Find Your Rugby Books Here
My Favourite
MY weekly finds for 2008
2nd June 2008 - A couple of items relating to the 1945-46 British Tour of the 2nd N. Z. E. F. Army team a few odd postcards plus some old autographs.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Programme for Gloucestershire and Somerset XV. v. New Zealand Army Touring XV. | Picture of the squad with facsimile autographs | The team details | N. Z. message to the West Details plus Maori War Chant HAKA | Picture from a local newspaper of the arrival of the team at Bristol Temple Meads |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Autographs of 9 members of the team collected by a young schoolboy | Schoolboy England v Wales 1936, how many of these teams made it into the 1st team? For sale -£15 | Small silver rugby pin date unknown but pre 1930's | French RWC 2007 postcard with 3D image | Hidden image from 2007 RWC card |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Autograph card of Kenny Logan - Scotland and Wasps | Itinerary card for 1945-46 tour | Details of matches and neatly entered results | Player details plus names of extra's | Nice card showing Northampton & county Amateur Athletic Club Rugby Football Section 1920's |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Autograph - R. C. Stevenson, Scotch International Forward 1897-9 For sale -£10 | Autograph - Thomas A. Nelson, Scotch International 3/4 1898 and Oxford Uni. 1897-8-9 For sale -£10 | Autograph - A. MacKinnon, Scotch International Forward 1898 For sale -£10 | German card dated 1899 showing general sports exhibition with rugby in the background | Details from 1899 German card |
2nd May 2008 - A few recent items relating to the "1906 Springboks" team, unfortunately not all mine but it shows that good memorabilia is still out there if you are willing to look.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| A small print from the Bystander Oct 1906 "The Springboks at Blackheath". | A signed photograph of the team | Details of the large picture | A set of autographs from the 1906 team |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| A 1906 Springboks players cap | In poor condition but a very rare item | A South African cap from 30th July 1891 Port Elizabeth | The 1st South African game against a British Team result 0 - 4 to the "Lions" |
7th April - Very few recent finds on the new memorabilia front for myself but I have had contact with a chap in America who is the Great Grandson of Fred Firth.
Fred was a prominent rugby player around 1890 to 1905, and was one of the Northern Union player who split from the Rugby Union. In my recent correspondent I have collected a small amount of information about Fred Firth that I would like to share, any further details would be gratefully appreciated.
The item below will open in a new window please close and come back to view the next item.
Fred Firth was born in Cleckheaton, Yorks in 1870 or 1871.
Played Rugby Union for Brighouse Rangers, Halifax and Yorkshire. In 1893 he was
a member of the Yorkshire side that won the County Championship and then went on
to beat the Rest of England by one try to nil at Huddersfield, Firth scoring the
only try of that match.
He was in the County Championship winning side the following year and again
played in the fixture against the Rest of England ... an old ritual in the days
when the County Championship was a very important competition.
Played for the North against the South in 1893 (at Fallowfield in Manchester)
and 1894 (at Blackheath) and three times for England on the wing in 1894 when
England adopted the four three-quarter system for the first time.
When the schism with the Northern Union took place he "went over" with his club,
Halifax going on to make more than a hundred appearances in the NU game.
Prolific try-scorer and goal kicker. Played a handful of RL games for Wakefield
Trinity and for Mannigham.
He was foreman in a machine-shop before becoming a licensee in Halifax. Thought
to have emigrated to the US (NY) in 1908. Died in Olneyville, USA, in February
1936.
A few details of Fred's major games as a county player:-
as a
Brighouse Rangers player....
1889-90 v Durham
1889-90 v Northumberland
1889-90 v Lancashire
and then as a Halifax player ...
1892-3 v Devon
1892-3 v Cheshire
1892-3 v Middlesex
1892-3 v Cumberland
1892-3 v Rest of England
1893-4 v Durham
1893-4 v Northumberland
1893-4 v Lancashire
1893-4 v Somerset
1893-4 v Glamorgan
1893-4 v Midlands
1893-4 v Rest of England
1894-5 v Durham
1894-5 v Northumberland
1894-5 v Lancashire
1894-5 v Midlands
1894-5 v Devon
Only time he was on a losing team was in the 1893-94 game against the Rest of
England, Yorkshire being virtually unbeaten in these years. Halifax were the
Yorkshire County Cup winners in 1893 and 1894, their last two seasons as a
genuine RU outfit.
