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.
Tom Browne, “A Full Back,” c. 1903
Tom Browne, “Head Work,” c. 1903
Tom Browne, “Poor Referee!,” c. 1903
Tom Browne, “Fisting Out the Ball,” c. 1903
Tom Browne, “I’ve Swallowed It,” c. 1903
Tom Browne, “D-D-Don’t Know,” c. 1903
Tom Browne, “After the Ball,” Christmas 1903
Handmade French postcard from 1903
“Half Time,” 1905
“The Hope of His Side,” 1907
“Well Saved!,” 1908
“On the Ball,” early 20th century
“A Good Save,” early 20th century
“A Good Header,” early 20th century
The crowd at Exeter-Bristol City, 1917
Dutch football, 1918. The giant mustachioed man in the center appears not to notice the smaller man fouling him.
Brighton & Hove Albion, commemorative FA Cup lineup card, 1922
The Wasps, Swindon, 1923
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.”
Read More: Postcards
by Brian Phillips · October 26, 2010
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This can be the first of a series, if you guys like it. I have a lot more of these images.
I love it.
These are really cool.
More please.
The Wasps team photo – with the dog. Too perfect. Even the pup is posing “fake tough.”
These are stunning. I would love to see more!
This is phenomenal. This time period was my focus when I was an undergrad. There are no words to explain how happy they made me. Weird what simple hundred year-old picture can do to you.
i love these. keep em coming!
yes, more please.
Superb old images. More of the same please.
The postcard showing the BHA team was the first ever fixture between Albion and the Blades & their 1-0 win was something of an upset . BHA at the time were on their way to a fourth from bottom finish in division 3 (S) whilst Utd finished mid-table in the (old) 1st division.
Lovely! More please! 🙂
Did only one of the cards have a message on the reverse? If any of the other postcards have messages, it would be great to see both sides published on your blog.
Super cool. More please.
Please Sir, may we ‘ave some more?
‘The Hope of His Side’ and, ‘well saved’ brought back some amusingly, embarrassing childhood memories of cub scout football, when kids thought being a defender simply meant you were a striker who had a little further to run to the opposition goal…
Loved the pics probably all the more for it.
please.
@Brian Phillips Brian, these are great. Do you have any info on the crowd at the 1917 Exeter-Bristol City Match? All veterans back from France already?
@Jon No idea, unfortunately, although I’d love to know more. I’m especially curious about the three women I can find in the crowd.
omg omg i loooooooove them – gimme more gimme more
“D-D-Don’t Know” is dated 1903, or 63 years ahead of its time:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47806000/jpg/_47806331_hurst.jpg
The broad shouldered players, the effeminate ref, the violence, the ball being in the air or headed or punched (but nowhere near feet), what a great time to be alive!
Awesome! I definitely want to see more of those.
I love postcards, so football postcards are even more fabulous, and your taste in images require more heaping praise, etc please share more!
Ah. We appear to have been rumbled.
awesome.
Give ‘im beans!
The last photo… this is Harry Rednapp??
Superb stuff – more please
I like that I dont have to read anything
Love it…
Good stuff. Odd how some cards depict a side with shin guards but no socks but the other side wears socks. Was that the football version of a “shirts & skins” game or artistic license?
Great – keep them coming! Tom Browne is a marvellous cartoonist.