“The Boys’ Realm” sports comic for boys was first published by Amalgamated Press who were based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. As the name suggests the weekly publication was produced for boys with a target market for those aged between 8 to 16.

Other popular boys’ story papers around at the same period included ‘The Boys’ Friend’ and ‘The Boys’ Herald. For the girls there were similar companion titles ‘The Girl’s Realm’, Girls’ Friend and other titles including ‘The Girl’s Own Paper’ and ‘School Friend’.

The initial ‘Boys’ Realm’ publication ran to a total 721 issues between June 1902 until March 1916. Then came a three year break, presumably due to wartime paper shortage. It resumed publication after the First World War until July 1927 when it underwent a name change to ‘The Boys’ Realm of Sport and Adventure’. By 1929 the publication had reached issue number 1235 before another name change to ‘The Realm of Fun and Fiction. 

The popularity for these weekly story papers increased dramatically between the two World Wars, the publications from this period were often referred to as ‘Penny Dreadful’ or ‘Tuppenny Blood’ a term derived from the cover price (one or two old pennies) and normally printed on cheap pulp newsprint with a coloured front cover. Other ‘story papers’ to appear in Britain around the same time include Nelson Lee, The Magnet and The Gem. These magazines all featured short stories with illustrations in serial form, with little or no factual articles. Comics like the ‘Dandy’ and ‘Beano’ wouldn’t hit the newsagents shelves until 1937 and 1938 respectively.

With so many titles on the market, publishing houses were now competing with each other for your one-and-half pence, so-much-so that the inter-war year saw the introduction of the comic freebie. The Boys’ Realm jumped on this particular band-wagon when they issued four football related graphic design player sheets between September and October 1920. With titles including 'Famous Full Backs', 'Famous Half Backs' and Famous Forwards’. For their 2 October 1920 edition, West Ham United custodian Edward Hufton ‘Ted’  is featured on the one entitled 'Famous Goalkeepers. These sheets are rarely seen intact these days as they were often cut-up by card dealers and sold separately to collectors.