A&BC Chewing Gum (English)
Footballer - Orange/Red backs

A&BC back to basics with a well-designed set of attractive cards. This set comprises 2 series: cards 1 to 109 (checklist 45), and 110 to 219 (checklist 154).

Number in set: 219
Gallery: Arsenal (9), Birmingham City (7), Chelsea (10), Coventry City (10), Crystal Palace (11), Derby County (10), Everton (10), Huddersfield Town (2), Ipswich Town (10), Leeds United (11), Leicester City (9), Liverpool (11), Manchester City (11), Manchester United (11), Newcastle United (10), Norwich City (6), Nottingham Forest (5), Sheffield United (10), Southampton (10), Stoke City (10), Tottenham Hotspur (10), West Bromwich Albion (10), West Ham United (10), Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) and Checklists (2)
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: Orange-red-back wrappers gallery
Special: A&BC Chewing Gum variants and error cards
Special: A&BC counter boxes gallery

Football card game

I have no idea what A&BC thought they were doing issuing a card game. The quality of the printing is terrible, as you can see from the scan. The images are printed in all different directions and often off the sides of the cards!

These cards were issued with Series 2 of the Orange/Red backs. The images on the cards appear identical to the images on the Footballer cards, without the backgrounds.

Number in set: 22
Gallery: Set gallery
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist

Giant Team Posters

Large posters of the top English and Scottish teams, each with 12 player portraits. The posters were collectable from packets of gum costing 4p each.

The posters have been dated to mid 1972 for production, with the likelihood that they were distributed early in 1973.

Number in set: 16
Gallery: Set gallery
Checklists sorted by card number: Set
Special: A&BC counter boxes gallery

A&BC Chewing Gum (Scottish)
Footballers - Blue and Orange backs

A strange set issued as two series, 1 to 89 and 90 to 179. There are a number of anomalies in this set. Series 1 cards have a blue back, and Series 2 an Orange back. Card 12 has both a blue (Bob Wilson) and an orange (Quinton Young) version. Card number 178 (George Connelly) is known with both a blue and an orange back. Card number 164 is not known to have been issued.

Number in set: 178
Gallery: Series 1, Series 2
Checklists: Series 1, Series 1 team, Series 2, Series 2 team
Series checklists: Series, Team

Americana
Soccer Parade

The Album, Americana Soccer Parade, states that 'Americana presents you with this really super Album in which to collect the fabulous new series of Soccer Parade Stars'. In addition to the First Division teams there is a delightfully named 'Scottisch Gallery', and a page for Clubhemden (Club Shirts?). As you can see the album represents a strange mix of German and English. The album welcome page has the name 'Americana Service', though I'm not sure what this means.

The original stickers came in a bubble-gum packet with 4 pictures for 3p. These stickers are now quite rare and keenly sought after. You could order stickers to fill in the gaps in your collection from:

Americana Picture Service
11 - 14 Kirby Street
London E.C.1.

The album was published by IBIS, S. A. - Barcelona and printed by Editorial Bruguera, S. A. - Barcelona. I'm not sure that I understand the Spanish influence here, and how it sits with the German.

Number in set: 340
Teams: Arsenal, Birmingham City, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Checklists: Set checklist or Team checklist.

Arbeshi Reproductions Limited
George Keeling caricature postcards

Technically postcards rather than football cards, but interesting nonetheless. I'm not sure how they were sold, but perhaps personally by George Keeling outside of football grounds.

These postcards are known for the eight teams listed below, plus the 'All Stars'. There are two versions of the Arsenal and Leeds United cards, the first having borders and card numbers, probably produced for the 1972 F.A. Cup Final, and then subsequently reproduced without the borders (see Alan Jenkins' blog).

The selections of Norwich City and Orient are interesting. Norwich are probably included due to their 1972/73 League Cup Final appearance, and apparently George Keeling may have been an Orient supporter, as he is known to have lived close to the Orient Football Club ground.I don't know much else about who George Keeling is, or was, and his relationship with Arbeshi Reproductions, so if you know please be in touch.

There are 12 players per team, so a total of 108 postcards to collect.

I've dated the postcards to late 1972 to early 1973, based on the players in the teams. This assumes that all of the caricatures were produced around the same time, but this may not be the case. For example, Arsenal includes George Graham who was transferred to Manchester United in December 1972. Liverpool includes Peter Cormack, transfer from Nottingham Forest in July 1972, while Norwich City includes Jim Bone, transferred to Norwich in March 1972, and away again in February 1973. Orient includes Peter Wall, transferred from Crystal Palace in December 1972.

