Panini are probably one of the greatest modern football card producer. 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.
‘Football 78’ was the first ever Panini-production 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.
The cards were approximately 65mm x 48mm. The front has the players photograph, name & team and the reverse has the player/team/badge number & advertisement.
Further such productions came in the 1980’s before the company was sold. The collection also revisited the players in their older years to review them at that stage.
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