Subbuteo plays on: How the iconic tabletop football game inspired a generation of players and artists - and avoided relegation

What is the relationship between birds, street racers, and Beatles with this traditional flick and kick game?

Image Credit: UNIVERSITY GAMES Author: Gabriel Leo Note Creator Published on August 31, 2023

A white ball crosses the green background made of cotton and nylon. An oversized ball that reaches the height of the small soccer player. The striker stands on a semicircular stand, and 10 teammates and 11 rivals surround a small man. The ball is fired like a rocket toward the goal until the goalkeeper is hit by the goal, and is attached to the bar that can be reached under the net. When the defense succeeds, the defense player sighs and the rival is discouraged, saying "No!"

These sights have become established in British families for generations. British people have been enjoying table football for many years, and the click and kick games called subbuteo are the basis for soccer entertainment culture and situation.

Football has been an essential factor in England culture since the 1970s, "said Dr. Matt Taylor, author of the Association Game: Current Status of England Football. In the s o-called Sports Revolution of the Victoria Dynasty, football was regarded as one of the many cultured sports forms. And in the early 20th century, it became a game for the public in the UK.

Sabuteo first appeared a few years after World War II. A flat ball paper player and the background of the outline with a chalk were used. Com/Giacomomaroni

The space in which soccer is in the heart of the British may help to explain that the subbuteo is so attractive. However, the version of the current board game is far from the beginning of birth.

In 1946, after World War II, a member of the Tsurist Air Force, a local government official, Peter Adolf, made a subbuteo. The first set was composed of a doll made of flat cardboard with a weighted button with a lead washer used by the player. The gate uses a wire mesh and paper network. The team color was reddish color or snow and white, and the kit contained a chalk for drawing a field on the instructions and cloth.

Adolf, a bird scholar, was inspired by birds. His game name is derived from Falco Subbuteo, a new Latin of prey known as Eurasian hobby. Adolf initially tried to named the game "Hobby Hawk", but could not get the "Hobby" trademark. As a result, the game became known as a subbuteo.

In 1961, Adolf added a han d-drawn 3D plastic figure to the set. After a significant change in design, it has now been regarded as a classic heavyweight game, and in 1980, a "light" class game was added.

The original heavyweight player was later with a lightweight player. ｜ Image Credit: Stock. COM/BRUNOGM

The reason for the development of subbuteo was the British victory in the 1966 World Cup. As a result, subbuteo has been sold in more than 55 countries. In the next ten years, the rise of black players in the soccer world was seen in parallel with the Brazilian superstar, Pele's sensational rise. In addition to the mult i-ethnic configuration, the Subbuteo Cricket (1949) and the Subtoteo Rugby (mi d-1950s) have also added a similar British sport. (Interestingly, in this series, racing sports such as hockey, snooker, fishing, bicycle, bike, racing cars, horse racing, and the excellent science fiction game "Journey Into Space" are very popular. Not).

For Taylor, cricket was the king of sports in the UK before soccer grew rapidly. Cricket has been in the throne for decades, reminiscent of Britishness rather than British, and has been linked to the image of a more traditional and empty British life before industrialization. Taylor explains that it is a big reason.

Football is relatively simple, so it is ideal for board games.

However, Taylor believes that football version Subuteo is always attractive to fans and players and surpassed other team sports that were popular at the time. "Football is relatively simple, so it may be perfect for board games," says Taylor. "I remember playing the cricket and rugby versions issued by other companies, but it was not so effective because the sports itself was more complicated and difficult to drop into a simple game.

According to the BBC, SABBUTHEO sold 300 during its heyday. During the 000 teams, it was high in Demand in France, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy, Russia, Korea, Australia, and South Africa.

Nevertheless, they did not reach the same height of soccer status such as Brazil, and under the title Pelébol that appeared in the late 1970 s-based on superstar player s-and numbers. Until ten years, in 2012, which sank in anonymous, it was resumed under the title subbuteo. For a long time, button soccer was the main of Brazil's desktops, but in fact, Subuteo fascinates fans who have all the chances of not having their own time alone in this IRGE. Many can be done to make up the game.

