The CHASERS are born...
...at 7.30pm on Wednesday 27th April 2022
...in The Cherry Tree pub in Wood Lane, Dagenham, RM8 3LJ
What is it about CHASERS?
All around the UK and Ireland, folks gather in their clubs to enjoy time together flicking little bits of plastic around on a miniature football pitch.
...and since April 2022, so do the CHASERS. Gary Gladwell set about starting up a club, one of several that were set up at lockdown eased, which reflected an unanticipated renewed interest in Subbuteo Table Football. With participants from Chadwell Heath, Romford and South Essex, the CHRSE was nearly born, until some bright spark suggested putting 'and South Essex' in the middle! ??
Chadwell Heath and South Essex, Romford Subbuteo Club
...there is a certain essence that CHASERS bring. The name starts it off. Not one CHASER cares that it's a clumsy anagram. All they care about is that they are a CHASER, and together they are CHASERS!
So what are they chasing?
After finishing bottom of division 2 for the 2nd time in 2 attempts, when there are just 2 divisions, some would say everybody and everything! A little more insight would indicate they might be chasing a dream...
CHASERS in team formation
So what is this dream?
No-one really knows, in fact it appears that no-one really cares. The standard CHASER is just happy to be here!
What happens in this dream?
Anyone who fancies getting involved, gets involved. No question about the standard of play they might be offering.
What is achieved in this dream?
Folks feel accepted, encouraged to play and improve if they want to. A safe place to play a game for enjoyment.
Notable things that have happened
By May 2023, Sam 'The Chasette' Levy had let in 183 goals and lost 77 games, with a constant grace and a smile on her face. ?
In November 2023 Steven Jackson scored his first ever goal. All games stopped immediately, as every player applauded and cheered! ?
Also, in November 2023, Sam won her first game, winning the player of the week award (and not for the first time!). ?
Solent came to play for a inter-club friendly. There's a certain unique kindred spirit between CHASERS and Solent. ?
CHASERS regularly host open WASPA tournaments, where everyone else wins the trophies! ?
CHASERS Westy and Steve buck the trend and accidentally win trophies at the October 2023 WASPA open .?
Sergeant Major Gladwell developed a special knack of getting everyone's attention when communicating the next round of games, with his trademark "SHUT UP!" ?
The rest of the CHASERS have a dawning realisation that are in fact, the rest of the cast from 'It Aint 'Alf Hot Mum!' ? ?"The folks to entertain yooouu!"?
Adz shows admirable sufferance about being mistaken as the CHASERS mascot by all the rest of the CHASERS.... which is a tad ironic as he is currently top of the CHASERS league! ?
The traditional Christmas gathering for 2023, involved many CHASERS, with a few other guests creating an event with a round dozen participating.
The 12 players were put into two groups of 6, Group A or Group B, with each playing 5 games with the other players.
One player from Group A was paired with a player from Group B, to make up 6 Christmas teams. The teams and players are shown below...
The traditional Christmas pitches were set up for this event, featuring...
The Ibiza pitch was lit by a UV light, and used figures painted with UV paint.
The final pitch for the event was one built by Cayne Matthews, a sturdy normal pitch that could be used by anyone needing a break from the themed pitches that haven't got sturdy barriers to hold onto.
...with an unexpected festive romantic encounter!
Check out rule 7.1 of the FingerFox rules, which states: “Players will try not to do dodgy flicks and won’t really be too bothered if their opponent does one every now and then… if the other player sees a finger foul, they should have a stern word with themselves for actually noticing and not being sufficiently absorbed by the game!”
In fact, this principle also needs to be applied to offsides, and the FingerFox rules will be updated to reflect this. Essentially: "If a player notices their opponent has a figure in an offside position, they will either flag this beforehand, or ignore it!"
Anyone who has experienced playing in the Stadium of Fingers will acknowledge that free-flowing play can be tricky, and this incident is a perfect example of the philosophy of play triumphing over the limitations of competition.
Three days before the tournament we learned of the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
It was right therefore to consider the status of the tournament and reflect on whether it should go ahead. The situation appeared more poignant as several of the pitches used in the tournament feature Her Majesty as a 00-scale figure. Back in 1973, Subbuteo had designed HRH, as part of the VIP Presentation Set (C135), and this figure had inspired many creations in and around the Stadium of Fingers.
She can be seen presenting the FA Cup in the Stadium, standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in the Anglo-Italian Pitch, serving sandwiches in pitchside kiosks in Old Subbuteo Town and the Seaside Pitch and doing Crouch’s robot dance in Ken Corner. She also stands next to the Duke of Edinburgh to celebrate the many years they were together.
Her Majesty is featured in a piece of stained glass in the window of the Cathedral of Fingers, holding the FA Cup.
In addition, a team of HRH figures had been adapted to fit into some LW bases, to form the team known as Queen’s Park Palace.
So, the decision was made to hold the tournament out of respect, and out of celebration and remembrance for a life lived full of loyal service.
