LoAFRS 12 – Matthews, Drake, and Doherty

Legends of Association Football Rookie series 12 – Stanley Matthews, Ted Drake and Peter Doherty

31. Stanley Matthews – Football League Career 1931–1966

A generational talent, Stanley Matthews is the only player to ever be knighted while still playing. Yes, imagine how it must have been for the other players to play against “Sir Stanley”

Simply the best player of the 1940s, Matthews got his start at Stoke City playing from 1931 – 1947 before moving to Blackpool in 1947 for largely the remainder of his exceptionally long career.

Matthews was a superb dribbler and dazzling play-maker, earning the nickname “the Magician” from those who watched him. Matthews was capped an incredible 54 times and played for England an additional 29 international games where no cap was awarded due to the unofficial status of the games due to the Second World War.

He is both a member of the 100 Legends Football League list as well as inaugural selection for the English Football Hall of Fame and was selected Best Player of the Decade (world wide) for the 1940s by Bleacher Report

Rookie Card: Year – 1934 – Manufacturer – Ardath Tobacco – Set – Famous Footballers – Card #39

Image Source: Personal Collection

Card Notes:
Cards from the Ardath Famous Footballers can be found in a booklet issued by Ardath Tobacco State Express 333 Cigarettes.

There are also variations of the set that includes blank backs. However, Raich Carter’s card mentions his participation in an International game in May 1934 and the Matthews card mentions him playing in a trial game in March 1934. Therefore, it is very likely that the cards were issued some time prior to the 1934 /35 season but definitely after June 1934.

Rookie Card 2: Year 1934 – Manufacturer – Carreras – Set – Famous Footballers (small type) – Card #69

Card Notes:
The Carreras cigarettes issued a set of cards entitled Footballers in 1934 that came in three varieties:

1) small type on the front,

2) larger type on the front and

3) larger type on the front with blank backs.

The earliest version is the small type series. We are able to date these variations because Ormond Jones was transferred from Port Vale in May 1934 to Norwich. Ormond is depicted with small print with Port Vale and larger print with Norwich (despite appearing to resemble another player). Adjusting the print to make it more visible is also typical with later series.

As a result, it can be determined that the Carerras’ small print series predates even the Ardarth card and therefore, should likely be considered the “true rookie”.

The large text variation also has a redrawn image based up on the original painting. For comparison I have put the two versions of the Matthew’s side by side.

32. Ted Drake – Football League Career 1931–1939

Drake got his start with Southampton in 1931, but really became a prolific goal scorer for Arsenal in the 1934-35 season where he notched an impressive 42 goals. During his time with Arsenal he won two league titles and an FA Cup, and earned five caps for England.

Like his teammate Cliff Bastin, Drake’s best years were cut short due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

I have included three rookie cards that were released in 1934; however the Godfrey Phillips and Hunt for the Cup predate the Patttrieoux card as he is still with Southampton in these cards.

Rookie Card 1: Year – 1933/34 – Manufacturer – Godfrey Phillips BDV Sports Package – Set – Footballers – Card # Unnumbered

Rookie Card 2: Year – 1934 – Manufacturer -J.A. Patttrieoux – Set – Footballers In Action – Card # 12

Image Source: Personal Collection

Card Notes:
Occasionally, this Senior Service card set will be listed or described as being made by Gallaher but, in fact, it was by J.A. Pattreiouex Ltd. as it was issued in 1934 and J.A. Pattreiouex Ltd was only acquired by Gallaher in 1937.

Rookie Card 3: Year – 1934 – Manufacturer – D.C. Thomson Adventure – Set – Hunt the Cup – Card # Unnumbered

Card Notes:
This card was released in the first half of 1934 with the first cards being issued in March 1934. It is a irregular sized card that was part of a game that consisted of 4 teams, penalty cards and trophy cards . Consequently, the back side of the Drake card shows hypothetical team he is on in the game called “the City”.

33. Peter Doherty – Football League Career 1933–1954

Peter Doherty, who started his top-tier career at Blackpool at only 19 years old, is one of the best players ever to come out of Northern Ireland. He was known for his graceful handling the ball that led admirers to coin the phrase ‘the beautiful game’ after being inspired by Doherty’s play.

After transfer to Man City for a club record fee, he established himself as a City legend by leading them to the League title in 1937.  

His magnificent career was interrupted by the Second World War, but he managed to regained his form with Derby County in 1946.

Although he only had 15 appearances at Derby County, he must have left an impression because he even features in the classic Derby song Steve Bloomer’s Watching “… Raich Carter, Peter Doherty, Oh you should have seen them fly”. Doherty was part of the Derby squad that won the FA Cup in 1946.

Doherty also found success late in career first at Huddersfield Town and then for the Doncaster Rovers. He finished with 198 League goals which is a remarkable number considering his prime years were cut during the War period. Doherty also won 16 caps for Northern Ireland, before becoming manager of the national team, guiding them to World Cup quarter final in 1958.

Those who watched him lauded his play with the highest regard. Len Shackleton, the Sunderland Legend, stated: “Peter Doherty was surely the genius among geniuses“. Harry Gregg who was teammates of both George Best and Peter Doherty claimed that Doherty that “Doherty was better than George Best“.

Doherty was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Rookie Card: Year – 1935 – Manufacturer – J.A. Patttrieoux Senior Service – Set – Sporting Events and Stars Series of 96 – Card # 81

Image Source: Personal Collection

Card Notes:
This is superb card of the young superstar ready to take on the world. The card’s from this multi-sport set are slightly larger than the Footballers in Action set released the year before. Of the athletes included in this 96 card set, 24 were footballers.