The Encylopedia of British Football

Churchman Football Cigarette Cards

Churchman began producing cigarettes in the 18th century. Based in Ipswich the company had a large factory in Portman Road. In 1898 the company launched two new brands, Top Score and Tenner, with cigarette cards.

In 1909 Churchman published its first set of football cards, Football Club Colours.The following year saw the publication of "Footballers Portraits". In 1914 it published a series that was very different from what had previously appeared. These were coloured action pictures with individual portraits as insets.

Churchman ignored the subject of football until 1938. It went against the trend of colour portraits by producing a set of action shots in black and white. The first series featured Frank O'Donnell, George Roughton, Bob Iverson, Len Goulden and John Morton.

Churchman produced a second series in 1939. This series included Stan Foxall, Bob Pryde, Beaumont Asquith and Raich Carter. The first series can be obtained for only £35. However, the second series was not produced in such large numbers and you will probably have to pay twice as much for that set.