![AB-360 : ABF-47.1 [trade : UK] A & BC Gum "Footballers" (Facts 1-64) 3/174](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-05/14%20hurst.jpg?itok=9w7nGCiz)
There were two possible clues here. The first, the happy one, is that our man is the only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, in 1966, which was England versus West Germany at Wembley. However, the second, sadder one, is that we are only just discovering that football can cause brain injuries through heading the ball, and on field conflicts; indeed, in the 1966 World Cup team the incidence of brain injury is already four times the national average, as you can read in this excellent Australian bulletin.
Our card is Geoff Hurst of West Ham United, cited as playing in the inside left position The first thing I noticed was that for some reason the Geoff on this card seems to have lost one of its “F”s. The same error is repeated on the reverse as well. It tells us that he “started as a wing half for Chelmsford Boys team before joining West Ham in 1960. And then the text actually tells us that “he is the first man ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final in 1966”, without, perhaps, realising that nobody would do this again, at least not for over fifty years. Maybe they never will....
These cards are not listed in our original British Trade Index part II, so they are additional to the main home page which is with the Card of the Day for October 19 2024, However they are in part III, in a different way, by assigning a card code to each set. Now, as today`s set is the first to appear in our British Trade Index part III, it therefore becomes the home page for the later issues, dating from 1969 to 1975, a brief guide to which will appear as soon as I have wrangled one.
Today`s section is already a really long one, for it is listed as :
FOOTBALL SERIES - 1969-70. (A) ... ABF-47
1. Players, 80 x 55. Back in style of Fig. ABF-47.1, except checklist cards, base either "Football Facts" or "Football Quiz".
1. English issue, back in green and black. (174). Issued in three batches :
1. Nd. 1-64 and unnumbered checklist. Two variations :
No.29 - (a) Allan Clarke, Leicester (b) "transferred to Leeds United" added
No.54 - (a) Collin Suggett, Sunderland (b) "transferred to West Bromwich Albion" added.
2. Nd. 65-117 (David Woodfield) and unnumbered checklist with listings in (a) four (b) five lines.
3. Nd. 117 (Tommy Lawrence)/170 and unnumbered checklist. . Four variations :
No.125 - Text (a) "One of the most ..." (b) "Started with amateurs"
No. 132 - Text (a) "Arsenal`s Captain... " (b) "The brains behind the Arsenal..."
No.145 - Front (a) Bobby Moore, Newcastle" (b) "Bobby Moore, Newcastle United"
No.151 - Text (a) "Capped for England... " (b) "Sissens signed ..."2. Scottish Issue, back in blue and black (77) Issued in two batches :
1. Nd. 1/41 and unnumbered checklist
2. Nd. 42/75 and unnumbered checklist listing :
(a) numbers 42-75 (b) numbers 42-77. Two players listed but unissued are (76) P. Gardner (77) E. Stevenson.2. Players, 69 x 51, borders irregularly cut,.