1969/70
Mexico 1970
For the Mexico 70 collection Panini issued two different sets of cards and stickers. In Italy they produced green back and red/blue cards, and for the rest of the world (international market) they produced red/black cards.
The international cards were printed by Edizioni Panini, Modena, Italy with English, French and German text on the backs. They were distributed in the U.K. by Thorpe and Porter (Sales) Limited, Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester. This red/black set is regarded as Panini’s first ever English set, though subsequent to this they switched to producing 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.
In Italy Panini cards were sold in the 1960s and early 1970s in packets containing four cards each at the cost of 10 lire. In each packet one card had the word VALIDA or BISVALIDA printed on the back. The Valida cards were one-point premium cards and Bisvalida two-points (‘Bis’ in Latin meaning two). Italian boys sent to Panini all the Valida and Bisvalida cards they collected and received desirable items not always available at cheap prices in shops like leather footballs, shirts of the favourite teams (in wool!), football shoes and so on. To give you an idea, to have a leather football a boy had to collect and send to Panini 300 Valida cards or 150 Bisvalida.
I am reliably informed that for the Mexico 70 set Panini charged 20 lire per packet and only provided 3 cards, and only Bisvalida cards were included (so each pack included two green back cards and one bisvalida). Note that the Bisvalida cards were not part of the international set, and therefore not part of the UK collection. Since many Bisvalida cards were returned to Panini to redeem gifts you normally find the green back cards available today.
Two different versions of the album were printed. The international album is shown on this page. The Italian album has a yellow band down the left and an image of a player doing an overhead kick in front of the Earth. The Italian album had an order form insert which included 4 red/blue cards or an unopened packet. You had to cut these cards with scissors from the form, and separate the four cards from each other before sticking in the album. To the best of my understanding the Italian set was all green cards except for the red-blue ones that you received with the album.
This is a very high quality set of cards in an excellent album. It is very collectable, and therefore album, stickers and cards fetch high prices. 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, though you may find that the glue has not lasted the tests of time. If you collect the cards it is best to collect them in ‘never been stuck in an album’ condition.
The set comprises the following (with galleries available via each link):
Mexico 70 (5 stickers, 1 card) | World Cup history 1930 – 1966 (8 stickers, 32 cards) | ||
Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
Mexico (2 stickers, 15 cards) | Italy (2 stickers, 15 cards) | Brazil (2 stickers, 15 cards) | Bulgaria (2 stickers, 12 cards) |
Belgium (2 stickers, 12 cards) | Uruguay (2 stickers, 12 cards) | England (2 stickers, 15 cards) | Peru (2 stickers, 12 cards) |
El Salvador (2 stickers, 12 cards) | Sweden (2 stickers, 12 cards) | Czechoslovakia (2 stickers, 12 cards) | Morocco (2 stickers, 12 cards) |
C.C.C.P. / U.S.S.R. (2 stickers, 15 cards) | Israel (2 stickers, 12 cards) | Romania (2 stickers, 12 cards) | Germany (2 stickers, 15 cards) |
Number in set: 288 (42 stickers, 242 cards)
Checklists: Set checklist or Team checklist
1967/68
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1967/68
This rarest of all FKS football albums and stickers. The stickers are readily identifiable through the backs which have the player name and club, but no other printing including no number. The album has the same cover as the 1968/69 album, and many of the stickers have the same images as the 1968/69 set. The stickers do not indicate that they should only be stuck at the top, so most were stuck completely down in albums. There was no writing in the space for each sticker in the albums, so nothing much was lost except that you won’t find many of these stickers ‘ex-album’. The album, and therefore the stickers, are full of errors and omissions e.g. surnames only, misspellings etc. Click to view an article on the 1967/68 packet. Album price 3s 6d. Number in set: 330 Packet: 8 stickers for 6d Gallery: Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Coventry City, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Checklists: Set checklist Special: FKS album gallery Special: 1967/68 packets article Special: 1967/68 variants1968/69
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1968/69
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars. This first of the more commonly available FKS sets, and a great favourite. The stickers are readily identifiable through the backs which have the player name, club and biography. Album price 3s 6d.
Number in set: 330
Packet: 7 stickers for 6d
Gallery: Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Coventry City, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Queen’s Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Checklists: Set checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
1969/70
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1969/70
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars in Action. Similar to the previous year’s album, except that the player biographies are no longer printed on the backs of the cards. The now familiar phrase ‘A full biography of this player will be found in the appropriate space in the album’ first appears. Album: Price 2s 6d.
Number in set: 330
Packet: 7 stickers for 6d
Gallery: Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Checklists: Set checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
1970/71
World Cup Soccer Stars – Mexico 70
An album to coincide with the World Cup, including the 30-man England squad and 16 players from each of the other qualifying countries. The offer from FKS to help complete collections through the order form expired in December 1970. Album: Price 2s 6d.
Number in set: 272
Packet: 7 stickers for 6d
Gallery: England, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, El Salvador, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Rumania, Russia, Sweden, Uruguay, West Germany.
