill - Arsenal

18 Keith Newton - Blackburn Rovers

19 Peter Rodrigues - Leicester City

20 Ian St. John - Liverpool

21 Nobby Stiles - Manchester United

22 Mike Summerbee - Manchester City

23 Ian Ure - Manchester United

24 Graham Williams - West Bromwich Albion

 

Kellogg's made the jump across the pond when they issued a set of 12 International Football Stars which also included Bobby Charlton (see below).

1961 Kellogg's - International Stars - Bobby Charlton

 

THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE 100 : # 19 Harry HIBBS

As the year progresses, I am making headway on my project to collect original cards of the 100 greatest FOOTBALL LEAGUE players. As of today, I have obtained 86 % of the list. The hardest ones to find are the pre-war issues. But I did score on one of late.

 

HARRY HIBBS

 

It may seem like a small achievement when looking at Harry Hibbs' trophies, but the former Birmingham goal keeper accomplished more than just an F.A. Cup runners up medal in his career..

 

1935 Churchman Cigarettes caricature

 

In an age when the England National Team selection was done by committee rather than a Manager, Hibbs made an astonishing 25 appearences for his country. On 10 of those occasion he shutout his opponents.

 

1931 Lambert & Butler illustration

 

While 25 caps can be earned today in 2 World Cups and 2 Qualifying seriess, it was not so before World War II.

 

A closer look at England's goal keepers from 1920 up to the years before the war, Hibbs surpasses all his rivals and dwarfs almost all others. Sam Hardy was England's No. 1 through March 1920. However, 21 England goalies stood between the posts before Harry Hibbs debut in November 1929. He was a cousin of Harold Pearson* who also kept goal for England.

 

Sam Hardy - 21 caps (last cap March 1920)

Jack Brown - 6 caps

Ted Hufton - 6 caps

Jack Hacking - 3 caps 

Benjamin Olney - 2 caps

Dan Tremeling - 1 cap

Albert  McInroy - 1 cap

George Ashmore - 1 cap

Ted Taylor - 8 caps

Richard Pym - 3 caps

Howard Baker - 2 caps

Freddie Fox - 1 cap

Harry Hardy - 1 cap

James Mitchell - 1 cap

Ronald Sewell - 6 caps

Ernest Williams - 2 caps

Jack Alderson - 1 cap

Jerry Dawson - 2 caps

Teddy Davidson - 1 cap

Harold Gough - 1 cap

Bert Coleman - 1 cap

Jack Mew - 1 cap

Harry Hibbs - 25 caps (first cap Novemeber 1929)

 

1934 Ardath Cigarettes portrait

 

This revolving door continued after even after Hibbs last international match (February 1936). The singular mainstay was Vic Woodley, with 19 appearences, until the halt of international football in 1939.

 

Hugh Turner - 2 caps

Harold Pearson - 1 cap*

Frank Moss - 4 caps

Ted Sager - 4 caps

Henry Holdcroft - 2 caps

George Tweedy - 1 cap

Vic Woodley - 19 caps

 

Harry Hibbs held the England record for appearences for a goalkeeper until it was broken by Ron Springett in 1962. Harry Hibbs played 358 league games with the club. The club shows its best run in the pre-wars years staying in Division 1 his entire career. During this time, Birmingham reached its only pre-war F.A. Cup Final in 1931.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE 100 : Ossie Ardiles # 90

For two countries that were once at war over an island, there is the commonality of football that unite both Argentina and England. With current Argentine stars like Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez (both Manchester City) making their living in the English Premier League, it shows the power of sport over politics.

However, all of the South American imports playing in England today can be attributed to the sucess of one individual Argentine legend - OSVALDO "OSSIE" ARDILES.

1979 Topps "All-Star" Ossie Ardiles.

Ardiles concluded the 1978 FIFA World Cup with a Champion's medal as his home nation hosted that tournament. Afterwards, he went overseas to play for Tottenham Hotspur were he bacame a fan favorite.

After 10 seasons playing in London, he moved to the American club Ft. Lauderdale Strikers for their 1989 Championship season.

Osvaldo Ardiles is the first and only player from South America in the Football League top 100. Subsequently, he is the lone player with his first card appearing in a South American (and relatively rare) set.

Ardiles first appears on a rare 1977 Argentine League card with his Huracan club.

Collecting Focus 2012 - the Votes Are In

Well folks, the votes have tabulated. I spoke to colleagues, viewed the message boards and of course read your comments here.

I had some very good suggestions and thought about what would best fit my collecting focus. There were several sets to consider - from the easy to complete 50 card Churchman's and Phillip's  sets of the 1930's to the more desireeable like B.A.T. or Galleher's.

 There were a few modern sets that were suggested. And given an unlimited or bigger budget, any of the A&BC or Topps (below) sets would have been challenging.

In the end, my decision was based on historical guidelines and the desire to obtain significant players in various eras.

While surfing the net, I came across a list of the top 100 players of the (English) Football League.  The circuit established in 1888 has featured mostly British players (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) for the first century. But as the Premier League has become THE LEAGUE which the world follows, some of the best international players are included.

