did you enjoy Subbuteo?

[Never to the dark side]

item on BBC points west before 18:55pm on tuesday

[weepywall]

I enjoyed Subbuteo, used to play against my brother and regularly beat him, unfortunately he was bit of a hooligan and used to throw the stands and floodlights about and break the players heads off.

[Daniro]

Yes.   

I preferred it when I played both sides, always City v Rovers, and City always won comfortably.

[Lanterne Rouge]

5 minutes ago, weepywall said:

I enjoyed Subbuteo, used to play against my brother and regularly beat him, unfortunately he was bit of a hooligan and used to throw the stands and floodlights about and break the players heads off.

His travelling army of synthetic supporters?

[Silvio Dante]

12 minutes ago, weepywall said:

I enjoyed Subbuteo, used to play against my brother and regularly beat him, unfortunately he was bit of a hooligan and used to throw the stands and floodlights about and break the players heads off.

I used to play against my cousin, he always beat me because he flicked to kick, and I didn’t know.

[Silvio Dante]

More seriously @spudskiis your man here.

[Lanterne Rouge]

7 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

I used to play against my cousin, he always beat me because he flicked to kick, and I didn’t know.

What was his name?

[Silvio Dante]

6 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

What was his name?

Not saying.

All I’ll reveal is that he became spectacularly good at the synthesiser his mother bought him after Phil Oakey gave him some sound pointers.

[Lanterne Rouge]

5 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Not saying.

All I’ll reveal is that he became spectacularly good at the synthesiser his mother bought him after Phil Oakey gave him some sound pointers.

Ah. I remember him now, had a fur-lined sheepskin jacket didn`t he?

[Shelton’s Love Gravy]

I enjoyed Subbuteo. However my index finger occasionally flew off when I flicked the little men

[Silvio Dante]

10 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

Ah. I remember him now, had a fur-lined sheepskin jacket didn`t he?

He did. Cost him a packet according to my mum.

[slartibartfast]

1 hour ago, Silvio Dante said:

I used to play against my cousin, he always beat me because he flicked to kick, and I didn’t know.

Sounds like My Perfect Cousin !

Was his name Kevin, by any chance ?

[Curr Avon]

44 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

He did. Cost him a packet according to my mum.

Didn't he have a degree in economics, maths, physics and bionics?

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Silvio Dante said:

I used to play against my cousin, he always beat me because he flicked to kick, and I didn’t know.

What a ******* brilliant tune that is, with superb lyrics, as well.

They genuinely don’t write songs like that these days.

[1960maaan]

3 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

What a ******* brilliant tune that is, with superb lyrics, as well.

They genuinely don’t write songs like that these days.

Only tells a part of the story, where as Half Man Half Biscuit goes into detail, just to add to @Lanterne Rouge 's post .

 

 

There was one in the gang
who had scalectrix
and because of that
he thought he was better than you
every day after school
youd go around there to play him
hoping to compete for some kind championship
And it always took about 15 billion hours to set the track up
And even when you did, the thing never seemed to work

It was a dodgy transformer, again and again.
It was a dodgy transformer, again and again.
It was a dodgy transformer, again and again.
It was a dodgy transformer, that cost 3 pound 10.

So he sent his doting mother
up the stairs with the stepladder
to get the Subbuteo
out of the loft
it had all the accessories
required for that big-match atmosphere
the crowd and the dugout
the floodlights too
and you'd always get palmed off
with a headless center-forward
and a goal-keeper with no arms
and a face like his

and he'd managed to get hold of
a Dukla-Prague Away Kit
'cause his uncle owned a sport shop
and he'd kept it to one side
and after only five minutes
you'd be down to ten men
as hed sent off your right back
for taking the base from under his left-winger
come to half-time, you were losing, four-nil
each and every goal, a hotly disputed penalty
so you smash up the floodlights
and the match was abandoned
and the dog would bark
and you'd be banned from his house
and your travelling army
of synthetic supporters
would be taken away from you
and thrown in the bin.

and now he's working
in a job with a future
he hands me my Giro
every two weeks.
and me, I'm on the lookout
for a proper transformer

[GreedyHarry]

Great game. We set up a league at our school and played on lunchtimes. I remember having a Manchester City team (they were on offer and this was the late eighties so no glory hunting).

Also in the later packs the polystyrene packaging could be dissolved with Tipp-Ex thinners - very satisfying.

[The Saturday Boy]

I remember my dad watching me play against a mate. Dad asked "which team is City?". My reply - "we haven't decided yet - we'll decide at the final whistle"!

[sglosbcfc]

Hanham High School Subbuteo World Cup 1990 was legendary. Understandably homework was out the window as we all focused on winning the Jules Rimet. Between us lots of the countries were represented. I brought in Jackie Charlton's Republic of Ireland team, resplendent with numbers on the back. It was Brazil who really caught the eye though in their famous yellow shirts and bright white socks. I have a feeling it was West Germany who lifted the trophy...probably won on penalties 

[Offside]

2 hours ago, Daniro said:

Yes.   

I preferred it when I played both sides, always City v Rovers, and City always won comfortably.

I used to do that too!

I loved Subbuteo, it was a fantastic game. 

