Clifford Series
“Clifford Series” appeared as a producer shortly after World War II, mainly as a producer of fairly cheap playing cards. The parent company was F. Levy & Co of Finsbury Square, London, who had been making all manner of toys and games from Finsbury Square and Winchmore Hill locations since 1923. The “Clifford Series” branding appeared when the founders son, Clifford Levy decided to join the business, and market products under his name. The company later changed the branding to “Clifford Toys”. The company disappeared at some point between 1970 and the current day.
It appears that the “Footballers” were the only set of collectible cards produced by the company, and were sold in booklets at some point in the 1950’s. According to the booklet wrapper shown here, they were sold in booklets of 9, which is a slightly odd number for a set which contains 50 cards. I assume each booklet contained a random selection of cards, which would remain hidden until the booklet had been purchased, though if anyone has a complete booklet I would be interested to know more.
The booklets were stapled together on the left hand margin, which explains why the cards all have staple holes to the left hand side.
The image shown is courtesy of Alan Jenkins all encompassing site of football cards. Click here to visit the Football Cartophilic Info Exchange.
Footballers (c1950). 50 Cards
Cards are black and white to the front, and numbered to the rear (1-50).
#1. George Young (Rangers)
Born in Grangemouth in 1922, George “Corky” Young spent his entire career with Rangers, scoring 31 goals in 458 appearances. During that time he won 6 League Championships, 4 Scottish Cups, 2 Scottish League Cups and 54 International call ups.
#2. Wille Thornton (Rangers)
Born in Winchburgh in 1920, Willie Thornton spent his entire career with Rangers, scoring 238 goals in 390 games. During that time he won 4 League Championships, 3 Scottish Cups, 2 League Cups and 7 caps for his country. During WWII he served with the 80th (Scottish Horse) Regiment, seeing active service in Italy and the Mediterranean, winning The Military Medal for bravery. Read more here.
#3. Jock Shaw (Rangers)
Born in Annathill in 1912, John “Tiger” Shaw spent the first 5 years of his career at Airdrie, before moving to Rangers in 1938, where he spent the remainder of his career, retiring finally in 1953. Playing over 600 games for Rangers, he won 3 League Championships, 3 Scottish Cups and 2 Scottish League Cups. He was also captain when the club became the first to win all 3 honours in the same season.
#4. Willie Woodburn (Rangers)
Born in Edinburgh in 1919, Wille Woodburn spent his entire career at Rangers, scoring 2 goals in 481 appearances between 1938-54. He also made 24 appearances for the national side. In 1954 he earned the dubious honour of being the last footballer in Britain to be given a life ban from the game following a headbutting incident at Ibrox against Stirling. The ban was lifted 3 years later, but by then Woodburn was 37 and his career never restarted.
#5. Willie Walsh (Manchester City)
Born in Dublin in 1921, Walsh joined Man City in 1938, though did not make his debut until after WWII, remaining on their books until 1950 and scoring a single goal in 118 appearances. He also made 294 wartime appearances for City. He later emigrated to New Zealand, playing a single game for the NZ National Team, to add to his previous international performances for England Schoolboys, plus both Ireland teams at senior level.
#6. Peter Doherty (Huddersfield)
Born in Magherafelt in 1913, Doherty started his career with Coleraine in 1930, after which he played for Glentoran, Blackpool, Man City, Derby County, Huddersfield Town and Doncaster Rovers. After retirement he managed Doncaster Rovers, Northern Ireland and Bristol Rovers, before joining Liverpool as a scout.
#7. Con Martin (Leeds Utd)
Born in Rush in 1923, Cornelius Martin played for Drumcondra, Glentoran, Leeds Utd, Aston Villa, Waterford and Dundalk in a 19 year career. During that career he played as Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder and Forward, which earned him the nickname “Mr Versatility”. He also made 36 appearances for his nation, playing for both Irish teams during that period.
#8. D. Cochrane (Leeds Utd)
Born in Portadown in 1920, Davy Cochrane spent his entire career with Leeds United, scoring 37 goals in 198 appearances. As just 5’4″ tall and 9 stone in weight, the winger was originally thought to be a jockey when he showed up at Leeds for the first time, but speed and agility led him to a successful career. Read more here.