The player uses a characteristic spherical figure to throw a ball between players and gates. | Credit image: Paolocuccu Via Wikimedia Commons

Subbuteo had an artistic element that contributed to adaptation in his own. Players had the opportunity to create the entire stadium, including referees, staff, vulture, amulets, boys with balls, brass staff, and stritrizer. The challenge was to imitate the actual emotions of soccer games. However, the Beatles' no n-game figure set, which did not pay attention to scolding in sports, was one of the most creative and unusual release of soccer.

One of the most popular SABBUTHE O-designer was respected in the late Charles Stadden, a battle circle and Sabbute o-Circle, and was a small statue and painting tradition. Stield, like Adolf, fought for the UK in the second ecuminical war as a sergeant of the Tsurist Corps. He became interested in military personnel and military uniforms since he was young, and gathered a large number of fighter models. There is no doubt that the discipline consciousness, which was vaccinated during military service, has made his career working in his own economics studio.

Charles Stedden carved a straight line on a metal like a jewel craftsman, and did not use plastic statues or other compounds for modeling. Thanks to this small figure's hand and legs, he could literally make a large scale work, and his figures were always anatomically faithful. His figure was anatomically faithful every time.

"By the beginning of the 1960s, the founder has been modeling various scale figures for over 12 years," recalls Andrew, descendant of Stedden. "Most of them were military figures, but they also worked on many other private figures from toy manufacturers. He had a lot of experience in his own company. Instead of using other modeling, it was able to be literally correct with metal, like a jewelry. I always looked "correctly". "

Andrew briefly talks about his founder's heritage in Subuteo. "Even after years, the traditional founder's statue seems to be the most loved in the subbuteo figure. For example, this figure has an extraordinary proportion.

There are collectors of Stptden files all over the world. To this day, Andrew Stickden has received many requests to "revive old figures for repairs and repaints." Andrew still uses almost all of the founder's classic techniques, but has introduced advanced 3D prints in his work. In fact, his personal descendants are interested in the design of video games, which basically means that his family already has three generation "artists".

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Stield's art played an important role in the development of subbuteo, and the game has reached its own peak in the early 1980s. According to independent newspapers, this time was an easy era, and there were nearly 7 million players around the world.

Twenty years have passed, and the game ended in 2003 in the UK. Housbro, a manufacturer of Monopoly, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering, took over the business from British publisher Wydinton, which went out of business in the mi d-1990s. Later, sales fell to about $ 150, 000 a year. By 2000, Sabuteo literally disappeared.

Despite the sudden fall of fame, a specific fan did his best to save the game. In 2002, it sold only 3. 000 sets, then fell beyond the oblivion, and in the same year, only 500 sets were bought.

"I knew that a few years ago, I knew that subbuteo would not be exported and would not be sold at the store. As a result, there was no time.

The goalkeeper is controlled with stick support that extends under the net. | Image Credit: Stock. Com/Photoman1962

After losing the top in the 2005 reboot, the game revived in 2012. England's distributor Universi Games has started recreation of games that had been away from the store for a long time.

"The new subbuteo product was not in the world's consumer market 10 years ago when Universi Games released the current representative game, Subuteo," said Sales Director Jama Levington.

"The fans and collectors of the subbuteo are those who played with Subbuteo as a child. We are now a grandparent, Guardian, who plays subbuteo with his son and grandchildren and enjoys his family entertainment. We are recruiting.

One of the recent TV advertisements of Subuteo depicts such a scene, and the voice behind the frame is the late John Motson, a great football observer. Advertising was intentionally drawn to all generations of interest, and was described as entertainment for the whole family and the most important part of football culture. Subuteo has a traditional retro charm, which is used in advertising for soccer fans, and the players are reborn as a cult, so that this game exists in the British hearts. I showed my efforts.