It was also agreed that Queen’s Park Palace would take part in the tournament, to be represented by several of the players.
Before the games kicked-off, the 22 players stood silently in the back garden, with nothing to be heard save the occasional chirp from a songbird. This peaceful and respectful silence was concluded with a hearty round of applause for our former Monarch - with us in spirit and in miniature, for the sixth Southend-on-Sea Old Subbuteo tournament.
With 22 players turning up to take part in this year's event, the residents of the Mews had made some extra space available, with David hosting the Ewok Arena at Number 4, and Alex opening up her lounge to host the Subbuteo and the Beast pitch at Number 1. For the first time in SOS OSC history, four households had pooled their resources to welcome the Olds! ?
So it was game on, with all players starting their meandering journey towards one or other of the trophies or medals.
Westy got off to a creditable start by keeping The Cat goalless on the Anglo-Italian Pitch.
Plenty of action in any game involving Rocket, saw him joining The Cat and Westy in the Stadium of Fingers Cup. Off Target joined Howzat Dave and Cobra Kai Kicks in the Scoundrels Cup.
Closely contested with all players getting at least a couple of results. PIM played out a bunch of goalless draws, and the goal he did score was controversial! ? (Check the clip below!)
He joined Donald Crowhurst (recovering from an early defeat to top the group) and Braveheart in the Stadium of Fingers Cup. Malts found his true calling in the Scoundrels Cup, where he was joined by JohnClu48 and The Badger.
The Iceman and Bishop FPV progressed philosophically through the group, and then met each other in the final match in the Stadium of Fingers. Here they each won their first point! ??
Snake70, Len Shackelton Jr and Neilberto Sparkos took points from each other and all qualified for the Stadium of Fingers Cup.
A hotly contested group for the top spot, with Ghigliotti09 taking the honours. This was fitting as Marco offered to play against himself using Queens Park Palace, resulting in the likely loss of a point! The Hawk came out on top with our indefatigable Youbbuteo! They both head to the Scoundrels Cup! ?
Her Majesties then played their debut in the Stadium of Fingers, with HP Lovecraft providing the opposition. The match was characterised by HP Lovecraft politely shooting wide of the target and Her Majesties not quite understanding that a blocking flick doesn’t allow one to play the ball!
The next game was with Youbutteo in the fog. The first half saw a defensive error from The Lady in Waiting (Kicking Keeper), and Youbutteo was left with an open goal. Showing no concern that he might be about to enter a 'not-so-open' gaol, he slotted it home. The second half was a different matter entirely, with a Royal Hat-Trick in 4 minutes and 32 seconds!
The Hawk was the next player to risk being locked in the Tower when he scored a goal with 'Lady in Waiting' out. To be fair though it was a nice finish so he promptly received a Royal Pardon. The regular royal comeback then ensued with Her Majesties sending themselves victorious! ?
After getting knocked out by Queens Park Palace, Braveheart played with them in the semi-final with Rocket.
The recording got corrupted, so an attempt was made to record the recording using a phone. The coverage below is the result...
The Melee was first played in the 2019 event, when became clear that something else was needed to complement the 4 Finals, for the Olds that had the misfortune to get knocked out in the various cups, to play one last game.
This time it was a 6-a-side Melee, with all players slotting smoothly into their respective roles, albeit after a brief period of general bewilderment.
Player 1 – Attacker if the ball is in the attacking half
Player 2 – Attacker if the ball is in the defending half
Player 3 – Blocking if the ball is in the attacking half
Player 4 – Blocking if the ball is in the defending half
Player 5 – Goalkeeper, kicking goalie and goal-kicks
Player 6 – Special Teams (Free-kicks, throw-ins, corner-kicks and positional flicks)
The teams were chosen with little controversy. It was easy to do as half were stood on one side of the table and the other half were stood on the other side. ?
The controversy was with the figures each team was given to play with.
Apparently, if you're life-long die-hard supporter of Plymouth Argyle, it is not OK to be asked to play against them!
Westy sums the situation up well in this clip. If you are averse to seeing PAFC tattoos, look away now! ?
Some glorious reactions to what would ordinarily be standard Subbuteo flicks.
First Neilbertos Sparkos does a quality curling block. Then Braveheart does a nice midfield curl followed by a clumsy flick. These are probably the most enthusiastic reactions to midfield play in a game of Subbuteo, since it first appeared in the Boys Own Magazine in 1946! ?
THE BEGINNING
Chapter 1
"In the beginning, the world was without table football, and void and darkness reigned.
Then William L. Keeling did create New Footy in 1929.
And the Spirit of William L. Keeling moved upon the surface of the table, and figures were formed upon curved bases.
And there was Table Football…
And Peter Adolph saw the New Footy, and saw that it was good: And Peter Adolph did invent Subbuteo.
And Peter Adolph said, Let there be a green cloth for which to play Subbuteo upon: and it was so.
And Peter Adolph said, Let Subbuteo bring forth the Flat figure, to curl upon the green cloth: and it was so. And Peter Adolph saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
And there was evening and the morning.
