There's something deeply nostalgic about holding a copy of The Big Book of Football Champions from the 1960/61 season. This wasn't just another football annual—it was a vibrant chronicle of what many consider football's golden age, distinguished by its refreshingly candid approach to the beautiful game.
The annual's coverage of Tottenham Hotspur's historic Double triumph stands as its centrepiece, capturing the electricity of that remarkable season when Bill Nicholson's men dominated English football. However, what truly distinguishes this publication is its willingness to scrutinise British football, a characteristic uncommon among publications from that era.
Perhaps the most striking feature is the annual's distinctive visual presentation. The hand-tinted colour illustrations, while simple by today's standards, possess an almost artistic quality that modern publications, with their high-resolution photographs, somehow fail to match. These images, particularly the full-page colourised photos, have aged like fine wine, taking on an almost painterly quality that captures the romance of the sport.
The annual's comprehensive approach to season coverage, particularly its detailed FA Cup reporting, offers modern readers a fascinating glimpse into how football was consumed and celebrated in the early 1960s. Its down-to-earth writing style feels remarkably fresh, free from the hyperbole that often plagues contemporary football writing.
What makes this annual particularly valuable today is its role as a historical document. It doesn't just record scores and statistics—it captures the atmosphere of a pivotal time in British football, when the sport was on the cusp of modernisation but still retained much of its traditional character.
For collectors, football historians, or anyone interested in the evolution of the sport, The Big Book of Football Champions represents more than just an annual—it's a perfectly preserved slice of football culture, offering insights into how the game was played, reported, and celebrated during a transformative period in its history.
Over the years, we have sold more than 50 copies of this annual, the majority to Spurs fans. It contains over 16 historic photographs, including some full-page colour images.
This collector’s copy is in remarkably fine condition throughout. The red boards retain their original vibrant colour and remain clean, while the binding is tight and secure, with no signs of weakness or separation.
The interior is particularly impressive, with bright, clean pages and crisp photographs and illustrations that preserve the charm of the period’s distinctive hand-tinted colour work. The annual contains 110 pages, including 30 devoted to statistics, records, tables and diagrams, printed on a different paper stock from the illustrated pages. There are no marks, stains or gift inscriptions, and no signs of dog-earing or creasing.
The dust jacket is a standout feature, surviving in excellent condition for a sports annual of this vintage. Very light shelf rubbing at the top and bottom of the spine does little to detract from its appearance. The jacket has been professionally protected in an archival-grade clear sleeve to help preserve it for future collectors.
The combination of clean boards, a bright interior and a well-preserved dust jacket makes this a superior collector’s example. We would grade this copy as Very Good Plus to Near Fine—an impressive standard for a sports annual of its age.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48
Publisher: LTA Robinson Ltd, London
Published: 1960
Price: £35.00
Hardcover: 110 pages