In the later subbuteo set, teams around the world came to participate. | Image Credit: Stock. Com/Pigliacampi

This is one of the dangers of soccer video games, the FIFA series, a progressive fame of Sabuteo. Stedden said that his personal seve n-yea r-old grandchild was addicted to FIFA: "He is too good. Kick with a flick!" It will be difficult to guarantee.

"Subbuteo is trying to be completely replaced by the console game by this FIFA," Taylor agrees.

The subbuteo was replaced with a console game completely in this FIFA.

But thanks to persistence, the game continued to thrive, with online versions being created and sites for players and collectors popping up. Subbuteo grew to include an annual World Cup in 1987, splitting 30-minute matches into two 15-minute halves, with extra time and penalty shootouts.

The internet has changed the world of gaming for decades since Subbuteo was born, but in recent years, something has changed it even more. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the board game industry, including Subbuteo.

"We've seen a huge increase in sales of board games and puzzles during the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased sales of our flagship product, Subbuteo, as people have been forced to stay home and find ways to have fun in small family gatherings or on their own," says Lewington.

The late football commentator John Motson comments on Subbuteo's recent advertising campaign. Watch on YouTube

Subbuteo's official line currently has playsets for fans of England, France, Portugal and Greece, as well as the men's teams of England, France and Belgium. There are also sets featuring Spain's Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid, France's Olympique de Marseille and England's Liverpool.

"We understand and admire the creative talent to customize players, as it's not always possible to offer every color or club option," says Lewington.

A major milestone in Subbuteo's history was the launch of the Subbuteo England Lionesses official set in 2021. According to Lewington, this marked the growing appeal of women's football, helping to attract more female players to the sport. "The kit has proven hugely popular with the new generation of Subbuteo players and has sold extremely well."

Aside from official releases, other brands and writers also produce content for Subbuteo. In August, premium table football manufacturer Extreme Works unveiled a high-quality pitch for the FISTF Subbuteo World Cup 2024. Shops like Subbuteo World and Wobbly Hobby sell a range of merchandise targeted at old-school subbuteo players. The 2021 England Lionesses team has joined the subbuteo line-up. | Image source: University Games

Like Duran Duran and George Michael's top list, the Subuteo games would no longer be demanded, but those who played in youth left adorable notes. I am.

"I got a prototype figure and tried the game," said Andrew Stields gently. "I remember rugby kickers and cricket figures. I remember rugby kickers and cricket figures. In my memory, the model of the target man player appeared more than those that appeared in continuous play. I was hitting the ball strongly. "

Rinton was the youngest of his enthusiastic soccer fans with three older brothers. "One of my most injured memories is that I became the best fan of my older soccer club in the soccer club run by my brothers. I think I was within three years." "Sabuteo is a game that represents my home, and I have a pretty lovely recollection on many rainy days that played Sabuteo with my brother and father."

Every time we are very likely to give all the colors and options of the club, we are aware of it, and we do not praise the creative talent to create our own players for each personal order.

In the 1980s, Taylor played the game from the age of 6 to 12. Football video games were simpler and "it wasn't fun like subbuteo." In the district league to which he belonged, he was overwhelmed by domestic and played games. Taylor and his friends asked their teachers if they could make a tournament at this time, "I asked my teacher if I could make a tournament." I remember. For those who played five or six years ago, this nostalgia evolved the memories of being young. And it was a lot of fun! "

Sabuteo, who lost the game due to the emergence of the times and video games, seemed like a past relic. It is hard to imagine that the resurrection of the collector and the game has definitely prospered her during the pandemic and worked for the people.

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• Gabriel Lean: Gabrie l-Brazil, a correspondent living in Sao Paulo. He has been published by Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Qatar, including Wired, Aljazilla, Vice, Ozzy Media, and Brazil 'ESPN. In addition, he has acquired a master's degree in the communication field and the highest educational background in the "international relationship" field.

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