The set is within my scope of 100, although not numbered as such. I have quite a few of the players already so I have devised a two-level checklist. The first is to just get one card of every player on the list.

The second, if it is all possible, is to obtain the 1st card on which each player appears. I will refrain from using the term "rookie card" in the quest. The challenge will be the 34 pre-war players. The easier are the 29 players who appear after 1980. 

Lastly, this list allows me to move through the historical eras as well as a type collection. Without further ado, here is the checklist (listed chronologically with the club they are best associated):

 1. Billy Bassett - West Bromwich Albion

 2. Archie Hunter - Aston Villa

 3. John Goodall - Preston North End, Derby County

 4. Steve Bloomer - Derby Co.

 5. Billy Meredith - Manchester United, Manchester City

 6. Bob Crompton - Blackburn Rovers

 7. William "Fatty" Foulke - Sheffield United, Chelsea, Bradford City

 8. Alf Common - Middlesbrough

 9. Sam Hardy -  Liverpool

10. Billy McCracken - Newcastle United

11. Viv Woodward - Tottenham, Chelsea

12. Clem Stevenson - Huddersfield Town

13. Charlie Buchan - Sunderland, Arsenal

14. Elisha Scott - Liverpool

15. David Jack - Bolton, Arsenal

16. Dixie Dean - Everton

17. George Camsell - Middlebrough

18. Hughie Gallacher - Newcastle United, Chelsea

19. Harry Hibbs - Birmingham City

20. Alex James - Preston North End, Arsenal

21. Eddie Hapgood - Arsenal

22. Cliff Baston - Arsenal

23. Wilf Copping - Arsenal

24. Stan Matthews - Stoke City, Blackpool

25. Ted Drake - Arsenal

26. Joe Mercer - Everton, Arsenal

27. Riach Carter - Sunderland, Derby Co.

28. Peter Doherty - Manchester City, Derby Co.

29. Frank Swift - Manchester City

30. Tommy Lawton - Everton, Chelsea

31. Wif Mannion - Middlesbrough

32. George Hardwick - Middlesbrough

33. Johnny Carey - Manchester United

34. Stan Mortensen - Blackpool

35. Neil Franklin - Stoke City

36. Trevor ford - Swansea, Aston Villa

37. Nat Lofthouse - Bolton Wanderers

38. Tom Finney - Preston North End

39. Alf Ramsey - Tottenham

40. Len Shackleton - Newcastle United

41. Jimmy Dickinson - Portsmouth

42. Billy Liddell - Liverpool

43. Arthur Rowley - W.B.A. Fulham United

44. Billy Wright - Wolverhampton Wolves

45. Jackie Milburn - Newcastle United

46. John Charles - Leeds United

47. Ivor Allchurch - Swansea, Cardiff City

48. Danny Blanchflower - Tottenham

49. Bert Trautmann - Manchester City

50. Jimmy McIlroy - Burnley

51. Tommy Taylor - Manchester United

52. Cliff Jones - Swansea, Tottenham

53. Johnny Haynes - Fulham United

54. Duncan Edward - Manchester United

55. Jimmy Armfield - Blackpool

56. Terry Paine - Southampton

57. Bobby Charlton - Manchester United

58. Jimmy Greaves - Chelsea, Tottenham

59. Denis Law - Manchester United

60. Gordon Banks - Leicester City, Stoke city

61. Dave MacKay - Tottenham

62. Bobby Moore - West Ham United

63. Alan Mullery - Fulham, Tottenham

64. Geoff Hurst - West Ham United

65. Nobby Stiles - Manchester United

66. Johnny Giles- Leeds United

67. Billy Bremner - Leeds United

68. Frank McLintock - Arsenal

69. Alex Young - Everton

70. Martin Peters - West Ham United

71. Tommy Smith - Liverpool

72. Norman Hunter - Leeds United

73. Pat Jennings - Tottenham, Arsenal

74. Alan Ball - Everton, Arsenal

75. Colin Bell - Manchester City

76. George Best - Manchester United, Fulham United

77. Peter Shilton - Leicester City, Nottingham Forest

78. Ray Clemence  Liverpool, Tottenham

79. Malcolm McDonald - Newcastle United

80. Kevin Keegan - Liverpool, Newcastle United

81. Trevor Francis - Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest

82. Graeme Souness - Liverpool

83. Liam Brady - Arsenal

84. Glenn Hoddle - Tottenham

85. Bryan Robson - W.B.A., Manchester United

86. Alan Hansen - Liverpool

87. Kenny Dalglish - Liverpool

88. Gary Lineker - Everton

89. Ian Rush - Liverpool

90. Ossie Ardilles - Tottenham

91. Neville Southall - Everton

92. Paul McGrath - Manchester United

93. John Barnes - Liverpool

94. Tony Adam - Arsenal

95. Paul Gascoigne - Tottenham

96. Alan Shearer - Newcastle United

97. Ryan Giggs - Manchester United

98. Eric Cantona - Manchester United

99. Peter Schmeichel - Manchester United

100. Dennis Bergkamp - Arsenal

Let the search begin !