Lo, in 1969, Peter Adolph sold the rights of Subbuteo to Waddingtons. Waddingtons, begat Hasbro, and in 2005, Hasbro did create flat photorealistic card-style figures.
A few years earlier, God did create Adam Lundy and Adam Kilgallon. Adam and Adam did play a game using the Photoreal figures. The game was without goals, and the evening and the morning saw both Adams crowned as the "Disputed Photoreal Subbuteo Champions of the World."
This is the story of the oft despised and downtrodden Photoreal Subbuteo figures.
When they were produced, according to Subbuteo guru, Peter Upton the figures received a lot of criticism from the table soccer community, most notably from existing players - moaning chiefly about playability. They fail to aid shooting and chipping, and cannot be used for long accurate glides, and lack the softer touch when reaching the ball. Comments have also been made about how cheap the product looks.
These comments were borne out when Table Football Monthly reviewed the figures. After a forlorn session, an exasperated Keith Littler explains: "The playing figures are total rubbish!... if you want to play it, particularly if you want to play against somebody, I'm afraid it is misery on a table - It's joyless!"
So, this is the story of the misunderstood underdog, loved by no-one and left in a box with the lid on for so long...too long!
The Friends of Old Subbuteo committed to trying the Photoreal Figures out, in practice, in friendly games in the Old Sods OldSubbuteo Club and the Rochford and Southend Casual Subbuteo Club, where they faired creditably, with a mix of inspired success and dismal failure.
They were also given a run-out in the more competitive TSPA circuit, where the 13th place out of 13 entries was not to be unexpected. However, even in this reputable company, the Photoreal figures were not without promise. It became clear that while the figure were challenging to play with, they have special gifts, and with love and care, they can uplift the soul!
The clips below show some of the unique moves they can make (some legal and others less so!)
Since Subbuteo released the Photoreal figures back in 2005, no doubt there have been countless games in the living rooms of the world. To our knowledge none of the results have ever been recorded, and no official event has ever been staged.
Therefore, it is unlikely that there is a Photoreal Subbuteo World Champion. To rectify this travesty, a trophy has been made, with the help of 'Jaguar Design and Print' who made a giant figure, which sits on a Subbuteo lamp base, and trophy base from 'Trophiesr4us'.
The legitimacy of this trophy in indisputable, and it will hopefully be a zenith for Subbuteo players everywhere!
Chronicles - April 2022
c2010: Adam 'Puffin' Lundy drew a game with Adam Kilgallon. Each with one hand on the trophy.
April 2022: Fingers beat Puffin, Adam K drew with Fingers. Fingers replaces Puffin with one hand on the trophy. Adam K keeps his hand on it...
April 2022: Fingers drew with Ute, Rocket, JohnClu48, Spudksi. These 4 'Old Sods' all have a finger on the trophy...
Numbers - June 2022
June 2022: Adam draws 1-1 with Ute, and gets a tenuous finger back on the trophy, courtesy of Ute's 'trophied finger' from his draw with Fingers back in April...
Puffin's 1-0 victory replacing Finger's hand on the trophy for a Puffin wing! ?
Fingers owned by Ute, Rocket, Spudski, & JohnClu48 were prised off, as they were only there vicariously, through their draw with former disputed champion, Fingers!
Surely a showdown beckons between the 2 Adams, to become the Undisputed Old Sod, crowned the Disputed Photoreal Subbuteo World Champion!
The first regular trophy won by the Photoreals!
This was the monthly WASPA event run by Chasers Subbuteo Club (Chadwell Heath & South Essex, Romford Subbuteo)
After a creditable 1-1 draw with Gary Gladwell, with a last-minute curled shot, the chaps went from strength to strength to finish unbeaten, and astoundingly, top of the table! ?
Here they are with their trophy!
2023 - Leviticus
At the February TSPA event, the Photoreal Subbuteo Club High Priest, Adam 'Puffin' Lundy, played once more with Steve 'Fingers' Moreton. This time Puffin lost his wing on the trophy as Fingers' fingers once again grasped it with relish!
April saw a newcomer to the Photoreal Subbuteo Club - Kyle 'Cobra Kai Kicks' Jamieson! Having never played with these figures before, he gamely agreed to a match with Fingers, after they had both got knocked out of the Chasers Spring Open.
During the game Kyle made some spectacular saves. both posts and the crossbar were also involved, and on occasion his keeper saved without any assistance!
For such a spirited first effort, Kyle deserved all the luck, and the game finished 0-0. This means he has a finger on the trophy, with a genuine bona fide legitimate claim to be the Disputed Photoreal Subbuteo World Champion! ?
Brian asked the Friends of Old Subbuteo if they would run a demonstration Subbuteo session at Admiral Court Care Home in Leigh-on-Sea.
The Friends of Old Subbuteo said "Yeesssss!", and it was game on! ?
Lee turned up after 3 hours kip from doing his night shift at the home ? kitted out in his England 1982 Admiral shirt to match the team he was playing with.
England were playing against Plymouth Argyle...!