#9. Aubrey Powell (Everton)
Born in Cwmtwrch in 1918, Powell started his career at Leeds United in 1935, before moving to Everton in 1948 and then onto Birmingham City in 1950. Another player whose career was seriously curtailed by WWII, he remained on home shores during the conflict, scoring 37 goals in 137 games for Leeds.
#10. Laurie Scott (Arsenal)
Born in Sheffield in 1917, Scott joined Bradford City in 1935, moving to Arsenal in 1937 and then on to Crystal Palace in 1951. Sadly his career was blighted by injury, which in addition to the interrupted war years, meant his appearances were not what they should have been. He did however win a First Division medal and FA Cup winners medal during his time with The Gunners. Read more here.
#11. Archie MacAuley (Arsenal)
Born in Falkirk in 1915, MacAuley started out playing for Rangers in 1933 where he won a Scottish title and Scottish Cup, before moving to West Ham in 1937. Like so many, WWII interrupted his career, with him only playing 83 games before moving to Brentford in 1946, and then on to Arsenal the following year, where he won a First Division Champions medal in his first season, before moving to Fulham in 1950.
#12. Bryn Jones (Arsenal)
Born in Penyard in 1912, Bryn Jones started his career with Wolves in 1933, going on to play 163 league games. He joined Arsenal in 1938 and stayed for 9 years, though for 5 of those he served in the Royal Artillery in WWII. His 1948 Charity Shield medal v Man Utd was his only career silverware. His four brothers, Emly, Bery, Ivor and Shoni also played professional football, as did three of his nephews.
#13. Joe Mercer (Arsenal)
Born in Ellesmere Port in 1914, Joe Mercer started his career with Everton in 1932, playing 186 games and winning a Championship Medal. After moving to Arsenal in 1946, he went on to win 2 more Championships along with an FA Cup and 2 Charity Shields. After football he led both Aston Villa and Man City, winning silverware with both, before being ousted acrimoniously from the City role. He later received an OBE for services to football.
#14. Leslie Compton (Arsenal)
Born in Woodford in 1912, Leslie Compton signed for Arsenal in 1930, and remained there for his entire career, finally retiring in 1952 having playing 273 games. During that time the Gunners won the First Division in 1947-8 and the FA Cup in 1950. He also played wicketkeeper for Middlesex from 1938-56, playing 272 First Class Games. After football he took the same route as many ex-players, running a pub, the “Prince of Wales”, in Highgate.
#15. Frank Swift (Man City)
Born in Blackpool in 1913, Frank Swift signed for Man City in 1933, playing over 300 games in nets for his one and only club. During WWII he played another 134 games for city, plus a number of guest appearances. After football, Swift became a football journalist, and sadly died aged just 44 in the Munich air disaster having covered the Man Utd v Red Star Belgrade game in Munich.
#16. Jimmy Delaney (Man Utd)
Born in Cleland in 1914, Jimmy Delaney signed for Celtic in 1933, going on to make 327 appearances in 13 years, winning 2 First Divisions and a Scottish Cup. Matt Busby signed him up for Manchester Utd in 1946, where he scored 28 goals in 184 games, winning an FA Cup in the process.
#17. Harry Cockburn (Manchester Utd)
Born in Ashton-Under-Lyme in 1921, Henry Cockburn signed for Manchester United in 1944, going on to make 275 appearances and winning an FA Cup (1948) and First Division (1952). The appearance of Duncan Edwards in 1953 signalled the end of his career at Utd, and in 1954 he transferred to Bury.
#18. Stan Pearson (Manchester Utd)
Born in Salford in 1919, Stan Pearson joined Utd in 1936, remaining with them for 18 years, 343 games and 148 goals, winning the FA Cup in 1948 and the First Division in 1952. In 1954 he moved to Bury, and then on to Chester in 1957. Famously he scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in 1946 in a game moved from Old Trafford to Maine Road due to bomb damage courtesy of the Luftwaffe.
#19. Stan Mortenson (Blackpool)
Born in South Shields in 1921, Stanley Harding Mortenson joined the RAF at the outbreak of WWII in 1939, becoming a wireless operator on Wellington bombers. He narrowly escaped death when his aircraft crashed near Lossiemouth, Scotland, during which he sustained head injuries. After recovery he joined Blackpool in 1941, staying with The Tangerines for 14 seasons. During that time, he played alongside Stanley Matthews, famously scoring a hat-trick in the 1953 FA Cup Final (known as the “Matthews Final”). Overall he scored 227 in 352 appearances for Blackpool, before moving on to Hull City in 1955.
