Churchman's Association Footballers, 1938, Set of 50 Cigarette Cards

W.A. & A.C. Churchman was founded in Ipswich in 1790 and joined Imperial Tobacco in 1902. It issued football cards in 1909, 1914, 1938 and 1939. This is the 1938 ‘Association Footballers’ series of 50, which dropped the colour portraits of earlier sets for black and white action photographs.

The players include Stanley Matthews and Frank Soo of Stoke City, Ted Drake and Eddie Hapgood of Arsenal, Stan Cullis of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Peter Doherty of Manchester City and Vic Woodley of Chelsea. Each card back carries a short biography. George Mutch's card records his winning goal for Preston North End in the last minute of extra time in the 1938 Cup Final.

Fifty cards in ten rows of five, set in a double-sided glazed frame so the printed backs can be read from behind. The backs read ‘Association Footballers, A Series of 50’ and ‘W.A. & A.C. Churchman, Branch of the Imperial Tobacco Co. (of Great Britain & Ireland) Ltd.’ Clear tape holds some card corners, visible from the back.