Panini Football 90 (UK)

 

Panini Football 90 is the official sticker album dedicated to British football for the 1989/1990 season, covering both the English First Division and the Scottish Premier Division. As a direct continuation of the late-1980s Panini style, the collection combines a clean and structured team presentation with a few creative inserts and a strong link to international football, particularly the upcoming 1990 FIFA World Cup.

The album opens with an introductory page featuring four award winners from 1989. These are Mark Hughes, PFA Player of the Year, Paul Merson, Young Player of the Year, Theo Snelders, Scottish Player of the Year, and Billy McKinlay, Scottish Young Player of the Year. This introduction mirrors the structure of the previous edition.

The English First Division clubs are then presented in alphabetical order. All 20 teams are included, each with 15 stickers across two pages. The layout is slightly more compact than the previous year but remains clear and effective, featuring the metallic club badge, the team photo, the manager, and a set of 12 player portrait stickers. 

At the end of the English section, the album introduces a special two-page segment dedicated to the upcoming World Cup. This section contains 17 stickers, including a metallic sticker of the FIFA World Cup Trophy and 16 action stickers celebrating legendary figures from past tournaments. Among the players featured are icons such as Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Eusébio, and Dino Zoff. This section serves both as a tribute to World Cup history and as a build-up to the tournament in Italy.

The album then resumes with the Scottish Premier Division, presenting all 10 clubs in alphabetical order. Each team follows the same structure as the English clubs, with 15 stickers diaplayed over two pages.

The final section of the album is titled “Who said that?”, a light and original feature dedicated to British football commentators. It includes 8 stickers portraying caricatures of well-known commentators, accompanied by famous quotes printed directly on the album page. 

In addition to the main album, this release also includes a separate poster titled “Europe’s Finest”, designed to be completed with 30 metallic stickers of club badges from major European teams such as Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern München. This extra feature broadens the scope of the collection beyond British football and connects it to the wider European scene.

From a sporting perspective, the 1989/90 season saw Liverpool F.C. claim their 18th league title, while Gary Lineker of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. finished as top scorer with 24 goals. In Scotland, Rangers F.C. won the championship, and John Robertson of Heart of Midlothian F.C. was the league’s top scorer with 17 goals.

Back cover of the album

The poster "Europe's Finest" with 30 metallic club badge stickers

Liverpool legend Ian Rush and Villa's star David Platt

Ian Wright (225 caps and 90 goals for Crystal Palace) moved to Arsenal in 1991; Teddy Sheringham (220 caps and 93 goals for Millwall) moved to Manchester United in 1997

The top scorer of the Scottish Premier Division John Robertson (19 goals), and Ally McCoist (14 goals)

The stickers of Pelé and Johan Cruyff from the World Cup section 

Album details

Full name: Football 90

Publisher: Panini

Leagues: 

• English First Division 
• Scottish Premier Division

Season: 1989/1990

Number of clubs and stickers per club:

• English First Division (20 clubs, 15 stickers)
• Scottish Premier Division (10 clubs, 15 stickers)

Other sections:

• Winners 1989 (4 stickers)
• The World Cup (17 stickers)
• Who said that? (8 stickers)

Extra: Poster "Europe's finest" (30 stickers)

Update: No

Checklist: click here

Total number of stickers (album): 479 + poster (30 stickers)

Panini Football 89 (UK)

 

The 1988/89 English season is remembered for one of the most dramatic title races in football history. Arsenal F.C. secured the championship ahead of Liverpool F.C., finishing level on points and goal difference but scoring more goals. The decisive moment came in the famous final match between the two sides. Arsenal’s Alan Smith finished as the league’s top scorer with 23 goals. In Scotland, Rangers F.C. won the title, while the top scorers were Mark McGhee of Celtic F.C. and Charlie Nicholas of Aberdeen F.C., both with 16 goals.

The sticker album covering both the English First Division and the Scottish Premier Divisions for the 1988/89 season is "Football 89", produced by Panini. With a total of 480 stickers, the collection offers a comprehensive and well-balanced overview of the two leagues, combining detailed squad presentations with a few distinctive thematic sections typical of late-1980s Panini releases.

The album opens with the contents page and an introductory section featuring four key figures of British football. These are John Barnes, PFA Player of the Year 1988, Paul Gascoigne, Young Player of the Year, Paul McStay, Scottish Player of the Year, and John Collins, Scottish Young Player of the Year. 

The English First Division clubs are then presented in alphabetical order. All 20 teams are included, each allocated 20 stickers across two pages. The layout is clear and consistent: a metallic club badge, the manager, the team photo, and a full set of player profile stickers. Beneath each player sticker, a short printed career description provides additional context, a feature that adds depth and educational value to the collection. 

Following the English clubs, the album includes a two-page insert titled “Action Art”. This section features 18 metallic stickers depicting stylized drawings of players in action, accompanied by printed fun facts. 

The album then continues with the Scottish Premier Division. All 10 clubs are included, with the same overall structure and sticker content as the English section. 

The final page is dedicated to “Poster Parade”, a section featuring 8 stickers of iconic posters from past editions of the FIFA World Cup. This closing segment serves as a bridge to the upcoming 1990 FIFA World Cup, building anticipation for the next major international event.

This collection does not include any update sets, cards, or additional inserts. The structure is fixed and complete, offering a straightforward collecting experience entirely contained within the base album.

Overall, Panini Football 89 stands as a highly representative album of its era: structured, informative, and focused on the essentials of club football. Its combination of detailed player profiles, metallic elements, and light creative inserts makes it both a nostalgic and historically valuable collection for football enthusiasts.

Back cover of the album

Iconic goalkeepers: David Seaman (75 caps for England) and Bruce Grobbelaar 

The talented David Platt and the top scorer of the tournament, Alan Smith

The legends Bryan Robson and Alex Ferguson

Paul Gascoigne stickers from Football 89: player profile sticker and action sticker as Young Player of the Year 1988

Album details:

Full name: Football 89

Publisher: Panini

Leagues: 

• English First Division
• Scottish Premier Division

Season: 1988/1989

Number of clubs and stickers per club:

• English First Division (20 clubs, 15 stickers)
• Scottish Premier Division (10 clubs, 15 stickers)

Other sections:

• Winners (4 stickers)
• Action Art (18 stickers)
• World Cup Posters (8 stickers)

Extra (cards, poster): No

Update: No

Checklist: click here

Total number of stickers: 480