This second clue was fiendish, but this is J.M. McKinlay, and he played bowls. I know these are a different kind of bowl to that which you eat your porridge in, but these are clue cards, and some are designed to test you!
Our man`s full name was James Meikle McKinlay, and he was born in Scotland in 1875. His biggest claim to fame was playing, for England, in the 1934 British Empire Games. And he also appears on card 17 of Gallaher Ltd`s 1934 set of "Champions", presumably because of that win.
He died in 1961.
Now our original Ardath reference book, RB.6, issued in 1943, does not number the sets within, it only lists them in alphabetical order. However the description is long and detailed, and reveals there are two versions - namely :
March 1935. 50. SPORTS CHAMPIONS (titled series). Size 1 7/16" x 2 11/16". Numbered 1-50. Fronts printed by offset in 4 colours, titled, white margins, varnished. Backs printed in dark grey, titled "A Series of 50 Sports Champions" with descriptions, adhesive. Issued with State Express `333` Cigarettes. Pocket album issued, price 1d.
June 1935. 50. SPORTS CHAMPIONS (titled series). Size 1 7/16" x 2 11/16". Numbered 1-50. Fronts printed by offset in 4 colours, titled, white margins, varnished. Backs printed in dark grey, titled "Sports Champions. A Series of 50 " with descriptions, adhesive. Issued in New Zealand with Ardath Cork Tipped Cigarettes. Subjects the same as above set. (This series has no album offer.)
This is much reduced for our World Tobacco Issues Indexes, to simply :
SPORTS CHAMPIONS. Sm. Nd, (50) Special album issued.
A. Home issue. Brand issue, "Issued with State Express" at base,
B. Export issue, "Issued with Ardath Cork Cigarettes" at base.
Now at first I thought that the word "Tipped" was omitted from these later books, but if you look at our card, the "Tipped" is not actually there, it was just added to the description in the original volume.
In the future we will definitely use a home issue, but until then it ought to be recorded that the album offer on those is printed not down the side, nor at the bottom - instead it is located in its own box between the top box with the set title and the text, starting with the name of the subject depicted. And it actually reads, in two lines : "STATE EXPRESS POCKET ALBUMS / ON SALE AT TOBACCONISTS. 1d.". Whilst the bottom brand box reads, in four lines : "ISSUED WITH / STATE EXPRESS 333 / LUXURY CIGARETTES / 10 FOR 6D.