The event drew a bit of a crowd, with many residents popping in to watch some of the action.
Steve (Plymouth Argyle) and Lee (England 1982) played out two halves, and at 2-2 after about an hour, the classic 'next goal wins' principle, from 'the-sun-is-going-down-and-it's-dinnertime' rulebook was enacted! ?
Lee's defence stood firm, ably supported by a 00-scale Mick Mills and Kenny Sansom, and after length of the pitch breakaway move, Paul Mariner scored the winning goal.
Some of the residents got involved in the game with Martin starring at the England goalie (Ray Clemence), and Lena making some quality offside decisions - once by raising her mince pie and once by raising her glass of wine. Both great decisions - no need for VAR!
A return to Admirals Court after the winter lockdown, saw Shadnam playing a 'special teams' role, taking the throw-ins and corner kicks.
Truth be said - she came to Lee's rescue! Lee was playing Mansfield and was 2-0 down to Steve's Plymouth at halftime. The second half saw a spirited fightback, with Plymouth being pegged back to 2-2!
Steve and Lee then played an England (Lee) v Scotland (Steve) game, where the tartan army threatened to run amok!
The final score was England 0 Scotland 3!
A few interested spectators wandered through, and there was also a bit of air-hockey happening, that afternoon, with Brian showing some quality skills with the puck.
Westcliff SVP was created in 2000, and has been involved in supporting homeless people through the Winter Night Shelter and many vulnerable people within the community who need a hand with bills, food parcels, necessities, emotional / spiritual support and other services
In the Summer of 2021, as lockdown restrictions were eased, the Friends of Old Subbuteo were asked to hold a Subbuteo event at their Community Support Hub. The Friends of Old Subbuteo don't need a second invite to arrange a local Subbuteo event, so it was game on!
This was either the first time anyone had played Subbuteo, or the first time for at least a couple of decades!
With two tables set up, there was a chance for anyone to have a go, and with a barbecue being prepared and served by our host and event organiser Daniel, there was a relaxed atmosphere for folks to eat, chat and play, as they wished.
In the end, 5 games were played, some lasting around 20 minutes with others played for nearly an hour! For some (especially Lee), once the playing got started, it wasn't very easy to stop! ? The game with Elliot was a bit of a marathon, and eventually needed settling with an epic shootout.
Lee 2 v 2 Steve (Lee won 1-0 on shots)
Chris 1 v 0 Alex
Steve 1 v 0 Jimmy
Lee 0 v 0 Elliot (Lee won 4-2 on shots)
Graham ? v ? Russell
The result of the game between Graham and Russell is unrecorded. It might go down as a mythical Subbuteo incident - a mystery never to be solved(!) ? ...or, it might be we find this out at the next event!
Next event is planned for October 2021... watch this space! ?
The second event at Westcliff SVP saw several closely contested games, which adopted a variety of formats. Singles, doubles and games purely consisting of shoot-outs were held, to give all a chance to get involved in a way that suited them.
Also, Russell was there, which gave the opportunity to explore what happened in that mythical unrecorded match in the Summer. Apparently both he and Graham had played Subbuteo as teenagers, but with the decades since had forgotten the rules and most of the skills(!). This didn't deter them from playing a game where the rules were agreed on as the game progressed. Russell magnanimously admitted to winning the tight affair 1-0, attributing the victory to a healthy slice of good fortune.
Steve 1 v 1 Chris
Russell 2 v 2 Steve
Catherine 1 v 0 Steve (Shots)
Russell 0 v 3 Nate (Shots)
Nate 4 - 3 Russell (Shots)
Nate 2 - 1 Chris
Nate/Steve 1 - 0 Chris/Russell
A relaxed affair saw a mixture of activity, with some singles and doubles matches mixed with some penalty shoot-outs.
The shootouts are proving to be a great way for folks to get involved - not needing to commit to a full match, and still able to have a flick-to-kick experience! ?
Peter, Alex, Chris and Steve shared a few games, then Jamie and Catherine joined in with some penalty shoot-out action...
Catherine kept up her 100% goal-scoring feats. To date, every shot she has ever taken in her life has finished up in the back of the net! ? (2 out of 2!)
Steve 1 v 0 Peter
Chris 1 - 1 Alex
Steve/Chris 1 - 1 Alex/Peter
Shootout goals...
Jamie wins with 2, Alex, Catherine, Steve and Chris manage to net 1, Peter was foiled by the keeper and then hit the post!
The 5th SoS OSC Tournament was held on 10th September 2019, with a meal the night before in the pie-serving Pipe of Port restaurant. A healthy turnout of 18 Olds created a fun-packed weekend, which included a pre-tournament game of Subbuteo cricket!
Rocket: Last Christmas he experienced OldSubbuteo at the SoF, and has now brought the Old Sods with him!
Puffin: Genius creator - breathing 00-scale life into Harry Potter, and Star Wars figures!
JohnCLU48: A seasoned OldSubbuteo traveller - Always seeking authentic OldSubbuteoic experiences!
