The Encylopedia of British Football

Ogden's Football Cigarette Cards

Thomas Ogden established a tobacconist shop in Park Lane, Liverpool in 1860. When Ogden died in 1890 the firm was operating from six different factories and warehouses and was one of the largest tobacco companies in Britain.

In 1894 Ogden's decided to provide free photographic cards with its new brand of Guinea Gold. In 1906 the company published its first set of football cards. Football Club Colours showed the club's star player in his full kit. This was one of the first sets of cards in full colour. The set featured Everton, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanders, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield United and Arsenal.

In 1910 Ogden's published a set of Football Club Badges. After a long absence Ogden's returned to the subject of soccer with its "Captains of Association Football Clubs and Colours" set in 1926. The series includes paintings of Donald McKinlay (Liverpool), Henry Healless (Blackburn Rovers), Charlie Parker (Sunderland), Frank Barson (Manchester United), William Caddick (Wolves), Frank Moss (Aston Villa), Fred Reed (West Bromwich Albion), Clem Stephenson (Huddersfield Town), Thomas Hamilton (Preston North End) and George Kay (West Ham United). They are currently valued at £3.00 a card and £130 a set.

Frank Moss
Frank Moss
Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Henry Healless
Henry Healless
George Kay
George Kay
Thomas Hamilton
Thomas Hamilton
Frank Barson
Frank Barson
William Caddick
William Caddick
Clem Stephenson
Clem Stephenson
Donald McKinlay
Donald McKinlay
Captains of Association Football Clubs and Colours, Ogdens (1926)

A series of caricatures by "Mac" (Douglas Machin) were published by Ogdens in 1935. A set of these cards are currently valued by the Cigarette Card Catalogue (2007) at £130. The series included Dai Richards, Alex Stevenson, Dai Richards, Charlie Phillips, David Martin, Albert Geldard, Henry Hibbs, Bob Gurney, George Male, Ray Westwood, Jackie Bray, Eric Brook, Cliff Britton, Wilf Copping, and Eddie Hapgood.

Dai Richards
Dai Richards
Alex Stevenson
Alex Stevenson
Eddie Hapgood
Eddie Hapgood
Eric Brook
Eric Brook
Henry Hibbs
Henry Hibbs
Jackie Bray
Jackie Bray
"Mac" (Douglas Machin), Ogdens (1935)

In 1935 Ogdens produced a new series of Club Captains. This included portraits of Daniel Blair, Jack Bruton, Sam Cowan, Dai Richards, Dixie Dean, Tom Cooper and William Tremelling. A set of these cards are currently valued by the Cigarette Card Catalogue (2007) at £110.

Daniel Blair
Daniel Blair
Jack Bruton
Jack Bruton
William Tremelling
William Tremelling
Sam Cowan
Sam Cowan
Tom Cooper
Tom Cooper
Dai Richards
Dai Richards
Club Captain, Ogdens (1935)

The outbreak of the Second World War caused a severe shortage of paper and tobacco companies were forced to bring an end to the production of cigarette cards. This shortage remained after the war and it was too expensive to provide free cards in packets of cigarettes. In 1962 Ogden's ceased manufacturing tobacco products.