Detailed visual analysis of historical documents can provide a rich source of insight into cultural phenomena. With a retrospective vantage point stirred into the mix, visual cues can attain a starker complexion once they have been weathered by the brutal march of time.
The Panini football album of 1983 provides us with a rich legacy of visual images. The acquisition of a new album every season was a key rite of passage throughout middle childhood – stickers would be purchased with pocket money and swaps would be made in the playground.
In ‘Football 83′ Panini decided to display full frontal images of the players posing in their kits: the previous albums used¬†to show only head and shoulder shots. A few curiosities are apparent in the ’83 edition: for example, Alan Curtis of Swansea appears to be wearing his slippers. But perhaps the crucial finding from a visual analysis perspective involves the picture of Tottenham and England midfielder Glenn Hoddle. Every other player photographed from top flight clubs has managed to pose for a picture, but for some reason Hoddle is not shown in this format and an in game shot has been utilised instead.* The reasons for this anomaly can only be inferred but, with hindsight, Hoddle’s stand-alone status from the 308 other pictured players and managers offers some explanation for how his career developed. Hoddle was a talented playmaker who never replicated his club form at international level: perhaps this is because he was unable to have his mercurial whims satisfied when playing at international level.
Following his playing career Hoddle did progress to become England manager, taking the side to the World Cup in 1998. Controversially, Hoddle did not include England’s playmaker from that particular period, Paul Gascoigne in the squad. With confirmation of Hoddle’s aspirations to ‘lone genius’ status confirmed by Panini, it now appears that Gascoigne’s exclusion was never in doubt. Hoddle also aligned himself with some rather cranky ideas and practices which included association with a faith healer, Eileen Drury and filling the players with a range of substances from the local apothecary. Graeme Le Saux reports in his autobiography how he suspects that the use of caffeine pills led to him experiencing cramp in the second round match against Argentina.
If only the 1983 Panini album had been consulted, this could all have been avoided. Analysis shows that players such as Ipswich Town’s Kevin Steggles managed to conform to Panini’s reasonable request to pose for a snap. Maybe he could have led us to World Cup glory in 1998!
* This point is discredited somewhat by the fact that one sticker is missing from my album – Jake Findlay the Luton Town goalkeeper. If anyone with the 1983 album could complete our sample this would be greatly appreciated. A scanned image can be sent to: dr.ted@worldcupcollege.com