A&BC CHEWING GUM LTD.

A&BC Chewing Gum Ltd. formed in 1949, are one of the best remembered card producers from the last century. Their sets included amongst many other things pop stars, film stars, TV stars and cricketers. The company produced their first set of sports cards in 1954 - ‘All Sport’.  The 120 card set of sporting personalities included 36 footballers. Their first all-football card set followed in 1958 and the company would issue at least one set of football cards each year for the next 16 years before being taken over by American company Topps Chewing Gum in 1975.

 1969/70 FOOTBALLER (GREEN BACKS)

This set was issued in three series - cards 1 to 64, cards 65-117 and cards 118-170. There were two cards numbered 117 and a separate checklist card was issued for each of the three series. Each packet of cards / chewing gum cost 3d. Danny Hegan, who had in the summer of 1969 joined Albion from Ipswich Town, appears in Ipswich colours. The player would spend just one season at The Hawthorns before joining Black Country rivals Wolves.

Number of cards in set: 174
Number of Albion cards in set: 9

The card backs are enlargeable by clicking on them

1 - JOHN TALBUT			21 - BOBBY HOPE

37 - DOUG FRASER			53 - ASA HARTFORD

86 - JOHN KAYE			94 - JEFF ASTLE

113 - JOHN OSBOURNE			123 - TONY BROWN

140 - DANNY HEGAN

When the first series of cards were printed, Colin Suggett, the player featured on card number 54, was a Sunderland player. The midfielder joined Albion in July 1969 and the transfer was acknowledged by A&BC by them issuing an updated version of the card with the text 'Transferred to West Brom. Alb.' added to the front of the card. The rest of the card remained unchanged.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Ronnie Rees is pictured in his Albion kit on card number 129 despite him leaving The Hawthorns in February 1969.

54 - COLIN SUGGETT			129 - RONNIE REES

Card Dimensions: H 80mm x W 55mm