These postcards were printed by the Malvern Press, London E8.

Number in set: 108
Galleries: Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool, Norwich City, Orient, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, All Stars
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist

Thanks to James Cotton for the Liverpool images, and to Steve Marsh (West Ham United Memorabilia Collection) for the West Ham images.

Barratt & Co.
Soccer Stars

A set of 50 cigarette style cards issued by Barratt & Co Ltd, London, England. Printed in England.This set includes seven variants where player teams changed e.g. Alan Mullery from Tottenham Hotspur to Fulham (March 1972), Chris Nicholl from Luton Town to Aston Villa (March 1972), Ian Storey-Moore from Nottingham Forest to Manchester United (March 1972), Dennis Rofe from Orient to Leicester City (August 1972), Ted MacDougall from Bournemouth to Manchester United (September 1972) and Wyn Davies from Manchester City to Manchester United (September 1972). In this set there are cards for each of the player/team variants, hence a total of 57 cards to collect. The variants date this set to the year 1972 with a first print run perhaps mid year (prior to the season opening) and another print run late in the year.

Number in set: 50
Gallery: Set gallery
Checklists: Set checklist or Team checklist

Cadbury
Soccer-star badges

In late 1972 or early 1973 Cadbury Limited began offering a set of five circular stickers if you sent away 8 wrappers from Cadbury Fudge bars. The five featured players were Martin Chivers, Allan Clarke, Kevin Keegan, Rodney Marsh and Bobby Moore.

Number in set: 5

Cleveland Petrols
Golden Goals

Cleveland produced this series of 20 sticker sheets which were obtained from petrol stations each time you bought 3 gallons or £1 worth of petrol. Some of the sticker sheets had a single image, while others had multiple. The stickers could be stuck into a hardback album which was obtainable for only 20p.

The checklist below lists the 20 sticker sheets, which include 41 different numbered stickers.

Number in set: 41 stickers on 20 sticker sheets
Gallery: N/A
Checklist: Set checklist

Daily Mirror
Goal Action Replay Flicker Books

Interesting booklets comprising black and white photograph series of goals. Each booklet contains 32 double-sided pages. By flicking the booklets the goal action replay appears. Two sets of goals per booklet (one each side).

Number in set: 6
Gallery: Set gallery
Checklist: Set checklist

FKS Publishers
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1972/73

For some reason FKS reverted to 'Apply adhesive here only' at the top of each sticker. Last year's team badges and the black and white head-shot on the rear of each sticker have disappeared, and there are no extras to buy! The set did, however, include 25 circular stickers, which were to be stuck onto a poster with the title 'Munich 74'. Copies of this poster are rare, so its quite valuable. Album: Price 15p.

Number in set: 330
Packet: 10 stamps for 3p
Gallery: Arsenal, Birmingham City, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Circular stickers.
Checklists: Set checklist (album stickers), Set checklist (circular stickers), Team checklist (circular stickers)
Special: FKS album gallery

Goal Crisps
Steve Heighway cards

The back of each card states… ‘with every packet of ‘Goal’ crisps you get a free colour action picture of Liverpool FC and Ireland soccer star, Steve Heighway. Collect all 12 great pictures in the series. PLUS! You also get one piece of a large 10” x 10.5” colour picture of your star, collect all 12 pictures and you have a terrific, autographed picture of Steve, for mounting on our exclusive wall chart’. So, there is also a wall chart to collect. Do you own one of these?

Heighway’s card states that he scored a great goal in the 70/71 Cup Final which took place May 8th 1971, so these cards perhaps date to the 1972/73 season (an insight kindly provided by Gerard).

The backs of the action cards were issued with 3 different texts, so there are 4 of each type. The 12 picture cards carry the Goal crisps back.

Number in set: 24 (12 action shots and 12 picture cards)
Gallery: N/A
Checklist: N/A

IPC / Fleetway
Shoot's Stars of the World, Badges Worn by World Stars

For 14 issues from September 9, 1972 the Shoot magazine dedicated a four-page section to publishing pictures of 7 international stars and their biographies. The idea was to collect the whole set and bind them into an album named Shoot's Stars of the World. The Shoot magazine also produced sheets of Badges Worn by World Stars. The individual badges were to be cut out and attached to the 'correct position' in the booklet.

Number in set: 111 star internationals plus 84 badges?

