Wonderful Old Soccer Postcards

I haven’t read, or even seen, Hunter Davies’s Postcards from the Edge of Football, but I love looking at old football postcards. I like the thought that underneath all the large public channels of media and culture, the world is being crisscrossed with these incidental private images of the game, carrying greetings, questions, and experiences from one person to another.

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Tom Browne, “A Full Back,” c. 1903

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Tom Browne, “Head Work,” c. 1903

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Tom Browne, “Poor Referee!,” c. 1903

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Tom Browne, “Fisting Out the Ball,” c. 1903

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Tom Browne, “I’ve Swallowed It,” c. 1903

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Tom Browne, “D-D-Don’t Know,” c. 1903

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Tom Browne, “After the Ball,” Christmas 1903

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Handmade French postcard from 1903

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“Half Time,” 1905

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“The Hope of His Side,” 1907

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“Well Saved!,” 1908

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“On the Ball,” early 20th century

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“A Good Save,” early 20th century

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“A Good Header,” early 20th century

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The crowd at Exeter-Bristol City, 1917

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Dutch football, 1918. The giant mustachioed man in the center appears not to notice the smaller man fouling him.

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Brighton & Hove Albion, commemorative FA Cup lineup card, 1922

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The Wasps, Swindon, 1923

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The reverse side reads: “D. Jimmy – I’m sure this is you, because of the striped breeches. What ever have you been doing? Have you still a lot of work to do? Ask Alice to put some patches on your jersey before I come and see you again. Cecil.”

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