Corinthian saw just how popular and lucrative legends figures could be following the sucess of the Club Gold World Greats range of figures, so took the obvious decision to release a Legends series as part of the regular ProStars range, and so the ProStars Legends of the 70's & 80's was born.

 

The ProStars Legends of the 70's & 80's ran for just 2 series, with series 1 beig released in July 2003, consisting of just 12 figures, with November of that year seeing series 2 released, this time having 16 figures released.

 

All 28 figures released as part of the ProStars Legends of the 70's & 80's series were released as single blister packs with individually numbered collector cards, with Platinum blister packs also being produced.

 

Series 1 was a real mix of player from clubs all around the world. Liam Brady was released for Arsenal in this new stand up pose, which featured the figure without a football, the same pose was used for Glenn Hoddle in Tottenham Hotspur kit. The SPL giant Glasgow Rangers were represented by 2 figures in home kit, those being Terry Butcher and Graeme Souness, with bitter rivals Celtic having Charlie Nicholas released.

 

Gary Lineker was released in Barcelona home kit and proved to be a vastly popular figure. The 2 first time releases of Brazilian legends Socrates and Falcao proved an instant hit with all collectors, both sculpts are simply superbly detailed.

 

The rest of the range was made up of players from Italy's Serie A, Antonio Careca for Napoli, Dutch legend Ruud Gullit in Sampdoria home kit, Jurgen Klinsmann in Inter Milan kit and what legends series would be complete without a figure of Roberto Baggio, who was done in Fiorentina home kit.

 

Some highly collectible figures emerged from this series, especially the Platinum packs of figures like Baggio, Socrates, Falcao and Lineker, a superb series and one for the more descerning collector.

 

ProStars Legends of the 70's & 80's series 2 was released in November 2003, with a total of 16 figures included, 5 of which were from Merseyside giants Liverpool. The 5 figures released for Liverpool are all bone fide legends at the Kop, eccentric goal keeper Bruce Grobbelaar, Terry McDermott, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan, complete with trademark perm hair style! Of course all 5 figures were a smash hit with collectors in the Far East, with the Platinum packs very highly sought after.

 

Charlie Nicholas was repainted in Arsenal kit and Terry Butcher into England kit, both featured in Series 1 for Celtic and Rangers respectively. The other 9 figures were of player applying their trade in Italy's Serie A. AC Milan's deadly Dutch trio of Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten were all painted into away kit, a superb trio and a must for any AC Milan fan, Forza Milan!

 

The Blue half of Milan had just the 1 representative, that being Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Juventus had 3 figures released, Paolo Rossi and Zbigniew Boniek in home kit, with an away kit release of Michel Platini. Falcao got a repaint into the club colours of AS Roma and making up the set was Argentine legend Diego Maradona, released in Napoli home kit.

 

The Maradona sculpt is great figure and by far the most expensive and collectible from the entire ProStars Legends of the 70's & 80's series. Despite the commercial sucess of both series, it was a surprise not to see the range continued to at least another series, with the scope and potential for new figures being so vast.