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Topps Chewing Gum.
Topps is a well-known U.S. producer of trading cards, confections,
sticker collections, and comic books, including Bazooka Joe Gum. The
company was founded in 1938, and began adding trading cards to their
gum packets in 1950 in an attempt to enhance sales (see www.topps.com).
The gum was removed from the packets from 1991 onwards after card
collectors complained that the gum was staining the cards! Topps took over A&BC Gum in 1975, signalling the last A&BC Gum English football cards in 1974/75 and the first Topps cards in 1975/76. The 1975/76 and 1976/77 sets were printed in the U.S., but Topps set up production in te Republic of Ireland and produced their 1977/78 and subsequent football sets from there under the name Topps Ireland Ltd. (T.I.L.). Topps produced English football cards in the period 1975/76 to 1980/81 only, including Scottish sets. I'm not sure why they stopped - do you know? In 1995 Topps acquired Merlin Publishing International, another well-known card maker. |
| 1975/76 | ||
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Footballer (Red/grey backs).
A set comprising individual footballers from the First and Second
Divisions. One section of cards includes a Great Britain Select Eleven.
The cards have 'Topps Bazooka Limited' printed on the back.
Set size: 220 |
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| 1976/77 | ||
| Footballer (Blue/grey backs).
A set comprising individual footballers from the First and Second
Divisions. One section of cards (Nos. 125 to 140) includes Shoot! Goal
All Stars. The cards have 'Topps Chewing Gum Inc.' printed on the back. An image gallery (still under development) of the full set of these cards is available, grouped by the players' clubs. Additional information has been added to each page to show each players' full career transfers and transfer fees. Teams: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, Bristol City, Burnley, Coventry City, Derby County, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Q.P.R., Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Other teams, Checklists.
Set size: 330 |
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| 1977/78 | ||
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Footballer (Red backs).
A set comprising individual footballers from the First and Second
Divisions. One section of cards (Nos. 101 to 120) includes Club
Histories. The cards have '© 1977 Topps Chewing Gum Inc.' printed on the
back.
Set size: 330 |
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| 1978/79 | ||
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Footballer (Orange backs).
A set comprising individual footballers from the First and Second
Divisions. One section of cards (Nos. 135 to 149) includes Topps All
Stars. Cards 336 to 346 provide a brief history of the World Cup. The
cards have '© 1978 Topps Chewing Gum Inc.' printed on the back. The wrapper provides some additional information. It states that the product is 'Made in the Rep. of Ireland by Topps Ireland., Cork, distributed in U.K. and Ireland by Trebor Sharps Ltd., Maidstone.'
Set size: 396 |
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| 1979/80 | ||
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Footballer (Pale blue backs).
A set comprising individual footballers from the First and Second
Divisions. Cards 376 to 396 are Team Checklists. The cards have '© 1979
Topps Chewing Gum Inc.' printed on the back.
Set size: 396 |
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| 1980/81 | ||
| Footballer
81. A set of
198 cards issued in strips of three. Known as 'pink backs'. Set size: 198 |
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| 1981/82 | ||
| Footballer.
A set of 187 cards issued in strips of three. Known as 'blue backs'. I'm
aware of two wrappers from this set, one offering 12 cards per pack, and
this one offering 30. Set size: 187 |
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