Down the Wing: Doesn't know he is called 'Down the Wing' yet, but when your surname is 'Heron', that was destined to happen!
Spudski: Spud, Spudder, Spudderman. making his long awaited visit to the SoF - so overdue and so anticipated by the thousands of 00-scale spectators!
The Cat: The legend of the Flats game - a genuine Old. A multi-national champion who is a true sport - happy to play with everyone on all of the impossible pitches at the SoS OSC events, year after year!
VecchiaGuardia1972: The 'Old Soldier' who returns to this corner of England most every year!
The Craftsman: Current holder of the Sportsmanship award on the English National Flats Championships - never not having fun with Subbuteo!
Barreteo: Has a surprising turn of pace when presented with a shooting opportunity. The thoughts of a bad back disappear as he sheds approximately 30 years in mind and body!
Ute Ubo: Always flickin' and always rockin' - For those about to flick - we salute Ute!
Malts: Always utterly surprised at what can happen in Subbuteo - most frequently used phrase: "I don't believe it! ?"
Gullseye: A mythical appearance at the SoF wearing glam-rock platform boots, to enhance reach!
Forfoxsake: Was there ever a person so OldSubbuteo as Forfoxsake. The benchmark of bonkersness and pure enjoyment...bringing his 00-figures alive in every game!
Ghigliotti09: So happy to play OldSubbuteo with anyone and everyone, and no-one ever gets hammered, despite the talent that flows from his finger-nail!
Youbutteo: Youbutteo - You beauty! - Quality enthusiast - no-one collects with more enthusiasm - no-one!
JLR: Will be making the trip after watching Canterbury City v Corinthian with the other 155 fanatical supporters!
Snake70: So disappointed when the Harry Potter train stopped working during his game on the Subbwarts pitch last year - this is exactly what we should get disappointed about in life! ...This year Rudi, this year!...
Donald Crowhurst: The legendary fabiobertola, always and forever 'Old'!
T'was the night before the tournament, when all thro' the house, not a creature was stirring...until the Old Sods turned up for a spot of Subbuteo Cricket!
As ever with the Old Sods, there was Much Ado about Banter. The various clips of the match highlights are shown here...
This clip captures the mood. A ball delivered by Ute Ubo, which Puffin may or may not have fended off. Plenty of (dodgy) opinions are given, and the game stops for a 'Review' as everyone goes downstairs to check the video replay...
The clips below show an epic 'shoot-out' between Spud and Puffin, on the Star Wars pitch. They've decided to use the homemade free-kick taker, to chip the ball over the 4-man wall. Also, keep an eye on the missiles that are being pinged across the pitch to put off the player taking the shot... ?
Group A
After some 30 goals have been scored, twice as many shots saved, and a few blunders and lucky flicks, the group table shows The Cat clear at the top.
With all players picking up points it was quite tight for the qualifying places for the Stadium of Fingers Cup, but the draw specialist Puffin edged the Craftsman for the final place.
Snake70 recovered well after a couple of early losses to end up 3rd in the table.
The Craftsman is duly entered into into the Tournament of Scoundrels ?
Group B
Ghigliotti09 makes it a clean sweep, leaving, a Fox, a Gull and a Spud fighting over runners-up spot, with the expansive free-flowing style of the Fox creating a healthy goal-average and winning through.
Gullseye showed a shrewd Old Subbuteo head on Old Subbuteo shoulders as he amassed 5 points despite only scoring 2 goals!
Rocket and Malts valiantly contested the bottom of the table, with Malts claiming the Southernmost spot on account of Rocket getting a draw with Gullseye.
Both Rocket and Malts however are destined for the Tournament of Scoundrels...
Group C
Both JLR and JohnClu48 achieved infinite goal average! ? ? To be fair, neither player was expecting this at the beginning of the day, but it happened, so they can both make a justified entry into their respective Subbuteo diaries...
JLR however, took the qualification spot for the Stadium of Fingers Cup on goals scored.
Youbuteo had success(!), after his more modest performances at the recent Christmas event, where he acknowledge publicly on his Youbuteo youtube channel that he "lost massively!"
Barreteo and Down the Wing both got off the mark with a draw when they met in Old Subbuteo Town.
At 1pm in the afternoon, Snake70 hadn't won a game! In contrast, Ghigliotti09 had won 4!
It appears Snake70's secret is to play other animals, as the afternoon saw an epic cup run, seeing off a Gull, a Fox and a Cat! ?
Ghigliotti remained the favourite though - the current holder of the Stadium of Fingers Cup and reigning national flats champion...
However, the Stadium of Fingers is no respecter of reputations and after a stunning 3-1 victory, the Year of the Snake came 2 years early! ?
The Old Subby Cup, contested by 2 Old Sods.
Which Old Sod would be the Oldest and Subbiest?
This was a tense, serious affair with a strong competitive edge to it - only broken by non-stop banter and incessant bonkerness!
It turns out it wasn't a tense, serious, competitive affair after all! ?
