70's SWEETNESS - Candy and Gum cards

My latest additions to the collection both come from the end of the 1970's. In fact, the pair were both issued for the 1979 season and were a product of gum and candy premiums.

 

OSVALDO ARDILES was a the dynamic midfield general of Argentina's 1978 FIFA World Cup winning team. A year later he joined English club Tottenham. His career with the London club earned him a place in the Football Hall off Fame.

 

 

 

1979 Topps England - Osvaldo Ardiles

 

The other player, Kenny Dalglish, also played in the 1978 World Cup for Scotland. It was his 2nd of 3 World Cups for the Scotsman. The Scots left it too late and didn't get past the group stages. He would go on to play a record 102 times for his country and a record 30 international goals.

1979 Barratt Footballers - Kenny Dalglish

 

Dalglish made his mark on English football after a leaving Scottish football with over 100 goals. He added over 200 with Liverpool and a showcase full of trophies. Kenny Dalglish is also a member of the Football Hall of Fame.

 

Both of these are great additions to my soccer PC and a super way to start 2014.

 

 

FOOTBALL LEAGUE 100 : Ossie Ardiles # 90

For two countries that were once at war over an island, there is the commonality of football that unite both Argentina and England. With current Argentine stars like Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez (both Manchester City) making their living in the English Premier League, it shows the power of sport over politics.

However, all of the South American imports playing in England today can be attributed to the sucess of one individual Argentine legend - OSVALDO "OSSIE" ARDILES.

1979 Topps "All-Star" Ossie Ardiles.

Ardiles concluded the 1978 FIFA World Cup with a Champion's medal as his home nation hosted that tournament. Afterwards, he went overseas to play for Tottenham Hotspur were he bacame a fan favorite.

After 10 seasons playing in London, he moved to the American club Ft. Lauderdale Strikers for their 1989 Championship season.

Osvaldo Ardiles is the first and only player from South America in the Football League top 100. Subsequently, he is the lone player with his first card appearing in a South American (and relatively rare) set.

Ardiles first appears on a rare 1977 Argentine League card with his Huracan club.

For Club and Country ... The Ultimate Sacrifice

He was not the first, he probably will not be the last - Nodar Kumaritashvili, from the Republic of Georgia, died from his injuries at the Olympics yesterday.

Making a practice run on what is being described as the fastest track in the world, Nodar lost control of his luge sled and crashed into a pillar.

In last night's Opening Ceremony, one of the four pillars to the Olympic Tourch did not rise to meet the others. Despite the malfunction, organizers carried on with the remaining three. I found this eerily symbolic.

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As we continue to honor Black history month, the heroics of one Walter Tull must be retold. Although he was not the first black player in professional soccer (football), he was the second. Having signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 1909 he was later transferred to Northampton Town F.C.,  where he played more than 100 matches.

He appears on the very scarce 1912 Lees' Cigarettes  card (above). When the First World War erupted in 1914 he joined the army and was one of the first blacks to serve.

However, what separated him from every soldier aftrwards was that he was admitted to officer training school at a time when it was specifically prohibited by law to allow persons of color as officers in the British military. He became the very first black officer reaching the commissioned rank of Second Lieutenant.

He saw combat in France and Italy and was commended for his coolness and gallantry. After almost four years of war, he was shot and killed instantly in battle so heavy that his body was never recovered.

All accounts report that he was a talented footballer who may have been purchased by Glasgow Rangers after the war. His legacy has been recounted in books and in film.

Walter Tull (1888-1918)