Anyway here we have David Seaman, and his surname gave us the first clue to the "Marine" theme. Now at one time this meant simply a man who went to sea, a mariner, or a sailor, but at some time it came to be classified as a rank, that being any of the three ranks immediately below "petty officer" in the Navy or in the Coast Guard.
Today it seems to have changed again, to be any enlisted man who ranks below a petty officer. Perhaps that is due to the "man" element being less P.C. than it would have been. In fact in today`s Navy you start as an Able Rate, or Rating, then become a Leading Hand, and then a Petty Officer, which is kind of the first step into being an officer
I cannot find these cards in any of our reference books, and I have tried under Barratt, Bassett, and Trebor Bassett. Even in the Football Cartophilic Info Exchange the only set listed is Bassett & Co. - World Cup Stars (1974). So if you find it, or know of it, please let us know
The cards themselves say "The information on this card was compiled up to February 1997" so the set must have been issued shortly after.
And if anyone can supply more information on the set, please do.