Ute was a true sport in his defeat, and congratulated Spudski on his victory by writing on the tournament sheet "won by a sneaky goal!"
Both players had been here before...
JohnClu48 was here last year, when he lost a close game to Loscao 0-1.
The Craftsman reached the Scoundrels Cup Final in the very first tournament in 2015, where he lost out in a sudden-death shoot-out to Donald 'Fabio' Crowhurst.
For one it would be a glorious victory and for the other it would be a glorious defeat... ?
The Craftsman won through, scoring 2 goals. This was the main talking point during the evening meal, as The Craftsman acknowledges he doesn't score 2 goals in a game...
The stage: The traditional carpet pitch for the final of the tournament of the Unfortunate Finger.
The players: Vecchiaguardia - in his fourth SoS OSC tournament, and Rocket in his first. Neither player had experienced the carpet pitch before, so this would be a test of nimble knees, and which Old could reconnect with those muscles that used to play on the floor all those years ago.
As it turns out, Rocket tuned in to those formative years, when families were too poor to have a table they could dedicate to Subbuteo, and the living room carpet became the field of dreams!
A picture tells a thousand words...
If you take part in an SoS OSC Tournament, and lose your group matches, you play in the Tournament of Scoundrels.
If you get knocked out of the Tournament of Scoundrels, you get to play in the Tournament of the Unfortunate Finger (S'fortunato Finger Cup).
If you lose the final, you win the trophy pictured, and then you take a picture of your trophy and put in on the Internet!
Bravissimo vecchiaguardia! ?
This is Old Subbuteo! ???
After a few S-o-S OSC tournaments it became clear that something else was needed to complement the 4 Finals, for the Olds that had the misfortune to get knocked out in the various cups.
The concept of the Melee was created, giving the opportunity for these players to play one last game.
With 18 Olds taking part in this year's tournament, this meant 10 players would be involved in the inaugural event!
All things considered, the event went fairly smoothly with all players slotting into their respective roles with a commendable degree of knowledge, skill and decorum (apart from mostly Gerald…!)
A five-a-side game duly commenced with players taking different roles within their team...
1st half: Team A and Team B each have:
Player 1 – Attacker if the ball is in the attacking half
Player 2 – Attacker if the ball is in the defending half
Player 3 – All defending flicks
Player 4 – Goalkeeper, kicking goalie and goal-kicks
Player 5 – Free-kicks, throw-ins and corner-kicks
2nd half: All players change roles...
In the first half all players were involved apart from Jim (Forfoxsake) Westwood, who was desperately waiting for a throw-in, corner or free-kick to happen. Eventually however, with seconds remaining his team were awarded a throw-in! He lined up the thrower – took careful aim, and then the half-time whistle went! The taking of the throw-in was therefore judged null and void and duly wiped from the record as ever happening! ?
The second half saw our newbie Down the Wing playing an assured role as his team’s ‘Defending Attacker’ (enthusiastically advised by 4 teammates), and with one minute to go, a throw-in was awarded to his team, with Kev ‘The Cat’ Dyson using the mandatory throw-in figure.
After a practice throw-in which went sideways 1 inch and spun backwards off the pitch. Kev threw the ball 12 inches spinning in front of Jonathan ‘JLR’ Lopez-Real’s centre forward. Without missing a heartbeat JLR shot and scored! Four teammates roared their approval. Jonathan was somewhat taken aback at the racket he caused by scoring at Subbuteo, and estimated the noise to be louder than the combined efforts of the 98 fans that attended the Canterbury v Corinthian Isthmian League match the previous day!
A great event, and certainly to be repeated at future SoS OSC events! Naturally the rules will evolve as the number of players vary... For example, someone to do all positional flicks for all dead ball situations... Eventually we should be able to get a game of 11 v 11 with 3 subs!
Inspired by the John Waddington Trophy, famously held by young Subbuteo prodigy Andrea Piccaluga from 1978-1982, the Melee Trophy celebrates the achievement of finding people to play Subbuteo with!
If you turn up to a SOS OSC event, and fail to make one of the finals, then you will play for the Melee Trophy, alongside all of the other 'Olds' who got knocked out of the tournaments. The inscription sums it al up: "It's not the winning or the losing, it's the finding someone to play..."
Here's David 'Down the Wing' Heron receiving the Trophy as honorary captain of the first ever Melee winners.
The first match of the day, and the first members of the Old Sods OSC to play in the Stadium of Fingers.
Puffin and Ute Ubo have played many entertaining matches between them in Old Sods meets, and this may well have been their first game together on the road.
This was a Group A match, which somehow ended 0-0 ?
Rocket is back for more after his Christmas experiences, and faces Malts, who is trying out his flats team, after locating his goalkeeper that he left behind the last time he visited the Stadium of Fingers!
This is a Group B match. It ends goalless, but Rocket was pressing for the win...
In this clip a nice move ends up with a shot on the fly...
These two Olds have played in almost all SoS OSC Tournaments. You'd have thought they would have played each other before, but this was in fact their first meeting.
