"It's A Goal!"
First Published: 1939 Anonymous
Illustrator or Designer: Not Credited
Contents: 44 Cards + Folded Rules Sheet
The pack has 44 cards, 22 with text in Red were 1st Division Teams and the 22 former 2nd Division teams have blue text. Both divisions have 13 cards denoting distance, 3 Off-Side cards, 2 Fouls, 1 Penalty and 3 Missed Penalties.
It’s A Goal First Division Clubs, Distance: Middlesborough, Stoke City, Manchester United,Huddersfield Town, Derby County, Leeds United, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers
It’s A Goal First Division Clubs, Distance: Blackpool, Preston North End, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Off-Side: Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic, Sunderland, Foul: Everton, Chelsea
It’s A Goal 1st Division Clubs: Penalty: Grimsby Town, Missed Penalty: Sheffield United, Brentford, Bolton Wanderers. Second Division Clubs, Distance: Manchester City, Swansea Town, Newcastle United, West Ham United, Bradford.
It’s A Goal Second Division Clubs, Distance: Plymouth Argyle, Chesterfield, Birmingham, Newport County, Bury, Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday, Offside: Barnsley.
It’s A Goal Second Division Clubs, Off-Side: Southampton, Coventry City, Foul: Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion, Penalty: Fulham, Missed Penalty: Milwall, Nottingham Forest, Luton Town
The clubs that featured in both Division 1 and Division 2 are accurate, just as they were in 1939. The 1939-40 Football League season kicked off on Saturday 26 August 1939. On Friday 1st of September, Germany invaded Poland. Football games went ahead on Saturday 2nd of September. On the Sunday 3rd of September Britain declared War on Germany and there would be no more Football League games played until 1946.
Had the game been published in less eventful times, 6 cards would have needed to be changed each season: two demotions from Division 1, two promotions from Division 2 and 2 demotions from Division 2. As it was, no changes would have been needed until 1947 but there never was a 2nd Edition.
It's A Goal! froze a moment in time. Anyone playing the game at any point during the war was playing a game that reflected the everyday normality of life before conflict and change.
The game was published anonymously but was registered in July 1939 to Castell Brothers (Rex Pitts, Pepys The Story of The Company and its Games 4th Ed. p 9).
The pack featured here was part of Rex Pitts' personal collection.
Game & Version Details
 | It's A Goal! - Card Back |
 | It's A Goal! - Rules Front |
 | It's A Goal! - Rules Back |
 | It's A Goal! - Box Back |
 | It's A Goal! - Box Top |
 | It's A Goal! - Box Side Left |
 | It's A Goal! - Box Base |
 | It's A Goal! - Box Side Right |
 | It's A Goal! - Box Back With Flap |