ACTION MAN
Action Footballer Set 1968
Period: Painted Head
Dates: 1968 until c1970
Cat No: 34801
Action Man Action Footballer Contents:
Shirt
Shorts
Socks
Boots
Ball
Display Stand (painted)
Football Information leaflet
Equipment Manual
Action Footballer Description:
The Action Footballer first appears in the 1969 Equipment Manual and came complete with a painted stand, in a season in which Everton went on to win Football League Division 1, displacing Manchester City as Champions. It was available in England kits of the time: The home strip of white shirt, blue shorts and the more common red shirt, white shorts and red socks (as per England's 1966 World Cup winners' second strip).
Rather hopefully another World Cup Footballer was released just in time for the less successful England World Cup campaign of 1970 (34804) with replica World Cup and hard plastic ball made up of separate black and white panels. A new range of different kits on equipment cards was also introduced allowing you to make up your own team colours.
Also available was a dressed Action 'Sportsman' footballer figure in the England second kit (now cotton) red shirt, white shorts, red socks in its own box which ran until 1972. A zipped blue track suit was also an option (34807).
Finally a number of 1st Division replica football club strips would expand the range from 1971.
You can buy replacement shirt badges and stickers here
Notes:
The Action Man early football tops are fine ribbed 'nylon' and stretch or shrink easily in one direction along the ribbing, making for short sleeve lengths, the white colour prone to discolouring to a beige with age and lack of light. Leaving in sunlight can do much to reverse the yellowing process. The painted base is similar to the Cricketer base, however it has no crease line applied but retains the stump holes. Later issues of bases gained more realistic flock grass instead of (rumored to be lead) paint. The rather small ball (Equipment Manuals of the time indicate they haven't shrunk) has HONG KONG raised on its surface. The ball is fairly rare, as are the early nylon-shirted and sock versions. The earliest football shield badges are printed onto a plastic, and glued on with a dab of glue. This later became a self adhesive paper shield (see image below). The 50th Anniversary Action Man Footballer of 2016 has an embroidered badge.
1968 Action Man Action Footballer
Action Man Action Footballer in England 'nylon' away kit (image courtesy of Vectis Auction)
Action Man Action Footballer
Action Man Action Footballer Badge 1st issue c.1968 (left - plastic) on white nylon shirt, and later issue c. 1969 (right - paper) on cotton shirt. Buy replacement paper stickers here
Action Man Action Footballer Set
ACTION FOOTBALLER 34801
1969 Action Man Official Equipment Manual
