Manchester United Legend Dies

Bill Foulkes, former coach of the Chicago Sting, the Tulsa Roughnecks and the San Jose Earthquakes of the NASL, died at the age of 81 on Monday.

1959 A&BC Footballers - Bill Foulkes

As a player, Foulkes was best known for his glittering career with Matt Busby’s Manchester United, where he spent 18 years, making 688 appearances in all competitions.

Foulkes, a survivor of the horrific Munich plane crash in 1958, went on to captain United, leading the club to its first-ever European Cup success in 1968.

Manchester United’s players will wear a black armband to remember him for the club’s UEFA Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.

R.I.P. Bill Foulkes.

THE KING is Still KING on Cardboard

 

Almost 40 years after he starred for the NEW YORK COSMOS, the legendary Brazilian soccer star PELE' is still commanding premium money on trading cards.

 

Having appeared a few years ago in the SPORTS KINGS series, he is now featured in several TOPPS sets. In my opinion, the most outstanding of these is the Topps Archives autograph card.

 

 

Ironically, this could have been Pele's American card debut had Topps been producing soccer cards in 1975 (assuming they would use the baseball design of the same year). Sadly, they were not.

 

I found only two sales recorded of this card:

$482.77 and an offer accepted from a $649.99 listing.

 

2013 Allen & Ginter included a hodge-podge of Pele cards in their set. A base card, a mini base card, a black border, a Bazooka back, a green back and a blank back.

 

Then there were the A&G memorabilia cards.

 

I purchased a pair of the minis for a small price compared to the specialty cards.

The purpose of the black backs ? Fuck if I know.

 

Then there are the autograph variations - blue autograph (can be found with 2 different border frames).

 

Blue ink have been recorded with $306.58, $315.08, $290, $304, $305, $292.89, $299.95, $311, $276.12, $311.01, $302.22, $318.03, $321, #338, $312.58. Its not certain if some of these were resold as they were not numbered.

 

The red ink rip cards have fared well being only #'d 1 of 10.

 

 

Red ink records were $760, $516.57, $632.57 and $476.00

 

Allen & Ginter autographed box toppers have shown around $400

 

 

 

Topps Tier One autograph cards numbered to # 50 have also sold as follows - $224.72, $274.99, $229.39, $247.50, $237.50 and $219.07

 

 

These Pele cards are part of the modern glut of variations, especially the Topps Allen & Ginter.

If I had the money that these high end cards are bringing, personally I would opt to get some of the vintage Pele cards from the 1960's. But I understand the chase of modern cards.

 

However, whichever the collector chooses, it only proves that PELE is still King ! 

SCORING IN THE FINAL: World Cup Heroes # 2

In this second installment of heroes who have scored in the World Cup Final, comes cards from the underrated German BERGMANN FUSSBALL series.

 

The heart of these early Bundesliga sets is the nucleus of German and Bayern Munich stars. The current German professional league only began in 1963. One of the first card sets was the 1965-66 Bergmann Fussball series.

 

The cards are on heavier stock and sized very close to modern standard baseball cards.

 

The making of a dynasty - the 1965 Bergmann Bayern Munich Team card.

 

The set contains mostly player portrait pictures with a few posed action shot. Also included are some excellent team photos (see above). The set marks the cardboard debut of Germany's finest generation in Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier (Bayern) and Berti Vogts (Borussia Munchengladbach).

 

Another Bayern youngster that would go on to stardom was "Der Bomber" GERD MULLER.

Gerd Muller makes his card debut in the 1965 Bergmann.

 

Muller would set the world on fire by becoming the top scorer at the Mexico 1970 World Cup - with 10 goals.

 

 

He would amass 68 goals in just 62 appearences for Germany.

 

 

He broke all records in European and club scoring with 487 tallies in 555 top division matches.

 

He scored the winning goal for Germany in the 1974 World Cup Final.

 

 

1974 World Cup Star.

 

Here are some high lights of Der Bomber - complete with "um-pah-pah" music.

 

The 1970 European Footballer of the Year held nearly every scoring record in the World Cup and European Club play until the Brazilian Ronaldo and the Argentine Lionel Messi's recent successes.

 

I was able to pick up 4 of these Bergmann cards, all featuring Bayern Munich, for a very small price.

 

Notes: Last week's entry - PELE' - and this week's candidate - GERD MULLER, both finished their careers in America. Pele with the New York Cosmos, and Muller with the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. Both clubs currently compete in the USA's 2nd professional division - North American Soccer League.

The Biggest Team in the COSMOS

From humble beginnings to the legendary team that became the biggest sporting event in New York - the New York Cosmos were part of a vision of a former British journalist, Clive Toye.

They played their first season in 1971 and were league champions by 1972. There were only 8 clubs then.

By the time they won their second championship in 1977, they played in a league of 18 teams and lined up exhibition games against the greatest clubs in the world.

