Six Vintage Football Favourites from the CardHawk Grading Vault

Front and back of 1936 Scerri’s Dixie Dean real-photo card, PSA 5; balanced borders, deep image density, honest EX edge wear, sepia-toned reverse.

Six Favourites from the Vault: Vintage Football Cards I’ve Graded (and Why the Grades Make Sense)

I’ve submitted a lot of cardboard to PSA, but a handful of slabs always end up on my desk when I’m in a show-and-tell mood. These aren’t just big names; they’re examples where the technical grade and the in-hand appeal line up beautifully. Images will be added on-site — here are the stories and my card-specific grade notes.

1902 W.D. & H.O. Wills “Football Series” — Steve Bloomer (PSA 8, cert 101229721)

Why it’s a favourite: an era-defining goal machine on one of the earliest mainstream football issues. When a Wills looks this balanced, it sings.

Grade thoughts (this card)

  • Centring: ~55/45 L–R and ~55/45 T–B; square, no tilt.
  • Registration/print: halftone and tiny type are crisp; no ghosting.
  • Corners/edges: outstanding for 1902 — pin-prick touches only; minimal natural roughness, no chipping.
  • Surface: smooth gloss; no wrinkles/lines.
  • Reverse: deep blue advert, clean stock, no foxing or album lift.

Verdict: textbook NM-MT with high eye appeal.

Front and back of 1902 Steve Bloomer W.D. & H.O. Wills Football Series card, PSA 8; sharp centring, crisp halftone, Wild Woodbine advert reverse, clean stock.

1902 W.D. & H.O. Wills “Football Series” — Billy Meredith (PSA 8, cert 101229749)

Why it’s a favourite: pairing Meredith with Bloomer in the same grade is a collector’s dopamine hit — two pre-war icons, both in top condition for the issue.

Grade thoughts (this card)

  • Centring: ~55/45 L–R, ~60/40 T–B; nicely square.
  • Registration/print: sharp portrait and header; even inking.
  • Corners/edges: very sharp tips; faint factory rough-cut rather than wear.
  • Surface: clean front; on the reverse a very light top ripple in the paper (no break) — well within PSA 8.
  • Back: desirable “CINDERELLA” advert.

Verdict: strong, confident PSA 8.

Front and back of 1902 Billy Meredith W.D. & H.O. Wills Football Series card, PSA 8; square centring, factory rough-cut edges, “CINDERELLA” advert back.

1954 Liam Devlin “Famous Footballers” (Series A2 #39 — Wide Format) — Duncan Edwards (PSA 5, cert 84034013)

Why it’s a favourite: historically massive. A straight, honest example that presents better than the number.

Grade thoughts (this card)

  • Centring: ~55/45 both ways; square.
  • Registration/print: crisp portrait; clean signature panel.
  • Corners/edges: light, even tip wear; a couple of tiny edge ticks.
  • Surface: reads clean, but a subtle vertical surface ripple/press line caps the grade.
  • Reverse: strong print; mild edge tone, no paper loss.

Verdict: a very presentable EX that looks great in the hand.

Front and back of 1954 Liam Devlin Famous Footballers Duncan Edwards wide-format card, PSA 5; even centring, light tip wear, subtle vertical surface ripple.

1964 Barratt “Famous Footballers” Series A.12 #29 — George Best (PSA 8, cert 84035648)

Why it’s a favourite: mid-60s Barratts are notorious for rough-cuts and off-centre images. This one nails the fundamentals.

Grade thoughts (this card)

  • Centring: ~55/45 L–R, ~60/40 T–B; square.
  • Registration/print: pin-sharp dot pattern; facsimile signature is dense with no spread.
  • Corners/edges: very sharp; the faint rough-cut is factory, not wear.
  • Surface: rich colour; a tiny speck in the top border only.
  • Reverse: clean cream stock, bold type, no lift.

Verdict: a classic, high-end PSA 8 Barratt.

Front and back of 1964 Barratt George Best card, PSA 8; vivid colour, pin-sharp print, faint factory rough-cut, clean cream stock on reverse.

1936 Scerri’s “International Footballers” — Hughie Gallacher (PSA 6, cert 84004700)

Why it’s a favourite: superb real-photo contrast and a balanced look — about as handsome as Scerri’s gets in EX-MT.

Grade thoughts (this card)

  • Centring: ~55/45 both ways; square.
  • Photo/print: strong tonal range; caption “H. GALLACHER” is crisp.
  • Corners/edges: light, even tip wear; a couple of minute edge ticks.
  • Surface: clean front with the faintest handling speck — no creases.
  • Reverse: typical set toning with a few tiny foxing spots; no album lift.

Verdict: a crisp, balanced PSA 6 that displays like high-end EX.

Front and back of 1936 Scerri’s Hughie Gallacher real-photo card, PSA 6; strong tonal contrast, light tip wear, toned reverse with tiny foxing spots.

1936 Scerri’s “International Footballers” — Dixie Dean (PSA 5, cert 84004699)

Why it’s a favourite: the photo density is excellent — these often wash out. Border balance carries the eye.

Grade thoughts (this card)

  • Centring: ~55/45 L–R, ~60/40 T–B.
  • Registration/print: deep, even image; “W DEAN” type is clean.
  • Corners/edges: honest EX wear; small edge nicks under magnification.
  • Surface: tidy front with trivial handling specks.
  • Reverse: uniform sepia tone; bold print; no paper loss.

Verdict: a strong-looking PSA 5 with standout contrast.

Front and back of 1936 Scerri’s Dixie Dean real-photo card, PSA 5; balanced borders, deep image density, honest EX edge wear, sepia-toned reverse.

What These Slabs Keep Teaching Me

  • Centring + registration do the heavy lifting on eye appeal.
  • Surface quirks (micro ripples, gloss breaks) set the ceiling — spot them under raking light before you sub.
  • In early issues, a clean 5–8 often out-charms a higher-number modern card — history per square inch matters.

Thinking of grading your own vintage cards? Learn more about our UK PSA submission service here: PSA Grading. When you’re ready to begin, head to Start Submission.

Written by CardHawk Grading — UK-based card grading submission specialist helping collectors securely grade through PSA. Trusted expertise, insured logistics, and a passion for preserving sporting history.