“Vanguard Photo Gallery” (Vanguard)

Year of issue: 1923-24
Issued by: “The Vanguard” (D.C. Thomson)
Trade reference number(s): THO-725 / THO-31
Number of cards in set: 10
Size: standard (approx. 70mm x 45mm)
Approximate value (per card): Murrays £14.00; FCCM £20.00

These cards were issued as “gatefold” ones intended to be folded down the centre, creating four pages, each featuring a top player of the day. Nowadays they are more likely to be found cut down to ‘singles’, which you will find priced much cheaper than the ones given above. Cards are numbered but bear no publication details; Alan Jenkins has done the donkey work here.

1923 VANGUARD booklet 1a1923 VANGUARD booklet 1bTempest & DinsdaleCastle & TaylorTHO-725 THO-31 3THO-725 THO-31 3 inner1923 VANGUARD booklet 4a1923 VANGUARD booklet 4bRoberts & BullockMorris & McLeanMackie & BellWilson & Cooper1923 VANGUARD booklet 7a1923 VANGUARD booklet 7bBarkas & SeymourScott & WaltersGill & UrwinSmith & ShawTHO-725 THO-31 Vanguard folder 10aTHO-725 THO-31 Vanguard folder 10b

  1. J. Irvine (Everton), J. Low (Newcastle United), R.E. Yorke (Aston Villa), A. Archibald (Glasgow Rangers) – issue #9, dated 8th December, 1923
  2. W. Tempest (Stoke City), N. Dinsdale (Notts County), S.R. Castle (Chelsea), E. Taylor (Huddersfield Town) – issue #10, dated 15th December, 1923
  3. J. Carr (Middlesbrough), H. Healless (Blackburn Rovers), S. Haden (Arsenal), W. Rankin (Motherwell) – issue #11, dated 22nd December, 1923
  4. F. Morris (West Bromwich Albion), W. Jennings (Bolton Wanderers), J. Young (West Ham United), M. Forsyth (Aberdeen) – issue #12, dated 29th December, 1923
  5. T. Roberts (Preston North End), N. Bullock (Bury), H. Morris (Manchester City), A. McLean (Glasgow Celtic) – issue #13, dated 5th January, 1924
  6. J.A. Mackie (Arsenal), P. Bell (Raith Rovers), T. Wilson (Huddersfield Town), J. Cooper (Notts County) – issue #14, dated 12th January, 1924
  7. W. Cook (Sheffield United), F. McPherson (Manchester United), J. McKay (Blackburn Rovers), A.L. Kennedy (Arsenal) – issue #15, dated 19 January, 1924
  8. E. Barkas (Huddersfield Town), G.S. Seymour (Newcastle United), E. Scott (Queens Park), C. Walters (Tottenham Hotspur) – issue #16, dated 26th January, 1924
  9. J. Gill (Cardiff City), T. Urwin (Middlesbrough), W. Smith (Huddersfield Town), H. Shaw (Hibernians) – issue #17, dated 2nd February, 1924
  10. W. Brown (Everton), A. Wood (Clapton Orient), W. Morgan (Burnley), C. Pringle (Manchester City) – issue no. 18, dated 9th February, 1924

Some of these are pretty crappy – can YOU provide sharper images, please?