1979 Diego Maradona sticker card from set produced in Argentina.

The Cosmos' Franz Beckenbauer greeted a teenage Diego Maradona (above) past legend / future legend met when the Cosmos toured South America. Before Argentine Lionel Messi, now arguably the best player on the planet, Maradona was the idol of Argentina and millions of Barcelona fans.

LELAND'S auctions recently sold some of the collection of the late Hall of Fame writer Ike Kuhns. In the early days, only a few hundred fans came out to watch the Cosmos. A few curious and a few well-knowing journalist did too. One of them was Ike.

Ike Kuhn's press pass from 1973.

All that changed after Cosmos founder Clive Toye finally signed a player he had pursued for 5 years. By 1975 the Cosmos were not PRESS, but rather MEDIA, and in the world news at every juncture.

It all came down to the signing of one Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better know as PELE'

A rare Swedish issue of Pele' for the 1970 World Cup set.

By the end of the year, the Cosmos had dropped the "New York" from their name. They toured all 5 continents and had a payroll that doubled the New York Yankees. 

COSMOS memorabilia has become exceeding collectable. So I was fortunate to acquire one of these media cards. This card, signed by two pioneer Hall of Famers - Clive Toye and Ike Kuhns, details the humble beginnings before the meteoric rise of the Cosmos.  

1975 TOPPS - MANCHESTER CITY Additions

With EURO 2012 in the elimination phase of the competition, clubs around the world are jousting for the signatures on contracts for the upcoming season. Last year's Premier League title race went down to the final week of the final match of the final minute where Manchester City nipped cross-town rivals Manchester United on goal difference for the English Premier League Trophy. 

Both Manchester teams have a multi-million dollar payrolls of superstars (many playing in this year's Euros tournament).

But over 35 years ago both clubs were stocked with some very good players as well. I've added 7 cards from the TOPPS' debut soccer set to my collection. Topps took over after they purchased the A&BC brand which were the main producers of soccer product from 1958 to 1974.

Here is my Manchester City haul:

COLIN BARRETT - went on to win the 1979 League Cup with NOTTINGHAM FOREST.

ASA HARTFORD - went on to win 50 caps for Scotland including the 1978 and 1982 World Cup, and a 1984 Championship with Ft. Lauderdale in America.

JOE ROYLE - already an Everton legend with over 100 goals, earned 6 caps for England. 

DENIS TUEART - winner of 1973 FA Cup, 1976 League Cup before winning the MVP award while scoring twice for the NEW YORK COSMOS in the 1978 Soccer Bowl. The game was played before 75,000 fans. Won 6 caps for England.

RODNEY MARSH - winner of the 1967 League Cup with Q.P.R. and infamously being dropped from England squad after only 9 caps. He came to America and became a super star with the TAMPA BAY ROWDIES. Who can forget this great MILLER LITE  ad ?

COLIN BELL - winner of 48 caps for England and a legendary City player as seen on this version of TOPPS All-Star card. Came to America for a short stint with the SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES.

Honored with numerous awards and trophies including the Hall of Fame and made MBE by the Queen.

FRANCIS LEE - surprisingly only 27 caps for England but over 200 league goals as denoted on this card. Won league title with Manchester City and Derby County as well as the Uefa Cup in 1970.

I loved this design of cards when they came out for the 1975 baseball set. They are brightly colorful and reminiscent of the 1970's. I love them even more as a soccer card set. They have been very difficult to find in excellent or better condition due to the colored edges.  

Next: 1975 Topps Manchester United.

Out of Africa ....

Anyone who follows the world's most popular sport is already aware that the next World Cup will be played in South Africa this summer. The 2010 FIFA tournament will be unique in many ways with the continent hosting it's first World Cup.

The commonality of cigarette cards from first Europe, then South America is also the progression of soccer itself. With the advent of the North American Soccer League (NASL) the U.S. added themselves to the list of countries that produce soccer cards.

But the European influence had reached Africa even before the Second World War. Proof of this comes with the 1939 African Tobacco Manufactorers Ltd. set. The series titled "The World of Sport" really does include personalities known globally for their athletic achievments.

The 100 card set includes mostly British and American athletes. However, there are Australian, German and Italians as well. The greater part of the cards feature boxing and track & field.  

What makes this group special is their rarity and the inclusion if idolized sporting icons. The most sought after card - the baseball player Babe Ruth. Two African-Americans follow closely in Joe Louis and Jesse Owens who made their mark on the world as minorities. 

One of my favorite cards is of course - William Ralph "Dixie" Dean - the great Everton F.C. and England soccer star. It is said he was given the nickname "Dixie" because his wavy hair and dark toned skin was a reminder of persons from the Southern United States.

Not to be lost in the irony, that the cards are printed in Cape Town, South Africa and written bi-lingually in English and Dutch (Boer). The colonization by Dutch and German settlers is what led to the practice of Apartied - the separation of the people by race.

A great set using modern photos of the day. Every sport collector should own at least one card from this set.