Big Match was a monthly football magazine published from perhaps late 1974 to early 1977. It may have originally begun life as a poster-style publication, before reverting to a colour magazine format. Based on the fact that the 24th edition was dated December 1976, and that editions for August are not known, the magazine may have started in November 1974.
The numbering series of Big Match changed over time. While I have not seen early editions it seems likely that in the first season (1974/75) they were called Volume 1, and in 1975/1976 Volume 2, though the edition numbers didn’t revert between volumes, so the 20th edition in July 1976 was Volume 2, number 20. Soon after this the volume number was dropped and only the edition number retained plus the month and year. In 1977 it appears that the edition number was dropped altogether. I suspect that Big Match was not produced between seasons – for example, I’m aware of Volume 2 number 20, July and then No. 21, September 1976 – but I’m not entirely confident of this suggestion.
I’m very grateful to Gerard for supplying images of the magazine and the Superstar Stickpix.
1976/77
Superstar Stickpix
The Big Match began issuing 32 stickpix in their monthly magazine in September 1976, and promised to issue more with each monthly issue for the whole season. The July 1976 magazine (edition 20) says “The first BIG NEWS of the 1976-77 season is good news. It’s an exciting free gift for all Big Match readers in the new season. Starting with the next Big Match (on sale August 27) you can deal yourself in on the fantastic Big Match Soccer Super Album”. Edition 21, September 1976, advertises on the front cover “FREE! 32 Superstar Stikpix inside! Start collecting for your free Soccer Superalbum! There’s a free voucher with this issue!”
The album promised ‘special souvernir pictures off (sic) all the players in the English First Division and the Scottish Premier League’. The magazine promises that “By the end of the season you’ll have a complete record of every club in the First Division and the Premier League – PLUS every team’s stars in colour”.
The fate of the Superstar Stickpix is not known. They issued 32 pictures each month, but by the February 1977 edition appear to have cut back to only 20. There are therefore, currently, 180 Stickpix known. We do not even know exactly when the Big Match stopped production, and therefore whether the Stickpix series was ever completed. If you know more, please be in touch.