#20. Stan Matthews (Blackpool)
Born in Hanley in 1915, Stanley Matthews signed for his hometown team Stoke City in 1932, and remained there for 15 years, playing 289 goals. He then signed for Blackpool, where he remained for another 15 years, playing 428 games. He then had a short spell back at Stoke before heading to the Canada to play for Toronto City. So much you can say about the man, but summed up perfectly by Pele who referred to Matthews as “The man who taught us the way football should be played”.
#21. Wall(e)y Barnes (Arsenal)
Born in Brecon in 1920, Walley Barnes signed for Southampton in 1941, before moving to Arsenal in 1943, where he picked up a League Winners medal in 1947-48 and an FA Cup Winners medal in 1950. Played 22 times for Wales, eventually as Captain. He also appeared as a commentator on the first ever “Match of the Day” in 1964, as well as working with Kenneth Wolstenholme on numerous high profile games, including the 1966 World Cup Final.
#22. Horatio Carter (Hull City)
Horatio Carter, born Sunderland in 1913. Carter went on to play for Sunderland, Derby County, Hull City and Cork, winning a First Division and FA Cup with Sunderland, and an FA Cup with Derby. He also played 13 times for England, and played 3 First Class matches for Derbyshire.
#23. Billy Steel (Derby County)
Born in Denny, Scotland on 1 May 1923, Billy Steel started his career with St. Mirren in 1939, though WWII meant he never played a competitive match for them, before moving to Morton in 1942, and then Derby County in 1947 where he stayed for 3 years, scoring 35 goals in 124 appearances. He moved to Dundee in 1950, before retiring in 1954.
#24. Ron Burgess (Tottenham)
Born in Cwm, Ebbw Vale in April 1917, and started life working as a miner in his local coal mine. In 1938 he signed for Tottenham Hotspur where he remained for 16 years, scoring 14 goals in 297 games, before moving to Swansea Town in 1954 where he scored 1 goal in 47 appearances. He also won 32 caps for the Wales National Team.
#25. Ted Hinton (Fulham)
Born in Drumaness, Northern Ireland in 1922, Hinton played in nets for Glentoran and then Distillery before joining Fulham in 1946 where he played 82 matches, before moving to Millwall in 1949. After leaving Millwall in 1952 he moved to Ballymena, Bangor and then back to Ballymena, where he retired in 1959. He also represented Northern Ireland 7 times.
#26. Syd Thomas (Fulham)
Born in Machynlleth in 1919, David Sidney Thomas Signed for Fulham in 1938, remaining for 12 seasons before moving to Bristol City for a single season in 1950. He also made 4 appearances for the Welsh National Team. Thomas died in his hometown of Machynlleth in 2012, aged 92.
#27. Sammy Smyth (Wolves)
#28. Ivor Powell (QPR)
#29. Willie Waddell (Rangers)
#30. Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham)
#31. Len Duquemin (Tottenham)
#32. Billy Shankly (Preston North End)
#33. John Carey (Manchester Utd)
#34. E. Shimwell (Blackpool)
#35. W. H. Lucas (Swindon Town)
#36. Ben Fenton (Charlton Athletic)
#37. J. Mapson (Sunderland)
#38. Bernard Streton (Luton)
#39. Tom Finney (Preston NE)
#40. A. McLaren (Preston NE)
#41. Tommy Lawton (Notts County)
#42. L. Vernon (West Brom)
#43. J. D. Walsh (West Brom)
#44. Billy Liddell (Liverpool)
#45. Billy Wright (Wolves)
#46. W. Frame (Leicester City)
#47. H. Ferrier (Portsmouth)
#48. Peter Harris (Portsmouth)
#49. D. Lofthouse (Bolton Wanderers)
#50. Joe Bacuzzi (Fulham)
If you have any snippets of info or images related to Clifford Series “Footballers”, or any cards/ephemera you wish to sell, please do get in touch and we will publish and credit anything of interest.
