Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

[Wirral Writer]

Did you have Subbuteo mania? I certainly did. I have fond memories of going down to my local toy store, which presented an absolute treasure trove of Subbuteo merchandise. I particularly loved browsing through the seemingly HUNDREDS of oblong green boxes of all the different teams, even though there was no real difference in their individual styles of play, as is the case with today's videos games like PES (you just flicked them all around, and that was it). It was just a real kick (pardon the pun there) to me buying a new team to add to my collection. I think it was the different coloured kits that attracted me, nore than anything, a sentiment which I am sure would be echoed by many other young Subbuteo fans.

[Cartimand]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

With Subbuteo, the anticipation always seemed to be better than the game itself. The pitch always wrinkled up, the goals would move when you tried to save a shot, players would drop off the table and break and you could always obstruct an opponent by getting in his way when he tried to run around the table to get in flicking range of an isolated attacker. It looked great, but played pretty poorly I reckon. The rugby was even worse. Never had the cricket.

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

With Subbuteo, the anticipation always seemed to be better than the game itself. The pitch always wrinkled up, the goals would move when you tried to save a shot, players would drop off the table and break and you could always obstruct an opponent by getting in his way when he tried to run around the table to get in flicking range of an isolated attacker. It looked great, but played pretty poorly I reckon. The rugby was even worse. Never had the cricket.

Yes, I totally agree with you about these failings in Subbuteo. The game DID seem better in the abstract rather than in actual practice. Come to think of it, apart from Striker (and even with that, you had to be careful you didn't break the players' heads if you pressed down on them too hard), there wasn't really a particularly good table football game. The worst one, I thought, was the game where the ball was just a white tiddlywink which, to kick, you had to press down on with the skittle-looking players (was it the Waddingtons one?).

The good thing about today's computer soccer games is that they play much more like the real thing, with each team different and a plethora of strategiest you can set.

[Powdered toast man]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

I was never interested in football but I loved the Tomy Super Cup Football game which was very well made. It wasn't the football as such that captivated me, it was the mechanics of the game and the sheer intricacy of the way the tiny players could move up and down the pitch and spin around as well. It ate up the batteries though.... I tried playing Subbuteo at Friday Club but hated it.

[Cartimand]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

I had the Waddingtons' Football game too and even painted one team to wear Wolves colours. The players broke off at the ankle far too easily if I recall. Pretty poor product all round.

[Richard1978]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

My brother had a Subbuteo set for a few years in the 1980s.

He managed to collect up a few different teams, mostly of a different shirt colour each time. Ones I remember were, Manchester Utd, England, Brazil, France & Mexico, along with the original generic all red & blue teams.

Also he got an astroturf pitch that was much better than the one that came with the original set.

[johnny1]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

my friends and I all played Subbuteo and I remember various attempts to set up a league system between us but Unfortunately none of them ever got completed because of some of my friends parents opposition to some of us playing away. I hope that makes sense.

[battyrat]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

Never owned a set.Guess I am an odd person for not finding much to get excited about over football.I have a cousin who was fanatical about collecting the teams and other odds and bods released for it.His room was a shrine for the game and his favourite team.

[Richard1978]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

My brother bought a few new sets of balls, nets etc.

One good add-on was a set of spare goalies, complete with a couple on stand-alone bases for goal kicks.

[darren]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

must have taken a while painting them. yeah I had the waddingtons one as well as they where very delicate around the ankles, they should have made them stronger but prob didn't think they needed to be stronger.

I had the Waddingtons' Football game too and even painted one team to wear Wolves colours. The players broke off at the ankle far too easily if I recall. Pretty poor product all round.

[havasack]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

I had subbuteo Football, Rugby and Cricket. Never learned how to play the Rugby mind but did use the penalty kickers to take corners in Football (later to be copied officially). Had about 30 teams for the football and the pitch,goals and fence drawing pinned onto a big piece of hardboard. Used a striker ball instead of the subbuteo ball for aesthetic purposes.

There were also Subbuteo Angling, Hockey, Snooker, Speedway, Motor racing, Horse racing and Cycle speedway

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

[darren]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

wow never knew there where so many subbuteo type games.
only knew of football.
for some reason i thought subbuteo meant football.

id have thought cricket and rugby where very hard to play.

cant imagine the wee model men men wearing helmets shin pads etc.

[havasack]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

Not as hard to imagine as subbuteo streakers...............but here we go. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pjxC4vLAMz...streakers+.jpg

[Palazzo]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

I got Subbuteo for Christmas in 1995 and ended up loving it. My mate got a set too so needless to say Subbuteo was the order of the day during those Christmas holidays. I remember there being a big pull-out sheet/booklet which had all the different teams you could get, along with all the different cups and stands, etc. I was completely transfixed with it and the idea of growing the game in that way seemed amazing to me at the time. I never did get any other teams than the generic blue/red set though and most of them ended up being held together with blu tack near the end.

Only downside of the Subbuteo days for me though was that I would always fold the pitch up into a nice, neat square meaning that the next time it got set out it was full of hills! About two years later that mate of mine got another football game but this time the players had a magnetic base. You would press down on the players themselves and the ball would shoot off and stick to the base of another player. I thought it was well class. I'm not sure that one was 11-a-side though. I'll have to see if I can find it on the net.

[darren]

Re: Subbuteo Mania - Did You Have It?

yeah u really needed to keep the pitch on a flat surface and when you put it away donnt fold it put it sdomwhere where it stays flat.
the more you folded it the more bumps and hollows it had.

my finger tips got sore though flicking the players.

but yeah i played it a lot me and the older bro.

hrs and hrs of fun.

I got Subbuteo for Christmas in 1995 and ended up loving it. My mate got a set too so needless to say Subbuteo was the order of the day during those Christmas holidays. I remember there being a big pull-out sheet/booklet which had all the different teams you could get, along with all the different cups and stands, etc. I was completely transfixed with it and the idea of growing the game in that way seemed amazing to me at the time. I never did get any other teams than the generic blue/red set though and most of them ended up being held together with blu tack near the end.

Only downside of the Subbuteo days for me though was that I would always fold the pitch up into a nice, neat square meaning that the next time it got set out it was full of hills! About two years later that mate of mine got another football game but this time the players had a magnetic base. You would press down on the players themselves and the ball would shoot off and stick to the base of another player. I thought it was well class. I'm not sure that one was 11-a-side though. I'll have to see if I can find it on the net.