This clip shows a wonderful 'ave-it' moment. John gets bored of his 3 players surrounding the ball, and hoofs it with his centre back, launching the ball and two of his own players down the pitch! All 3 of them go for a goal kick! ?
Then John says "Goal kick?", and JLR says "Yep", like everything was normal...?
This has been a match a long time in the waiting!
Two of the Old Subbuteo legends, both of them scoundrels of the English and the Italian Old Subbuteo scenes, finally meeting for the first time in the Stadium of Fingers.
These clips show some great action, and some show no action at all, as it's the chat between them that features, sometimes more than the actual flicking of the figures! ?
Gullseye first played in the Stadium of Fingers in 2015 and realised that it can be a challenge to reach over the terracing to flick the players. The next year he arrived at the tournament after digging out his old 1970s platform boots! This prompted the design of the ramped platform along the West Stand, and Gullseye's boots have been safely stored away back in the loft!
Ghigliotti wasn't using platform boots either in this game - he was using flats!...
Gulleye was playing with the Lionesses... ?
The last time The Craftsman met Donald Crowhurst in a SoS OSC Tournament was the 2015 Scoundrels Cup Final. The score: The Craftsman 0 Donald Crowhurst 1
Finally, four years later there was a chance to address the balance....
The final score in this encounter had to be... The Craftsman 0 Donald Crowhurst 1.
Unlucky Adam! Maybe in the next game in 2023! ?
After some entertaining group matches Barreteo and The Craftsman found themselves in the Tournament of Scoundrels... This was to be a needle match, not because if was their first competitive encounter, but because this was a match between Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law! ?
The Craftsman has been playing for several years and had encouraged his Father-in-Law to give it a go. So... Barreteo's first experience of an organised tournament... Bragging rights were at stake!
Unfortunately, whoever was doing the recording forgot to press 'record' until the second half had started. As it turned out, Down the Wing was quite happy with this as he was 2-0 down by then, and was relieved to know that this would not be recorded for posterity!
Rocket on the other hand was slightly disappointed as this meant he would need to rely on his memory for his first ever goal scored in the Stadium of Fingers! ?
Sorry, Rocket!
These two had met twice before in SoS OSC tournaments.
In 2015, they had played a Group D match on the Anglo-Italian pitch (fittingly!), where the match had finished all square 1-1.
Then in 2018 they had met at the Seaside, in the semi-final of the Stadium of Fingers Cup, where Ghigliotti won 2-1 on the way to his glorious tournament victory! ?
A technical problem with the recording means we just have the 2nd Half! ? We join the action with Snake70 1-0 up!
An application was made to to the National Lottery Awards for All programme, and we were fortunate to receive some funding to hold this event to run for 6 months from January to July 2019. The funding covered the use of equipment, venues and refreshments for the sessions. We would like to thank the National Lottery for their support and encouragement!
fAABI is excited to announce the results of the first session of Subbuteo, which took place at fAABI’s Head Office in Cavendish Square from 6pm to 8pm. Some matches were nearly too close to call, others were clear victories- but all were exciting to watch nonetheless, providing a great atmosphere for fAABI beneficiaries to unwind and enjoy competing against each other.
The games kicked off with a tense match between the Bolton Wanderer’s (Alan) and Walsall (Ben). Despite Walsall giving their best effort, the match ended in Bolton’s favour- securing a 1-0 lead. Next was Millwall (Bharat) up against Hull City (Steve). After admirable efforts from the defences of both teams, the match ended in a draw at 0-0, which meant it was up to a penalty shootout to determine their fates. Hull City emerged victorious, scoring 2-1 against their worthy opponents. Gillingham (Alan) were up next, against Cardiff City (Bharat). A strong effort from Cardiff City, but Gillingham gave it their best and finished at 1-0. The match between Brentford (Ben) and Oxford United (Steve) kept everyone fascinated, but despite a spirited Brentwood fightback, ultimately Oxford United took home the victory, finishing at 2-1.
The final two games were played as ‘doubles matches’, where Sheffield Weds (Steve & Ben) suffered a disappointing defeat against Luton Town (Bharat & Alan), who called it at 1-0. Last but not least, a match that kept everyone on their toes, with the first appearance of a premier league team in the cup- Manchester United (Steve & Bharat) against Reading (Ben & Alan). Coming too close at times, the audience must have feared a draw- but ultimately Manchester United proved their capabilities and finished with a brilliant goal, leaving the match at 1-0.
Results of the second session of Subbuteo are in!
