Football memorabilia moved into new, exciting and rather bizarre places in the nineties – few more bizarre and eyecatching than Corinthian figurines.
They were far from the first football figures on the market – lead figurines were created in the early twentieth century, and plastic Kenner figurines were popular in the eighties, though not particularly detailed.
With the new Premier League proving increasingly popular and Euro 96 on the horizon, Corinthian looked to capitalise with a range of caricature-style figures, featuring footballers with small bodies and oversized heads.
The England squad was launched first and select big clubs soon after, and proved to be an overwhelming success, appealing to young fans and more mature collectors alike. Further teams and players were added over the months and years, until Corinthian closed its doors in 2011.
Though other companies have sought to fill the void, there remains a huge cult following around the OG small-bodied, big-headed figurines.
