Card of the Day - 2023-04-22

Barratt Footballers 37-38
Barratt [trade : confectionery : UK] "Footballers 1937-38" (1937) 80/110 - BAR-275 : BAR-33

So your first clue to this week`s theme was the team shown here, Derby County, for they were defeated in the first semi final, going down 5 - 2 to West Ham United, who, in many ways, were seen as the most likely winners of the cup. 

That semi final was on the 24th of March 1923, and it was at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club. There was a reason for this not being played at Wembley, because the stadium was only completed that day.

The match was a thriller, with amazing performances from West Ham`s William Brown and Billy Moore, who each scored two goals. The other one came from James Ruffell.

Derby County had a more sedate time. Jimmy Moore was their only goal scorer.  Their other actually came from West Ham full back Billy Henderson, an own goal. 

Our subject is later than all this. He was Charles Edward "Charlie" Napier, and he was born on the 9th of October 1910. He started at Celtic, where he was on the squad that won the Scottish Cup in 1931 and 1933. Then he moved over the border and down to Derby County, where he is on our card. He had moved to Sheffield Wednesday when war broke out. He kept playing, with Falkirk, but the leagues were all suspended, these matches were just for entertainment and morale boosting. After the war he stayed in Scotland, with Stenhousemuir. He also had a spell with the Scottish National Team. He died in 1973. 

Now this card has been sent to us by a reader, so many thanks for taking the time and trouble to do so. It is quite a scarce one from a set which is usually regarded as Set C, and which is described in our original British Trade Index as : "FAMOUS FOOTBALLERS 1937 - 38 issue. Sepia. Numbered. (110)". This is slightly altered in our our updated version to include the size, 62 x 44 m/m, and cites HB-35.C (which I will look at tomorrow)