Postcard, J. Masopust, Czechoslovakia, Greetings from the Canary Islands – autographs

Product detailed description

Condition: found, solid

Provenance: from the family of Josef Masopust

Size: 15 cm x 10.5 cm

The Czechoslovakia national team’s winter camp under the palms! A multi-view postcard of Gran Canaria with beaches, dunes, palms and a map of the island; the reverse bears the handwritten Czech greeting from the Canary Islands from the Czechoslovakia national team and more than ten players’ signatures. According to its description, the greeting is linked to coach Josef Masopust, 1962 Ballon d’Or winner. Spanish 2 peseta King Juan Carlos I stamp and a Maspalomas postmark dated 12 January. Publisher Brito, No. 10.695. Not addressed, postmarked.

Facts at a glance

• Item: colour multi-view postcard with handwritten signatures, postmarked, not addressed
• View: Vistas varias de Gran Canaria (Maspalomas, Puerto Rico, dunes, beaches, island map), Canary Islands, Spain
• Message (Czech): Pozdrav z kanárských ostrovů zasílá národní mužstvo ČSSR (greetings from the Canary Islands from the Czechoslovakia national team), blue ballpoint
• Signatures: more than ten Czechoslovakia national team players; per description, coach Josef Masopust
• Stamp: Spain, 2 pesetas, King Juan Carlos I
• Postmark: Maspalomas, 12 January (year illegible)
• Publisher: Brito, Manuel Brito Auyanet, No. 10.695, Printed in Spain

Expert note – FAQ

Why did the national team go to the Canary Islands in winter?
National football teams and clubs often use the winter months for training camps in warmer places such as the Canary Islands. Postcards signed by the whole squad during such a camp are a valuable record of the national team’s preparation for spring fixtures.

When did Josef Masopust coach Czechoslovakia?
Josef Masopust, the 1962 Ballon d’Or winner, coached the Czechoslovakia national football team in the second half of the 1980s. Under him played footballers such as Ivan Hašek, Luboš Kubík and Tomáš Skuhravý, who later appeared at the 1990 World Cup.

How can the signatures on a team-signed postcard be identified?
On a postcard with many signatures it is often impossible to read every name, as players sign quickly and signatures overlap. Comparing them with verified autographs and with the national team squad of the period, traceable from the postmark date, helps with identification.