The footballers came in sheets, complete with their name on a separate base. The first stand-ups were issued with issues of the Victor comic in January 1965. Sheet 1 had eight players, Sheet 2 had eight players, while Sheet 3 had only four.

In October 1965 the Hotspur issued two sheets of five players each. The Victor issued two sheets of nine players each in February 1968. I assume that there were a few more issues too, though I'm not exactly sure of the details. Can you help?

A number of sizes were produced over the period, including 80, 90, 100 and 105mm tall.

The full sheets with the footballers still intact are very rare. The individual footballers are sought by collectors, preferably with their accompanying bases.

The George Eastham stand-up pictured is from the Victor comic in 1968.

The sheet displayed at right is from the Hotspur in 1970/71, and is named 'Stoppers' since it includes goalkeepers and defenders. It can be dated from John Holsgrove in Wolves colours. Holsgrove was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday in June 1971.

Starting in January 1966 the comic began the give-away of a set of cards called Top Cup Teams. The first issue included the wallet and four of the cards (Brazil, Celtic, Wales and West Ham United). Subsequent issues provided the later cards, for example, England, Real Madrid, Scotland and Manchester United were given away with issue 125.

Set size: 12 (Click here to see the set gallery, including player names).

No. 1 includes Gordon Banks, Denis Law, England's World Cup Squad, Hull City F.C., Glasgow Rangers F.C., Jim Clark (Motor Racing), Frank McLintock, West Ham's World Cup Trio, D. Temple, R.Wilson, A.Ball, Len Killeen (Rugby), Cassius Clay (Boxing), Manchester City F.C. and Southampton.

No. 2 includes Jim Baxter, Johnny Crossan, Sheffield Wednesday F.C., Celtic F.C., Everton F.C., Chelsea F.C., Leeds United F.C., J. Cruickshank, C. Shevland, D. Holt, Gary Sobers (Cricket), Walter McGowan (Boxing), George Eastham, Mike England, John Surtees (Motor Racing), George Best, Willie Henderson.

Set size: 2

The album was presented with the Hornet. The stickers inside appear to have been cut from a colour sheet.

Set size: 24 (Click here to see set gallery).

No 1 includes Emlyn Hughes, Tommy Lawrence (Liverpool), Bobby Tambling (Chelsea), Brian Kinsey (Charlton), Peter Eustace (Sheff. Wed.), Gordon Banks (Stoke), Terry Hennessey (Notts. For.), Ron Davies (Southampton), Graham Cross (Leicester City), Maurice Setters (Coventry), Francis Lee (Man. City), Len Ashurst (Sunderland), Brian Whitehouse (Orient), Peter Gelson (Brentford), George Jones (Bury), John Hughes (Celtic), Tony Waiters (Blackpool), David Shaw (Huddersfield), Pat Stanton (Hibernian), Bobby Woodruff (Crystal Palace), George Graham (Arsenal), Ken Mulhearn (Man. City), Alan Oakes (Man. City), Henning Jensen, Preben Arentoft, Børge Thorup, Per Bartram (Morton), Rodney Marsh (Q.P.R.), John Cushley (West Ham), Mick Jones (Leeds Utd.), Richard Hale (Watford), Fred Pickering (Birmingham), Dennis Gillespie (Dundee United), John Trollope (Swindon), Ken Wimshurst (Bristol City), Oliver Conmy (Peterborough), Norman Piper (Plymouth), John Toshack (Cardiff), Neil Hague (Rotherham), David Best (Oldham), Maurice Kyle (Oxford), Norbert Lawton (Brighton), Barry Lines (Northampton), James White (Bournemouth), Hugh Curran (Norwich).

No 2 includes Alex Brown (Everton), Denis Law (Man. Utd.), R Moller (Hearts), Alan Ball (Everton), Roger and Ian Morgan (Q.P.R.), Roger Hunt (Liverpool), G Stewart (Dundee), Peter Osgood (Chelsea), John O'Rourke (Ipswich), Bobby Hope (W.B.A.), Gordon Wallace (Raith Rovers), Eddie Presland (Crystal Palace), Phil Parkes (Wolves), Gerry Taylor (Wolves), Peter Rodrigues (Leicester), Lew Chatterley (Aston Villa), Jack Charlton (Leeds), Bobby Moore (West Ham), Bobby Ferguson (West Ham), Sandy Jardine (Rangers), Alan Mullery (Tottenham H.), Bill Bentley (Stoke City), Chris Cattlin (Coventry City), Tony Dunn (Man. Utd.), John Gilchrist and Keith Weller (Millwall), Bobby Gould (Arsenal), Bobby Kellard (Bristol City), Jimmy Blain (Exeter), John Hobson (Barnsley), Peter Bebbington (Barrow), Vic Gomersall (Swansea), Anthony Gregory (Shrewsbury), Ray Dean (Reading), Graham Rusling (Scunthorpe), Ken Hodgson (Colchester), Les O'Neill (Darlington), Keith Jobling (Grimsby), Brian Gibbs (Gillingham), Tom Hallet (Bradford City).

According to D.C. Thomson there was no need to wet the panels, they stick by themselves! Each week you could unstick the panels, move them and stick them down again. The panels would 'retain their stickiness no matter how often they are moved'. Where has this technology gone?

P.S. I've got one of these, but unfortunately after 30+ years they are no longer able to be unstuck and restuck - pity!

Set size: 12

Set size: 72

The banner includes: Arsenal (League Champions and F.A. Cup Winners 1970-71), Francis Lee, George Best, Steve Heighway, Billy Bremner, Ron Davies, Martin Chivers, John Jackson, Joe Corrigan, Iam McFaul, Peter Shilton, Phil Parkes, Pat Jennings, Peter Bonetti, Gary Sprake, Bob Wilson, Gordon Banks, Jeff Astle, Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey, Sandy Jardine, and Celtic (Scottish League Champions and F.A. Cup Winners 1970-71)

The Victor comic commenced on 25 February 1961 and ran until November 1992 (source www.26pigs.com).

Set size: 24

Set size: 1