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars Gala Collection
A bigger 420 sticker set, including a new Second Division Star Gallery, European Cup Finalists and the Best Players of Mexico 70. The phrase at the top of each card has changed from ‘Apply adhesive here only’ to ‘Glue here only’.The album credits Jack Rollin (later well-known as editor of Rothmans Football Yearbooks) for the album design and editing. At the rear of the album was a place for you to order and stick a Second Division Team Sheet, comprising photos of 15 players on a single, large sheet. The Sheets were 2/- (10p) each, plus 1s 6d postage and handling. Hardly any of these team sheets have survived. Album: Price 2s 6d or 12½p.
The image gallery for each team (below) includes full player career details.
Number in set: 420
Packet: 7 stickers for 6d or 2½p
Gallery: Arsenal, Blackpool, Burnley, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Everton, Huddersfield Town, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Second Division Star Gallery, Celtic, Feijenoord
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
2nd Division Team Sheets: Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Bristol City, Cardiff City, Carlisle United, Charlton Athletic, Hull City, Leicester City, Luton Town, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Norwich City, Orient, Oxford United, Portsmouth, QPR, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, Swindon Town, Watford
1971/72
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1971/72
First Division. The one-off trial with a small black-and-white head shot on the back of the sticker. Jack Rollin continued as album editor, while the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) approved the collection. A club badge sticker was available for each team, and a place for each in the album. Each packet contained one self adhesive team badge sticker and seven player stickers. Album: Price 15p.
Number in set: 352
Packet: 7 stickers for 3p
Gallery: Arsenal, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Everton, Huddersfield Town, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
1972/73
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
1973/74
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1973/74
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1973/74 First Division and 1973 F.A. Cup Winners. A new landscape format, complete with club colours and a small, colour head shot. The centre pages of the album include fourteen stickers of Sunderland, commemorating their F.A. Cup win – these stickers are A thru N. The final pages of the album include 2 pictures each of Bobby and Jack Charlton, stickers O, P, Q and R. Album: Price 15p.
Number in set: 304
Packet: 10 stamps for 3p
Gallery: Arsenal, Birmingham City, Burnley, Chelsea, Coventry City, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Norwich City, QPR, Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, F.A. Cup Winners (Sunderland)
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
1974/75
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974
A World Cup where England didn’t make the last 16, but FKS produced an album anyway. The album contains 17 teams, since it was not certain at the time of going to press whether Spain or Yugoslavia would qualify, subject to a play-off, so both teams were included. Album: Price 15p.
Number in set: 270
Packet: 8 stamps for 3p
Gallery: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, East Germany, West Germany, Haiti, Holland, Italy, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zaire
Checklists: Set checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars 1974/75
A new smaller size for the stickers, and a new card material (which didn’t last for long). FKS continue to tinker with the size and layout. The price has gone up significantly since last year, with the previous 10 for 3p being replaced by 6 for 4p. Album: Price 20p.
Number in set: 320
Packet: 6 cards for 4p
Gallery: Arsenal, Birmingham City, Burnley, Carlisle United, Chelsea, Coventry City, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Luton Town, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Queen’s Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
1975/76
Soccer Stars ’75 ’76
English First Division, Stars of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, European Team Pictures. It’s no longer a ‘Wonderful World’, with the phrase gone from the title after 8 years, but the phrase ‘Picture Stamp Album’ is back on the front of the cover after a 3-year absence – hooray. The card experiment has been ditched in favour of the original sticker format. Album: Price 20p.
Number in set: 360
Packet: 7 stamps for 4p
Gallery: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Burnley, Coventry City, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stars of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, European Teams.
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
Euro Soccer postcards
A new concept for FKS with postcards. Only 55 in the set, with 22 being English teams. You could buy postcards directly from FKS to make up your set at a price of 4p each. The album for these postcards is similar to the traditional FKS albums, where you were expected to stick the postcards into the album at the top only. The postcards have no specific markings on them to indicate where to glue, but the album spaces have instructions to ‘Apply adhesive here only’. Album: Price 20p.
Number in set: 55
Packet: 2 postcards
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special: FKS album gallery
1976/77
Soccer Stars 1976/77
More tinkering by FKS. Back to a landscape format with two photos: head shot and action. The album also included lots of ‘special’ stickers e.g. action shots, managers and parts of large pictures of Pat Jennings and Kevin Keegan. Album: Price 20p.
Number in set: 360
Packet: 7 pictures for 4p
Checklists: Set checklist, Team checklist
Special:FKS album gallery
Euro Soccer Stars ’77
A strange set of stickers from FKS. The album notes ‘Some of the most famous players and club sides of Europe are featured in this collection of Euro-Soccer 77 which is being presented at a time when interest in the three major European competitions continues to remain high’. The order form in the album allows you to send away for stickers to complete your collection, but only until December 31, 1977. The warranty in the album notes that information in the album was accurate ‘at the time of going to press… before the start of the 1976/77 season’.
Interestingly, the album order form allows you to also order ‘New from FKS – Soccer Star Trumps’, for 75p per pack. The album features a dodgy image of a pack with Alan Ball’s name but Martin Peters’ photo and bio. Both of these players featured in the 1976/77 Trump Card Game set (see below).
Number in set: 135
Packet: 5 pictures for 3p
Special: FKS album gallery
Soccer Stars 76/77 Trump Card Game
A set of 32 cards for a game, plus a Rules card. You could order these through the Euro Soccer Star ’77 album for 75p per pack.
Number in set: 32
Gallery: Set gallery