A pre-World War Two autograph card which includes 24 signatures from the Leeds United squad from circa 1938.
One signature of note is that of Frank Ibbotson, who spent time at Leeds and Portsmouth, and is known as Reading FC’s forgotten war hero.
A promising outside-left he joined during wartime Reading but was called up to fight before he could even join a training session, and was killed in the D-Day landings. His name is immortalised on a brick at the Madejski stadium.
My Grandmother on my father’s side was an Ibbotson, born in the same area as Frank – so I’ll have to do some digging to see if we are related!
Leeds finished 13th in the final pre-war season in the First Division.