[cidered abroad]

I ran a league in Filton with about a dozen of us plus a couple of lads also from Patchway and Horfield from 1958 for two or three years. We had an initial draw for City and Rovers. I didn't win City, so played as Sheffield United as I'd been given a complimentary ticket when I went there in August '58 by their keeper who was England goalie at the time.

We played home and away on Sunday evening throughout the winter. Great fun and very competitive. Didn't like losing on the real pitch and the subbuteo table!

Edited September 20, 2022 by cidered abroad

[Maltshoveller]

19 minutes ago, Offside said:

I used to do that too!

I loved Subbuteo, it was a fantastic game. 

Subbuteo is not a game its a HOBBY

Hence the name 

 

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

Never understood it if I'm honest. 

[The Constant Rabbit]

Genuine question.

Don't remember ever playing but like to do something with grandkids.

 

What would I need to get started?

Seems to be lots  of games on ebay Australia - but all incomplete.

I'd need the game plus...?

Can people post accessories that they used?

I've seen a scoreboard and a TV tower so far plus heaps of different teams.

Anything else?

 

If anyone has a complete game and extras - looking to  buy I guess. Shipping to Australia (which I will pay obviously) - been thinking of stuff to do with the little 'uns.

This could be it!

 

 

[Norn Iron]

1 hour ago, Maltshoveller said:

Subbuteo is not a game its a HOBBY

Hence the name 

 

Indeed. The bloke who invented it, iirc, wanted to call it The Hobby but when patenting/copyrighting it was told he couldn't use that name. The Latin name for Hobby (as in the bird) is .....Subbuteo. He then suggested this name and got the rights. Clever bloke!

[PHILINFRANCE]

8 minutes ago, Norn Iron said:

Indeed. The bloke who invented it, iirc, wanted to call it The Hobby but when patenting/copyrighting it was told he couldn't use that name. The Latin name for Hobby (as in the bird) is .....Subbuteo. He then suggested this name and got the rights. Clever bloke!

How very interesting - Falco Subbuteo, Eurasian Hobby, bird of prey (Thank You Google).
I studied Latin in school, and I am surprised it was never mentioned as a number of us were keen subbuteo players.

Upon reflection, this was a long time ago, so it may well have been mentioned and I have simply forgotten.

 

 

[spudski]

7 hours ago, Norn Iron said:

Indeed. The bloke who invented it, iirc, wanted to call it The Hobby but when patenting/copyrighting it was told he couldn't use that name. The Latin name for Hobby (as in the bird) is .....Subbuteo. He then suggested this name and got the rights. Clever bloke!

This is true. Peter Adolph the inventor ( stole the idea of the game from Newfooty which was around way before WW2. It's a blatant rip off. Adolph was the better businessman so Subbuteo succeeded over Newfooty.

Adolph was also an ornithologist, hence the Hobby Falcon connection. If you notice, the Subbuteo logo has a Falcons head over a football.

Pretty much all the history and what there is to collect can be found on this website. Be warned though...there are hours of rabbit holes to go down.

http://www.peter-upton.co.uk/sub1.htm

8 hours ago, The Constant Rabbit said:

Genuine question.

Don't remember ever playing but like to do something with grandkids.

 

What would I need to get started?

Seems to be lots  of games on ebay Australia - but all incomplete.

I'd need the game plus...?

Can people post accessories that they used?

I've seen a scoreboard and a TV tower so far plus heaps of different teams.

Anything else?

 

If anyone has a complete game and extras - looking to  buy I guess. Shipping to Australia (which I will pay obviously) - been thinking of stuff to do with the little 'uns.

This could be it!

 

 

Just go on eBay mate. There are thousands of items for sale. Buy a box set. Two teams, pitch, balls, goals...that's all you need to have some fun. Then if they get hooked you can add more. Tbh...the accessories are great for collecting as are the different teams, but when playing the accessories just get in the way.

 

[Oh Louie louie]

Not a wind up but the guy who ran the supporters club bar for many years his son respented England at subbuteo recall him being in the evening post weird thing was his surname was flicker 

[Never to the dark side]

If your going to watch the news item its available on i-player for TWENTY FOURS ONLY

Don't shoot the messenger

[spudski]

10 minutes ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Not a wind up but the guy who ran the supporters club bar for many years his son respented England at subbuteo recall him being in the evening post weird thing was his surname was flicker 

There is presently a father and son who are both City fans and attend regularly, who represent England at 'Subbuteo'. 

What they actually play is sports table football, which is very similar to Subbuteo but not, if you get my drift. In the same way Billiards is to Snooker.

Subbuteo is all about escapism, collecting, building stadiums if you like, playing with your mates, having banter and a few beers. Lots of imagination whilst trying figuratively speaking to replicate a football match on a table. It's something to do whilst socialising with mates with perhaps a BBQ thrown in as well. Just fun.

Sports table football ( which associates itself with Subbuteo) is far removed from the former. Basically it's just posh push h'penny. Mainly Middle aged blokes wearing sports clothing to play Subbuteo best not to judge Subbuteo on this side of the game, as imo...it's a bit sad. There are actual people that consider it a sport and even wanted it considered for the Olympics taken wayyyyyy too seriously.

It's a past time, a hobby, something to do with mates or the kids. Not imo...a sport

[Robbored]

I loved Subbuteo as a kid and like others played regularly with mates after school. I remember using a fine felt tip pen to carefully write the numbers on the back of the players - bit sad but I enjoyed doing it!