BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 20: GUNNER

I LOVE OLD CARDS FROM THE 70S AND I LIKE ENGLISH FOOTBALL SO IT'S A NO BRAINER TO SNAG AN ENGLISH FOOTBALL CARD FROM THE 70S WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE

1971 A&BC GEORGE GRAHAM

I AM A DUMB AMERICAN WHO JUMPED ON THE FOOTBALL WAGON A DECADE AGO AND KNOWS ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL HISTORY. BUT THE CLUB I GLOMMED ONTO WAS ARSENAL AND EVEN A DUMBASS NEOPHYTE LIKE ME HAS HEARD ABOUT GEORGE GRAHAM. GEORGE WAS BOTH A PLAYER AND MANAGER FOR ARSENAL AND WON A LOT OF CUPS FOR THE CLUB. THE YEAR THIS CARD CAME OUT, ARSENAL WON THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP AND FA CUP DOUBLE. HE ALSO LED THE TEAM TO THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1989 AND 1991 AS ARSENAL'S MANAGER. THE 1989 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON IS A KEY MOMENT IN NICK HORNSBY'S BOOK AND FILM FEVER PITCH. THE 1997 FILM WITH COLIN FIRTH, NOT THAT OTHER ONE. GEORGE IS RIGHTLY CONCIDERED AN ARSENAL LEGEND, ALTHOUGH HE ULTIMATELY GOT FIRED FROM THE TEAM FOR TAKING KICKBACKS FROM PLAYER TRANSFERS. AND THAT IS THE SUM OF MY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GEORGE GRAHAM. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL INSIDE LEFT MEANS

SO WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS CARD THO. A&BC WAS AN ENGLISH BUBBLE GUM COMPANY THAT PRODUCED TRADING CARDS FOR THE BRITISH MARKET FROM 1953 TO 1974. THEY STARTED OFF WITH A FEW SERIES OF FILM AND TV STARS ALONG WITH A 1954 SET OF 'ALL SPORT' CARDS FEATURING PLAYERS FROM FOOTBALL, CRICKET, BOXING AND MANY OTHER SPORTS. THEN IN 1959 THEY SIGNED A LICENSING DEAL WITH TOPPS THAT ALLOWED THEM TO PRODUCE SOME TOPPS PRODUCTS LIKE BAZOOKA GUM AND THEIR OWN VERSION OF TOPPS TRADING CARD SETS. NON-SPORT A&BC SETS INCLUDE THEIR SPIN ON ELVIS, BEATLES, BATMAN AND STAR TREK. THEIR FOOTBALL SETS RAN FROM 1958-59 TO 1974-75 AND YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF TOPPS DESIGNS AMONG THE SETS INCLUDING 1958 AND 1962 BASEBALL AND 1958, 1963 AND 1968 FOOTBALL. THERE'S ALSO SOME FAMILIAR ODDBALL SETS LIKE STAMPS, GAME CARDS AND DECKLE EDGE. THIS 1971 SERIES SEEMS TO BE A RIFF ON THE 1967 TOPPS BASEBALL DESIGN TO ME ALTHOUGH I CAN'T BE SURE IT ISN'T A KNOCKOFF OF AN EVEN MORE OBSCURE DESIGN LIKE CFA FOOTBALL OR WHA HOCKEY. IT'S A NICE CLEAN LOOKING DESIGN AND THE BACK POPS ALTHOUGH I'M TOO CHICKEN TO SCRATCH OFF THE TRIVIA ANWER. IT'S ALSO A FULL SIZED CARD WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE WITH ENGLISH RELEASES. THE CARDS ARE NOT SUPER EASY TO TRACK DOWN BUT THEY'RE REALLY NEAT AND A TYPE SET OF ARSENAL PLAYERS IS A LONG TERM PROJECT FOR ME