Royal Mail Issues Stamps Featuring 11 U.K. Football Greats To Celebrate FA's 150th

Eleven U.K. footballers are "being celebrated on a set of stamps" to coincide with the FA's 150th anniversary, according to the London TELEGRAPH. Issued by the Royal Mail, "Football Heroes" feature players from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The players selected were chosen for their "outstanding record on the pitch" in representing their countries. All of the 11 are also in the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame. The players are illustrated by artist ANDREW KINSMAN, who took "existing photography to create the set." Royal Mail Managing Dir ANDREW HAMMOND said, "The U.K. has given the world some of the greatest sports and football is rightly celebrated as a national obsession. The stamps celebrate heroes of the beautiful game who excelled on the pitch at club and national level, and are rightly considered icons of the sport" (TELEGRAPH, 2/8). The BBC reported Welsh footballer JOHN CHARLES "has been honoured" in the stamp collection. Alongside Charles are KEVIN KEEGAN, BOBBY CHARLTON, BRYAN ROBSON, JOHN BARNES, GORDON BANKS, JIMMY GREAVES, DENIS LAW, DAVE MACKAY, BOBBY MOORE and GEORGE BEST (BBC, 2/8).

NOTABLE SNUBS: In London, Rik Sharma reported the Royal Mail has "delivered a snub to some of the game's biggest names by leaving them off the list." PETER SHILTON is not included despite playing for England on 125 occasions. Fellow keepers PAT JENNINGS (119 Northern Ireland caps) and NEVILLE SOUTHHALL (92 for Wales) "don't make the cut." KENNY DALGLISH represented Scotland 108 times and is joint top-scorer with Law on 30 goals, but it "wasn't enough to make the grade" (DAILY MAIL, 2/8).