Handbooks a neglected area of collecting

[foxes1]

As someone who gave up collecting progs a few years ago except for special ones. I branched out into LCFC handbooks. So following on from a thread of a few months ago where people posted 'menus' thought it may be a good idea of a handbooks thread along the same lines and they don't have to be old any age will do. Here's my contribution.

[derby1884]

As far as I'm aware, there was nothing official issued by Derby before 1948.
Here's their first:


_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derby1884/sets/

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

I don't know when Palace started, but this is my oldest, 1947-8. Plus a very bland one from the 60's.

[dvsgooner]

I love collecting handbooks. Here are mine, missing only 1914/15 and 1921/22, with this seasons also on its way:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielskaardal/albums/72157650580771341
_________________
My collection: https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielskaardal

[blueshearer]

Here's Blackburn Rovers one from 1933-34


https://goo.gl/3FccMy

[manchesterunitedman1]

Manchester United as a club produced from 1959 and not before.
However, the supporters club[official] produced this in 1933 more of a way to raise funds for a skint club going no where.

https://flic.kr/p/6w4R9Y

[Dorking]

Handbooks are much better 'value' than a programme of the same age, s they are crammed with adverts, info, and articles that give a real flavour of the time.

I've got the majority of the Palace ones but I know for sure I'm missing several, particularly the oldest.

My oldest 2 Palace ones are seasons 1912/13 and 1914/15. They are very rare (as would be any programme of that age I admit)





This is one (below) I don't have but would really love to get one day

[Dorking]

Palace have never produced one of these hardback 'annuals' and they're written for kids, but I'd love them to do one!

[Five and In]

dvsgooner wrote:

I love collecting handbooks. Here are mine, missing only 1914/15 and 1921/22, with this seasons also on its way: https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielskaardal/albums/72157650580771341

Really impressive collection of Arsenal handbooks (and I'm a Spurs fan!)

[tackler7]

A few years ago after a donation of some Yorkshire rugby union handbooks I became fascinated with the amount of information contained within. I find them indispensable in my research.

But back to football I'm sure I have some Sheffield Wednesday handbooks from the sixties that I will dig out and post.

[addicks]

A collection of Charlton Athletic Handbooks can be found here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/albums/72157632957548978
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/sets/

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

Dorking wrote:

Handbooks are much better 'value' than a programme of the same age, s they are crammed with adverts, info, and articles that give a real flavour of the time. I've got the majority of the Palace ones but I know for sure I'm missing several, particularly the oldest. My oldest 2 Palace ones are seasons 1912/13 and 1914/15. They are very rare (as would be any programme of that age I admit) This is one (below) I don't have but would really love to get one day

I've never seen those before.....

[bisphamseasider]

There are various Blackpool post war handbooks produced either by the club itself or by the Supporters Club.

There is little information on pre war items but this is one I picked up a couple of years ago.

They call it a 'blotter' due to the nature of the paper used for the cover although I am glad no one did use it as such.

[bisphamseasider]

A one off publication produced by the players at the beginning of the 57/8 season.

[littlewiggy]

Newport County only ever produced three handbooks.

The first was 1920/21 and is so rare, there is only one or two known copies in existence.
One of which was sold about fifteen or twenty years ago for a cool five grand.

The second was issued in 1939 to celebrate the club's only championship winning season to date, something that made Hitler very angry indeed ...





This is also rather scarce, but much easier to obtain than its reclusive predecessor - it can be readily picked up for around £100 these days.

The third in 1956/57 is very common, they must have produced thousands of the sods - it's always on eBay and can be easily bought almost anytime for just a deep-sea-diver ...





Others that aren't 'official handbooks' but are a similar (albeit not dedicated to one season) kind of thing are such items as these ...

[PompeyPhil]

A few from my own Pompey collection....(Not worth a great deal as they were produced in large numbers)

1940's:



1950's:



1960's:



1970,s:



1980,s:



Not sure the "Year Books" count but even these didn't seem to last very long......by the time Pompey were relegated from the 1st Division (One season failures) in the late 80,s we stopped producing them.

[holtie96]

foxes1 wrote:

As someone who gave up collecting progs a few years ago except for special ones. I branched out into LCFC handbooks. So following on from a thread of a few months ago where people posted 'menus' thought it may be a good idea of a handbooks thread along the same lines and they don't have to be old any age will do. Here's my contribution.

Without wanting to trump you (but I will ) here is my offering a lovely Leicester Fosse handbook pre Leicester city days, one of my prized possessions. Unfortunately my Pre 1920s West Ham handbook went to someone who would appreciate it more some years ago.

[derby1884]

Derby issued 22 handbooks between 1948 and 1978 - why there was a gap between 1951 and 1957 may have something to do with the club's relative decline through those years, I don't know.

Anyway, they're all here should anyone wish to see them:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/derby1884/albums/72157631963190691

There were a few in the 80s and 90s but I'm not overly bothered about owning them. Maybe one day.
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derby1884/sets/

[ntw]

tackler7 wrote:

A few years ago after a donation of some Yorkshire rugby union handbooks I became fascinated with the amount of information contained within. I find them indispensable in my research. But back to football I'm sure I have some Sheffield Wednesday handbooks from the sixties that I will dig out and post.

Are you doing any specific 'research'? And are any of these pre-1895 (long shot I know!!)? Any info in them if they go back that far might be of use to my own area of research, though admittedly they are from the wrong side of the pennines

[And apologies for going O/T]

[pastpirate]

Here are all the Yearbooks Rovers have ever issued.
http://bristolroversmemorabilia.weebly.com/yearbooks-28.html
_________________
I am not gas, I am a Pirate.

www.bristolroversmemorabilia.weebly.com The definitive list of Bristol Rovers programmes