NEWCASTLE UNITED
1999-2000 SEASON TEAM PACK

Corinthian was always looking to improve their product in all areas, including product availability, the feedback from collectors was that at times it was not always possible to get the figures they wanted from their local store, due to product sell out. The reaction to this from Corinthian was to produce a range of subscription products, the name given to this range was 'Corinthian By Subscription' 

 

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Corinthian by Subscription allowed collectors to pre order the items they wanted, ensuring they would not miss out on new releases. Corinthian released 6 different 12 figure team packs, each team pack would contain 12 figures, 12 collector cards, a club specific display stand and backing card of the clubs stadium, along with a platinum pack of one of the 12 figures, with the packs being released on the 30th November 1999 and priced at £29.99

 

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The initial plan for these 12 player team packs was to have the Platinum Pack be of a player not included in the pack, this was to be offered as a bonus for placing a subscription order with Corinthian, as it transpired this idea never came to fruition and the platinum pack would end up being 1 of the 12 figures included in the pack.

 

 

The very first Corinthian ProStars Newsletter Issue 1 Spring 1999 features the article detailing the Corinthian By Subscription range of team packs, with each team having the provisional line up of 12 figures listed, along with a 13th name which was had an * next to it, denoting it was to be the Platinum Edition.

 

 

The provisional line up for the Newcastle United 1999-2000 season team pack was manager Ruud Gullit, Shay Given, Laurent Charvet, Steve Howey, Nikos Dabizas, Didier Domi, Dietmar Hamann, Gary Speed, Stephen Glass, Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson and Temuri Ketsbaia, with the platinum pack player listed as being Stuart Pearce.

 

 

The team pack saw many changes, with Gullit, Charvet, Dabizas, Hamann and Pearce all being cancelled, replaced by Nolberto Solano, Mercelino, Kieron Dyer and Robert Lee. I have never seen an image of either Charvet or Dabizas, so can only assume a sculpt was never created. This was the only team pack of the 6 to not feature a manager, due to the sacking of Ruud Gullit.

 

 

The 12 figures included in the Newcastle United 1999-2000 season team pack are Shay Given, Nolberto Solano, Didier Domi, Elano Marcelino, Steve Howey, Kieron Dyer, Stephen Glass, Gary Speed, Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson, Temuri Ketsbaia and Rob Lee.

 

 

This was the very first release of Shay Given, Didier Domi, Kieron Dyer, Nolberto Solano, Marcelino and Temuri Ketsbaia. There is a fresh sculpt of Alan Shearer, with the remaining figures all being previously released, however it was the first release in the new 1999/00 home kit.

 

 

Corinthian produced just 2,472 Newcastle United 1999-2000 Season Team Packs, which meant that only 206 of each platinum pack were made, this was the lowest number of the 1999-2000 team packs. Completing the set of 12 platinum packs is notoriously difficult, given the low production volume, with for some reason Nolberto Solano being the hardest to locate.