(Thank-you to all of you who have provided updates and details for this article)
27th Feb 2008 - Who is this?
 |
Here is a recent
find of an unknown player on a "Carte De vista" card dated I would think
pre 1900 showing a player in his shirt and cap. Printed by Allen Nield,
105 Market Street Manchester & Queens Arcade Leeds. Date on cap looks
like 1888-89 or perhaps 1898-99. Shirt looks like Lancashire or Huddersfield N.U. Any help in finding out who this is greatly appreciated. |
22nd February 2008 - Many of you eBay browsers will recognise these cards bought from a gentleman in South Wales who is selling his collection, some nice postcards and one or two rare one's s.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Very rare card from 1905 with reference to the All Blacks tour | 1907-8 Aberaman? Cynon Stars with trophy | Clifton Rugby Club 1904-05 | Berkeley Rugby Team (Glos) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Armstrong Vickers team 1939-40 | Armstrong Vickers team 1945-46 | Armstrong Vickers team 1937-38 | No details? |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Boys College Nelson N. Z. 1929 after earthquake | Somerset Team that played against the Australians in 1908 | Gloucester team from 1902-03 with dog mascot rare card in colour - Cherry and Whites | Paignton Rugby Football Club - Chief Team 1919-20 |
29th January 2008 - Two very different items bought over the past few weeks but both from the same era. Expensive to say the least but rare as hen's teeth!
 |
 |
 |
| A rugby mug from Copeland Late Spode dated @1870-1910 | 3 different Panels | With silver rim around 6" high and 5" across |
 |
 |
 |
| The nice thing about this is that is has 3 handles and is called a "Tyg" | A rare card showing the 1893 - 94 Oxford Univ Rugby XV - printed by Hills & Saunders of Oxford - Royal Photographers | I picked this up in a local junk shop, its a Hong Kong R.F.U. blazer badge still attached needs a good dry clean size @38" hand made in Hong Kong by Shing Chong high class tailor. - for sale £25 |
15th January 2008 - Card with pictures of International player are always a pleasure to find but identifying who they are can be a long process, any help with the card below would be most welcome.
 |
A Welsh international but whom? card has no details and only a small
horseshoe logo with the letters "TIC" on the reverse. So far suggestions have been:-
Can you help? Picture of Fred Brit click to enlarge:-
Wales Team v Ireland 1912 is he in here? click to enlarge:-
|
13th January 2008 - These are the cards and other items I found at the "Stoop" postcard fair on Friday, a couple of rare items that have sparked debate among my friends.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Cover for "Au Bon Marche" French trade card - for sale - £40 | Inside pop-out showing a rugby game. | Dinner menu for Great Britain League Team in Illawarra 1954 -for sale - £50 | Old Rutlishians 1938-9 good team photo this team still play in SW London | Nice card showing the 1912-13 South African touring side. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| St. Mary's (Newport) Catholic Young Men's Society RFC 1924-5 | Christmas card @1900's with reference to "John Bull" | St John's College R.F.T. poste 1904 | Rare card showing the 1906 Springboks going onto the pitch at Exeter. Nice image funny that even players at that time always run on to the pitch with the ball and give it a good kick. | Devon V Durham at Exeter 1907 part of a series of cards. This is number 4 |
2nd January 2008 - Some new postcards and club communication cards from the early 1900's a number of these cards are for sale, email for details
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| French Promo card for Philippe Sella with autograph | Umbro card full set of 12 available £2 each or £20 for the set | Ealing Football Club - 1951 details of committee meeting. | Rugby or Football artist card signed "J.G." no other details £7.50 | Stow and district R.F.C. 1905 | Castle Cary (Rugby Union) Football club - 1907 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Gloucester Old Boys R.F.C. - 1907 move match dates. | Watsonian Rugby Football Club 1st XV 1913-14 | Old Novocastrians Rugby Football Club 1st XV 1913-14 | New Zealand Football Team 1905 - I have 2 copies of this card for sale £15 - £23 email for details | Reverse of 1905 New Zealand card with player details and fixtures. |
Click on the image for large version.....
For 2006 look here> Weekly Finds 2007
For 2006 look here> Weekly Finds 2006
For 2005 look here> Weekly Finds 2005
For 2004 look here> Weekly Finds 2004