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Panini.
Panini are probably the greatest
modern football card producer, though they only begin to feature in
the latter stages of the period covered by this website. They began in
Italy in 1961/62 producing their now-famous Calciatori collection. In
1988 the company was sold to the Maxwell Group, who didn't handle it
too well, so it returned to Italian hands in 1992 - thank goodness!
This Italian company is still going strong
today (see
www.panini.co.uk), covering many topics in addition to football.
This website only covers their cards from 1965/66 to 1979/80. I'm not
the world's greatest expert on Panini, so if you know more than I
please feel free to email me. |
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1969/70 |
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Mexico 1970. The
Mexico 1970 production marked Panini's first international edition, and
therefore their entry into the English football card market. This is a
very high quality set of cards in an excellent album. It is very
collectable, and therefore both album and cards fetch high prices.
Subsequent to this production Panini
produced cards for the U.K. market under the name 'Top Sellers', until
1977 when they returned as Panini. See the
separate Top Sellers page for
details.
The set comprises a combination of stickers
and cards. The stickers are self-adhesive, with a peel-off back. The
cards are designed to be glued into the album. If you collect the
stickers it is therefore ideal to collect them with their backing paper.
If you collect the cards it is best to collect them in 'never been stuck
in an album' condition.
The album and cards were printed in Italy by
Edizioni Panini, Modena. They were distributed in England by Thorpe and
Porter (Sales) Limited, Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester.
The set comprises the following (with
partial galleries available via each link):
Mexico 70 (6 stickers)
World Cup history 1930 - 1966 (8 stickers, 32 cards)
Group 1
Mexico (2 stickers, 15
cards)
Belgium (2 stickers,
12 cards)
El Salvador (2
stickers, 12 cards)
C.C.C.P. / U.S.S.R. (2
stickers, 15 cards)
Group 2
Italy (2 stickers, 15 cards)
Uruguay (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Sweden (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Israel (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Group 3
Brazil (2 stickers, 15 cards)
England (2 stickers, 15 cards)
Czechoslovakia (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Romania (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Group 4
Bulgaria (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Peru (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Morocco (2 stickers, 12 cards)
Germany (2 stickers, 15 cards)
Set size: 288 (42 stickers, 242 cards).
Checklists:
Set checklist or
Team checklist. |
 
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1973/74 |
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Munchen 74 World Cup.
Set size: 400 |
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1976/77 |
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Euro Football 77.
Another 'international' Panini collection which was available in the U.K.
through the distributors, Minicards Ltd. An album was available for the
stickers. Some copies of the album were distributed for free through the
Shoot/Goal magazine. The
introduction to the album states 'Hallo Friends! Let me say it feels
great to tell you that fantastic picture stickers, made by Edizioni
Panini, the largest producer in the world, which are already well-known
and enjoyed by most of the children in Europe are now available to all
British children as well'. Are all Italian sentences this long?
Countries
include: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Germany, England,
Spain, France, Greece, Switzerland, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Yugoslavia,
Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Holland, Norway, N. Ireland, Austria, Poland,
Portugal, Rumania, Scotland, USSR, Finland, Sweden, Turkey and Wales.
Set size: 288. |
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1977/78 |
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Euro Football 78.
Another 'international' collection which was available in the U.K.
Set size: 256. |
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Football 78. The
first ever Panini-production (not Top Sellers) designed solely for the
U.K. market. In an introduction to the album David Gregory, Editor of
Shoot Magazine states '...this album... ranks as the latest publication
to join the elite amongst football publications'. The album states that
information in the album was 'compiled up to date on 20 September 1977'.
The collection was actually distributed by
Minicards Ltd, of Regina House, Queen Street, London, as sole U.K. and
Eire distributors of Figurine Panini. The self-adhesive stickers came in
packets costing 5p each.
The album was printed in Italy.
Set size: 525. |
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1978/79 |
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Argentina 78.
The album cover is shown.
Set size:
400. |
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Euro Football 79. Set size:
400 |
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Football 79. The
second Panini production for the U.K. and Eire. Somehow Panini had
managed to do a deal with the Football League, and proudly announced in
the album that the collection was 'the only one to be approved by the
Football League'. The album states that information in the album was
'compiled up to date on 30 September 1978'.
The collection was again distributed by
Minicards Ltd, of Regina House, Queen Street, London, as sole U.K. and
Eire distributors of Figurine Panini. The self-adhesive stickers came in
packets costing 5p each.
The album was printed in Italy.
Set size: 594. |
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1979/80 |
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Football 80. Set size:
582. |
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No cards are for sale via this website. If you need help with your
collection please see the FAQ page. |
Nigel's Webspace - Galleries of English
Football Cards 1965/66 - 1979/80