Australia Post celebrates football in Australia
With only one month to go until Australia’s hugely anticipated appearance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, Australia Post is releasing a series of stamps that will celebrate the sport in this country and showcase its distinctive style.
This is the first time that the ‘round ball code- has been the subject of its own Australia Post stamp issue and to commemorate this, Australia Post has broken new ground by releasing the stamps on a circular miniature sheet in the shape of a soccer ball.
“To celebrate football in Australia in a unique way, we have produced what we hope is a memorable circular miniature sheet in the shape of a soccer ball,” said Mr Noel Leahy, Group Manager Philatelic, Australia Post. “We hope that the growing legion of football fans will grab these stamps and mail them to their friends in Australia and around the world, reminding them that Australia is coming to Germany!”
There are four stamps in the series, each one depicting different action shots. In acknowledgement of football-s status as the second most popular participation sport for children in this country, one of the 50 cent stamps features a young boy heading the ball. A female player is the star of $1.85 international stamp reflecting the increasing number of women who are playing the sport.
Two more stamps depict stunning action images that would be very familiar to football fans - one of a goal keeper stretching for a save ($1.25 international stamp), and the other a perfectly executed diving scissor kick (50 cent domestic stamp). Each stamp is green and gold and features the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ logo. A map of Australia can be found on the soccer ball featured in each stamp.
The range of available products includes the circular miniature sheet ($4.10), set of First Day Covers ($8.80) and a set of Maxi Cards ($7.10). For those people who are keen to commemorate Australia-s qualifier against Uruguay at Telstra Stadium on 16 November 2005, Australia Post has also issued a commemorative Souvenir Stamp Sheet ($15.95) featuring images from that night.