W.D. & H.O. Wills - Football Series (05) - S. Raybould, Liverpool

1902

Football Series

W.D. & H.O. Wills

66 (41 footballers, 25 rugby players)

The illustration used for the S. Raybould card is the same as the illustration used for the William Clarke & Son card, though the shirt in that image is much darker, more in fitting with the red jersey of Liverpool. The W.D. & H.O. Wills cards were printed in two versions, grey and violet, but the S. Raybould card can be found with two different versions of the grey type - I am not sure if there are also two variations of the violet version.

The first card shows the jersey as much lighter than the Clarke version. The second one shows the illustration has been amended to add stripes.

The collection is dated to 1902, during his career Raybould player for New Brighton Tower (1899–1900), Liverpool (1900–1907), Sunderland (1907–1908) and Woolwich Arsenal (1908–1909). New Brighton Tower played in salmon pink shirts with black trimmings during the 1899-1900 season; Liverpool, as we all know, played then as they do now, in red shirts. So why the stripes? Just speculation, were the Wills cards issued later than 1902 and perhaps had a lifespan the overlapped with Raybould's move to Sunderland? I know that's unlikely but those stripes are a real mystery.