Thomas Ogden established a tobacconist shop in Liverpool in 1860. By the time of his death in 1890, the company was operating from six different factories and warehouses and had become one of the largest tobacco companies in Great Britain. In 1894, Ogden’s supplied free photographic cards with its Guinea Gold brand. Apparently they issued their first set of football cards in 1906. These depicted the various star players of Everton, Aston Villa, Wolves, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Tottenham Hotspur.
That said, this plain-backed card pre-dates them as Hugh McQueen’s Rangers career only spanned from 1901 until 1902. As far as my collection goes, this is the second oldest QPR card that I am aware of and further to my article on the John Baines card, Martin Botwright informed me that there is a second one in existence.
Hugh McQueen was born in the North Lanarkshire village of Harthill on 1st October 1867. His father was a pit manager and had nine other sons. He was signed from Derby County and made his debut for the R’s against Watford on the 7th September 1901 and went on to make 29 appearances, scoring 9 goals. He was transferred to Gainsborough Trinity in 1902 and later played for Fulham, Hibernian, Kilmarnock and Norwich City. He took over a Newsagent’s in Norwich on his retirement which he kept until his death in 1944.
Steve Russell
(My sources of reference include John Marks’s, ‘Heroes In Hoops’ and Gordon Macey of course)
Great stuff Steve.
I also came from a mining community in South Yorkshire so if his family was very much involved in the local mine he did well to drag himself out of the inevitable “send him down the mine” when he was of a young age.
Getting very much involved in collecting cards of this time and it is fascinating to know the history of the card itself just as much as the subject.
How they have survived is a miracle!
(How long did we play in stripes before I think the green and white hoops?)
These type of cards are fascinating. I have just recently spent ages browsing through my Dads 1920’s and 1930’s collection.
No QPR Players…but a couple of Chelsea Keepers though. Shame. lol