Unusually, we are not celebrating the player on this card, but the team, Brentford, which was born in October, 1889, spurred on by the opening of a new recreation ground in the town, and helped along too by the efforts of the local rowing and cricketing clubs. But it was not until the 16th of October, at a meeting at the Oxford & Cambridge public house, that the name of Brentford Football Club was decided upon, and its club colours set - though these were actually identical to those of the rowing club (salmon, claret, and light blue). They made rapid progress though, as by 1896 they were part of the London League, and two years later part of the Southern League.
However, here we have a player to celebrate, and that is David McCullouch, who was not a local lad, being born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the 5th of October, 1912.
His first team was a junior side, Shotts United. From there he was signed for Third Lanark, in 1932. Then, a couple of years later, him and a team mate, John MacKenzie, were both picked up by Hearts of Midlothian. That is where he was playing when he appeared on his "Rookie" card, Carreras` "Popular Footballers" - which is a very unusual card as it has an addenda, in different text, saying "Since the front of this card was printed, McCullouch has been transferred to Brentford".
He moved to Brentford in 1935, for a fee of £5,000, or so it says on Godfrey Phillips` "Famous Footballers" (1936). The picture on this card is exactly the same as appears on Godfrey Phillips` "International Caps" and "Soccer Stars", though the backs are different. stayed there three years before returning in a slightly northerly direction and Derby County. After playing resumed in 1946, he was signed by Leicester City, for one year, ending his playing career in Ireland, with Waterford United, in 1951, though he did briefly manage Alloa Athletic, pretty much immediately after. He also played for his Country, Scotland, between 1934 and 1938; it appears that this would have continued for longer but was halted by the approaching of the Second World War.
However he did play quite a lot of football during that war, as a guest, a strange time during which professional footballers turned out for the nearest neighbouring club to wherever they were currently posted. This seems to suggest that Mr. McCullouch was based in the British Isles for his War Service - but I have not been able to find out which regiment he was with.
He died on the 21st of June 1979, aged just sixty-six.
This set was issued by Sherman`s Pools, which was just one of the companies trying to suggest that if you predicted the result of a certain number of football matches, you could become a millionaire. To some extent this has been replaced by the National Lottery now, but it was huge in the 1950s and 1960s.
Sherman`s issued two sets like this, "Searchlight on Famous Players" and also "Searchlight on Famous Teams". Both are extra large size and neither are numbered. And I have no idea how they were issued. Maybe someone can tell us more?
This set is described in our original British Trade Index as :
- SHERMAN`S SEARCHLIGHT ON FAMOUS PLAYERS. Ex. Lg. 140 x 101. Association Footballers. Brown gravures. Unnd. (38) ... SHZ-2
- John Arnold, Fulham
- John Barker, Derby County
- Clifford Bastin, Arsenal
- Ralph Birkett, Middlesborough
- John Bowers, Leicester City
- George Camsell, Middlesborough
- Horatio Carter, Sunderland
- Sam Crooks, Derby County
- Stanley Cullis, Wolves
- W. R. Dean, Everton
- Peter Doherty, Manchester City
- Edward Drake, Arsenal
- Willis Edwards, Leeds United
- Ernest Glover, Grimsby Town
- Leonard Goulden, West Ham
- Robert Gurney, Sunderland
- Edris A. Hapgood, Arsenal
- Harry Hibbs, Birmingham
- Harold Hobbs, Charlton Athletic
- Bryn Jones , Wolves
- David McCullouch, Brentford
- Geo. C. Male, Arsenal
- George Mills, Chelsea
- Stanley Matthews, Stoke City
- George Mills, Chelsea
- Frank O`Donnell, Preston North End
- Joseph Payne, Luton Town
- Ellis Rimmer, Sheffield Wednesday
- Herbert Roberts, Arsenal
- Arthur Rowe, Tottenham Hotspur
- Edward Sagar, Everton
- Ronald Starling, Aston Villa
- Frederick Steele, Stoke City
- Frank Swift, Manchester City
- Tommy Walker, Hearts
- Raymond Westwood, Bolton Wanderers
- Victor Woodley, Chelsea
- Alfred Young, Huddersfield Town.
In our updated British Trade Index, the list is removed to the handbook, and the description in the actual index reads :
- SHERMAN`S SEARCHLIGHT ON FAMOUS PLAYERS. 140 x 101. Footballers. Brown gravures. Unnd. (38) See HS-40 ... SHE-210