This card has nothing to do with the maker, or the player`s first name or surname; it is here because of the fact that Arbroath plays their home games at Gayfield Stadium, and that is the closest stadium in Europe to the sea - just five yards at high tide.
And we are delighted to show this very card, because we mentioned it as an alternative of the English No.17 in the listing for our Card of the Day on the 30th of September 2023 - which shows the English number 17, Mr. Tony Currie of Sheffield United.
Our man was born in Farnham, Surrey, on the 2nd of July 1939. However when he was quite young he relocated to Edinburgh, his parents being Scottish. He started out with Heart of Midlothian, in 1956, but was then bought by Newcastle United in 1963, who traded him five years later to Nottingham Forest. In 1969 he was back in Scotland, with Hibernian, then, quickly to Celtic, and on to Aberdeen in 1972. In the same year he found his way to Arbroath, where he remained for the rest of his career, until he retired in 1978, though he was very much a part-time player, and also ran a newsagents in Edinburgh, which he classed as his home town, though he supported Hearts of Midlothian all his life. And in 2016 he was proud to see himself inducted into their hall of fame.
Despite the fact that he was a very popular player in Scotland, the rules at that time were strict and birthplace was all that mattered, and so he had to play for England when it came to International matches. He did play with the Under-23 team, but was never picked to join the adult squad.
However one of his sons, Gordon Marshall Junior, who, like his dad, was a goalie, did end up playing for the Scotland International team. He also had another footballing son, who played for English sides, and a daughter, who is a basketball ace.
This set is rather elusive, it is in part III of our original British Trade Index but it is hard to find without the code, above. The problem is that the page before ends short and so you think that is the end of the footballers. However it does continue on the very top of the next page, where our set is catalogued in a group with the English series as :
Football Series - 1974-75 (A). 81 x 56. Back in style of Fig ABF-52 ... ABF-52
1. English issue. Back in red and black. Nd. (132)
2. Scottish issue. Back in green and black. Nd. (132)
In our updated British Trade Index this is expanded, and reads :
FOOTBALLERS (A). 1974/75. 81 x 56. Nd. (264). Yellow front border. Back "rub coin over space for answer". ...AAB-405
1. English issue. Nd. (132), checklist at No.13. Red back border
2. Scottish issue. Nd. (132), checklist at No.69. Green back border