Letraset
Soccer Action Replay

A second English set from Letraset, similar to the first. It still gives you a scene, though this time the transfers are from a specific game e.g. 1971/72 F.A. Cup Final. Instead of providing a transfer of a top player you only get two 'Star photos' this time (boring!). Most of the scenes featured in this set are from the 1971/72 season, which I am guessing dates the set (since there is no © date on the folder).

This set is called Soccer Action Replay. It is referred to as 'A Letraset Action Transfer Product'. The transfer sheets are understood to be numbered GK 122/1 to GK 122/24.

On the back of each folder it refers to:
Letraset Consumer Products
Kingsnorth Industrial Estate
Wotton Road
Ashford, Kent

Number in set: 24
Checklists: Set checklist

Primrose Confectionery
Cup Tie Quiz

A set of flimsy cards included in sweet cigarette packets. Each card includes a question, plus the answer to another card's question. I think that these and the 1973/74 cards came in identical packets.

Number in set: 25
Gallery: N/A
Checklists: N/A

The Sun
3D Starcards, Actionpix and Moviecards

In 1972/73 the Sun went even further with 3 different types of cards in the same album. Unfortunately they couldn't decide what to call them, so they go by a number of different names... The cards were all '3D' and comprised: 3-D Gallery of Football Stars (50 to collect); Gallery of Football Action Cards (52 to collect - 50 according to the album, though 52 are known); How to play soccer (6 to collect).

The 3D Soccer (or Football) Stars were available by collecting and sending away a Sun Starcard token. You could order 1, 5 or 10 at a time. The Actionpix (also known as Gallery of Football Action) were available by collecting 10 tokens for sets of 10 at a time. The How-To-Play-Football (or Soccer) cards, also called Movie Cards, featuring Trevor Francis, were available as a set of 6 for 6 collected tokens.

The cards were to be mounted in the spaces in the 99-page Football Encyclopaedia and 3D Album (available from newsagents for 15p). If these cards were stuck into the albums they will undoubtedly have damage to their backs, so collectors are often seeking cards which never saw the insides of the album.

Number in set: 108 cards
Gallery: Football Stars - N/A
Gallery: Football Action Cards - N/A
Gallery: How to Play Football
Checklists: Football Stars - Set checklist, Team checklist
Checklists: Football Action Cards - Set checklist, Team checklist

D. C. Thomson
Super Stars of 1972

A set of 24 cards presented in two sizes. The smaller cards came with the Victor comic in a sheet of 16 issued on 26 February 1972, while the larger ones came in four pairs in issues from 4 to 25 March 1972. The Victor comic commenced on 25 February 1961 and ran until November 1992 (source www.26pigs.com). The set came with a plastic wallet for storage.

Number in set: 24
Gallery: Set gallery
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist

Tonibell Manufacturing Co. Ltd
1st Division Football League Club Badges

These attractive badges are also available with the Lord Neilson and Mr Softee company names, however the Tonibell set is a year later than these two. The Tonibell set has Birmingham City and Norwich City (promoted at the end of the 1971/72 season) in place of the relegated Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest (with thanks to Mark for this information).

Number in set: 24
Gallery: N/A
Checklist: Set checklist

Top Sellers
Football 73

A large set of cards featuring the First Division teams, plus some puzzle cards. While the player cards are still 'cards', the puzzle cards have become peel-off stickers.

6 cards per pack.

The back of these cards states 'Printed in Italy by Ediraf S.p.A.'.

Number in set: 420
Gallery: N/A
Checklists: Set checklist
Special: Puzzle cards master index

Ty-Phoo
Football Club Plaques

Plastic plaques, one for each of 35 teams. These are quite rare and have become collectable. The packet (image kindly supplied by Mark) notes that the actual size of each plaque is 4¼" x 4¾" (though I've seen others which say 4¼" x 4¼"). The plaques were obtained for 25p 'with any 2 Ty.phoo Tea or 1 Ty.phoo Tea Bag packet front for each plaque offered'. Ty.phoo noted that the plaques were 'British made'. The packets had an offer form on the packet side which could be sent to:
Ty.phoo F.C. Plaque Offer,
P.O. Box No. 94,
Leicester LE1 6TT

Interestingly these plaques were also offered from the Co-Op, also for 25p each. There were some differences between the plaques offered by Ty.phoo and the Co-op, plus there are additional plaques known to exist which were not offered through either Ty.phoo or the Co-op.

Note that the advertisement says 'Choice of 35', but I am aware of 40 possibilities (as per the checklist).

Number in set: 35
Gallery: Set gallery
Checklists: Set checklist