This card gave us "Charlie" (Hurley) and it has a "Brown" border. But I am so delighted to be able to feature it just a few days before a Topps baseball card with exactly the same border design, turned up corner and all.
Here we have Charles John Hurley, otherwise known as "King". He was born in Cork, and born in October, just like the Peanuts strip, actually on the 4th of October, 1936. Before he was a year old his family moved to England and settled in Essex. He was working as a toolmaker when he was offered a contract with West Ham, but he decided to keep working and help support his family. Then, at the age of sixteen, he had another offer, from Millwall, which he accepted. It was during this time that he was also selected for the Republic of Ireland, but, due to the Second World War, he did not play for them until 1957.
We know that he was in the Army during the war, as he injured his knee playing football for them. Millwall took him back once he was released from his war service, and he stayed there until 1957, then he joined Sunderland, which is the team shown on this card. He was there until 1969, when he joined Bolton Wanderers, for three years. Then he retired. He was given the chance to become their manager, but instead he went down and managed Reading instead. And he died on the 22nd of April 2024, aged eighty-seven.
Despite the fact that I did not know of him before this, he appears on almost thirty cards - including the A. & B.C. sets issued in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963. 1964, and 1966. His "Rookie" card appears to be universally regarded as card 37 of Cadet Sweets` "Footballers", issued in 1958, but that too shows him in a Sunderland strip, so I wonder if he is on a Millwall card yet to be found ? If anyone has one, do please let us know.
As far as our set, we have a home page for the early A. & B.C. football cards, with our Card of the Day for the 19th of October, 2024. This describes all the sets from 1958-59 to 1967, and sorts them into date order, as well as showing all the various backs.
Today`s section of the set is described in our original British Trade Index part two as :
- A. & B.C.
Footballer Grouping (A). Md. or Lg. 9 back illustrated at Fig. ABF-10. Nd. ... ABF-10
3. Portrait or action figure with L/base corner "turned in", brown border, 81 x 57.
1. English players. Back in blue, style of Back 3, except Nos. 55, 105 (see below) and 110, which are team pictures with back headed "Footballer Check List". (110). Two subjects at No.105 - (1) Check List inscribed "English Series 2" (2) Dennis Viollet, as listed on back of No.110 which is inscribed "English Series 2 Revised".
2. Scottish Players. Back in green, style of back 4 except Nos. 44 and 81 which are team pictures with back headed "Footballer Check List" in horizontal format. (81). Backs of Nos. 44 and 81 are transposed - No.44 is a picture of Glasgow Celtic with list of Nos. 45.81 on back; No.81 is a picture of Dundee with list of Nos. 1/44 on back.
This is all changed in our updated British Trade Index, and the listing for our set reads :
ABF-10 Footballer Grouping ... AAB.310
- 3. Backs inscribed "Make a Photo". Issued 1963-4
1. English players, back in blue (110). Issued in two batches, 1/55, 56/100
2. Scottish players, back in green (81)