This card marks the rebirth of women`s football. For when women stepped up during the First World War, and did of arduous, dangerous work in the munitions factories, football was remembered, and taken as a pastime; though mostly to improve their fitness in the hope of making them work harder, than for pleasure. However the women loved playing, and their lithe frames proved to be every bit as skilful as the men. In the end many factories had teams, and they played each other. What became known as The Munitionettes Cup Final even took place in 1918 at Ayresome Park, in Middlesbrough - in front of 22,000 fans - with Blyth being easy winners over Bolkclow Vaughn, 5-0, with the now legendary Bella Reay scoring three of the goals.
By 1920, there were over a hundred Women`s Football Clubs, and the most famous of them all were the Dick, Kerr Ladies - they were founded in 1917 and were also a group of war workers, from Dick, Kerr and Company, of Kilmarnock, Scotland, and Preston, England. However as well as the usual war work, of making shells, bombs, and fuses, they made trains, trams, and aircraft. Lily Parr was their most famous player, (though I am told by my footballing friend, Mark Evans, that Florence Redford actually scored more goals in the 1921 season - 170 to Lily Parr`s 108), and many books and documentaries have highlighted her achievements, though not so many have recorded how young she was, being just a teenager when she started at the factory. In fact this was common place, and pre-teen girls were employed in war work too, for they had tiny fingers and could manage to get them into the tiny housing that held the fuses inside the bombs and hand grenades.
We are also informed that this team appears on a photographic card, possibly by Ardath? Any ideas? In case you are not a football fan, their uniform was a black and white striped jersey with a small Union Jack on the left breast and blue shorts., or white jerseys and blue shorts for International matches. And all women footballers had to cover their hair in a cap or hat - Dick, Kerr`s Ladies choosing striped ones.
In fact they also wore hats whilst they worked, see the lady at the back on our card, to keep their hair out of the machinery, so it is easy to see that they used the very same hats to keep their hair from blowing in their faces during football.
We have also been sent a link to two sites that feature the ladies on a Baines card - the first is front only, that can be viewed at http://donmouth.co.uk/womens_football/dick_kerr.html and it is a red card, with a red football - whilst the second is a green card and ball, and it shows the back and front of the card, that is https://www.footballsoccercards.com/1918-the-1st-ever-dick-kerrs-ladies-rookie-womens-football-team-baines-football-trade-card-11700-p.asp
However, despite the fact that ladies football had kept workers healthy, provided entertainment and relief for those affected by war, and raised millions of pounds for charities, when the men came home the ladies got the boot in every way; they were told to leave their jobs, which most of them had come to enjoy, and also ordered to clear the football field for the menfolk.
This did not work, so in 1921 the Football Association actually banned women from holding matches on any football league grounds, with stiff penalties for any ground who allowed them on, even to train. The Dick, Kerr Ladies team did try to keep going, and toured North America in 1922. But on their return, even they had to admit defeat.
This series followed on from “The Great War Series”, which was also a set of a hundred cards. Both appear, one after the other, in our original Gallaher reference book, RB.4, published in 1944. As I have not used the first series yet I will insert both here and then remove the first when I do. They are recorded as :
1915.THE GREAT WAR SERIES (titled series). Size 2 1/2" x 1 1/2". Numbered 1-100. Fronts, lithographed in full colour, black marginal lines, white margins, subjects titled. Backs, printed in grey, with descriptions and "Issued by Gallaher Ltd., Belfast & London".
1916. THE GREAT WAR SERIES (titled series). Inscribed "Second Series". Different subjects to the above, and numbered 101-200. Fronts, lithographed in full colour, black marginal lines, white margins, subjects titled. Backs, printed in grey, with descriptions and "Issued by Gallaher Ltd., Belfast & London".
Error card No.147. This shows the rifle on the wrong shoulder. A corrected card was issued.
The error card, No. 147, is entitled : “Dress worn by Troops at Tsing-Tau”. The error card is not that rare, and it should be quite possible to find one without too much trouble.
Now by the time our World Tobacco Issues Index was issued the description was much shorter, only :
THE GREAT WAR SERIES. Sm. Nd. (100) ... G12-19
1. Nos. 1/100 (100)
2, "Second Series ", Nd. 101/200 (100)
This text is identical in our updated version, save the code, and also the fact that both series have been squeezed on to the same line.