Here is Sheffield Wednesday – and I have to wonder how many of you knew straight off why it was chosen?
Well, it was because it is said that theirs is the only football ground in the United Kingdom that is entirely encircled by a river, this being The Don. I can’t quite see that on any map, but it is frequently encircled and broached by flooding, as it has been this year already. Maybe that is what they meant
This manufacturer was actually “Clevedon Confectionery (Blackpool) Ltd.” though their cards sometimes abbreviated this.
In our original British Trade Index part II Clevedon is said to have issued cards between 1956 and 1963. It is also noted that albums were issued.
Our set is described as :
FAMOUS FOOTBALLERS. Sm. 57 x 33. Nd. (50)
Now when we get to our updated British Trade Index the header text tells us that Clevedon`s cards were issued 1954-63. The 1954 issued sets turn out to be “Famous Screen Stars” and “British Trains and Engines”, and we know they were issued in that order because they were given codes on the reverse, the screen stars being Series A.1. and the trains Series A.2. At least the screen stars were on the reverse, I cannot find any of the British train cards at all to check.
No sets were issued in 1955.
In 1956 several sets came along, namely “British Aircraft”, “British Ships”, “Famous Cricketers” and “Regimental Badges” - and we know which came first, because the “Regimental Badges” is coded “A.3.”, again on the reverse – where it also, rather amazingly, says “By Courtesy of The War Office”.
Now after that they dropped the A numbers and I am not sure why – or what the “A” stood for. Anyone know?
In our updated British Trade Index the entry for our set reads :
FAMOUS FOOTBALLERS. 1959-60. 57 x 33. Caricatures. Nd. (25).
This is obviously an error as there are definitely fifty cards in the set. However we do know that in their set of "Famous Cricketers" card 25 states "Set of 50" not of 40.