This week, Everton (Alan & Bharat) and Lincoln City (Steve & Jen) kicked us off. The fans witnessed a lot of back and forth, and the two teams ended the game tied at 1-1, leaving their fates down to a penalty shootout – Jen duly stepped up to the mark and delivered the win for Lincoln, emerging with a glorious cup upset! Next up was Tranmere Rovers against Tottenham Hotspur, and much to the delight of some audience members, Tottenham unfortunately lost 1-0. All players are anonymised to protect the guilty! A northern contest was up next, with Preston North End playing against fierce competitors Doncaster Rovers, who won 2-1 In was this match that saw the best goal of the night, with a smooth passing move between Jen and Bharat, finishing with a shot being blasted beyond the reach of Steve’s goalie. Unfortunately this was a consolation goal for Preston and two seconds later the final whistle blew, leaving Doncaster to progress to round 4. The final match was another northern affair between Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. The pre-match interview with the Newcastle manager resulted in a quote “I would love it if we get to round 4”. Despite Newcastle’s admirable effort, Blackburn secured a 1-0 victory, resulting in a somewhat dejected Newcastle manager!
fAABI is back with the results of the third session of weekly Subbuteo matches!
Tensions were high and competitors were strong, but victories were clear…
Chelsea (Alan & Steve) and Nottingham Forest (Bharat & Jen) kicked us off this week. After a long match of back and forth, Nottingham Forest proved their supremacy, and stole the game at 2-1. Next up was Crystal Palace (Alan & Bharat), who suffered an unfortunate 3-2 defeat against Grimsby Town (Jen & Steve). Derby County played against Southampton next, and despite being fierce competitors, Derby County were unable to stand their ground against Southampton, who stood their ground at 1-0. Accrington Stanley and Ipswich Town played the last match of the third session, but our players weren’t to be underestimated… Accrington Stanley secured the last victory of the night, but cutting it close at 2-1.
Join us for Subbuteo next week, where our contestants will continue their efforts to emerge victorious and enter the draw for the 4th round of the FA Cup.
Results for session 4 of Subbuteo, which took place on Monday 25th March, are out…
Bristol City were up first, against Huddersfield Town. After a tense match, Bristol City scored the winning goal.
Newport County and Leicester City were up next… Another tense match that was ultimately called by Newport.
Fulham were victorious in their match against Oldham Athletic, keeping the 1-0 gap throughout the game. Shrewsbury Town secured their triumph with an epic goal against Stoke City… who were courageous in spite of their defeat.
fAABI is back with the results of the fifth session of weekly Subbuteo matches! Tensions were high and competitors were strong, but victories were clear…
Unfortunately there were no reporters this week, so all you get are the results!
fAABI is back with the results of the sixth session of weekly Subbuteo matches!
Tensions were high and competitors were strong, but victories were clear…
This week, Sheffield United kicked us off against Barnet, and a quality move a shot from Jen sealed the win.
Next up was Norwich City against Portsmouth… Alan stood rooted to the spot as Jen saw Barnet through to round 4. Bharat and Ben went to penalties to decide the outcome. Bharat kept his nerve to edge the game, but not before Ben saved a penalty!
By popular demand Jonathan and Steve were asked to play an exhibition match… and came head to head as Fleetwood Town and AFC Wimbledon. Goals-a-plenty ensured with Jonathan staging a late comeback…but in vain!
A draw for West Bromich Albion against Wigan Athletic meant it was left to penalties again for Wigan to emerge victorious thanks to Alan…
Another draw this round for Middlesbrough and Petersbrough United! Just before the penalties, Jen asked what ‘sudden death’ penalties were. Ben duly informed her by winning 1-0!
Liverpool, much to their dismay, were dumped out of the cup with Jen and Alan defeating Ben and Bharat as the Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties!
The last game was a triple-sided game, with Steve, Jen and Bharat as Aston Villa emerging gloriously victorious against their crest-fallen opponents Jonathan, Ben and Alan as Swansea City.
That completes the matches in the 3rd round of the Cup. The 4th round matches commence…
The fourth round of the cup got under way this week with 6 matches, with teams looking to progress to the last 16.
Steve and Alan representing Bolton Wanderers got taught a lesson in sudden death penalties by Hull City’s Jen and Bharat.
Jonathan’s Oxford United became a little disunited when Ben’s Gillingham scored the decisive goal.
A big upset here with Bharat and Steve (representing Man Utd), equalising late on against Ben and Jen playing for Luton Town, only to lose 2-1 on penalties. Man Utd go out…
A comprehensive victory for Alan and Lincoln City, with a bullet shot from distance finishing off Jonathan’s Tranmere Rovers.
When Jen is in this mood Ben and Jonathan were always going to be up against it. Despite Ben saving a penalty for Blackburn Rovers, Jen and Alan’s Doncaster triumphed 2-1
It’s certainly not grim in Grimsby, with Bharat going 2 goals up against Steve, representing Notts Forest.
A late consolation goal didn’t change the result and it’s Grimsby in the last 16!
The next 6 matches of the fourth round of the cup were played this week with some hard fought games and the odd cup upset.
The Saints went marching in first, with Southampton up against Accrington Stanley. After a goalless game, Alan scored the deciding penalty.
The minnows of Newport County captained by Jen had the edge against Ben’s Bristol City – Penalties did it for Jen, who is rapidly turning into the penalty queen.
A high quality game saw a spectacular goal by Ben’s Fulham cancelled out by some quality flicking by Bharat. Fulham were victorious in the sudden-death penalty shoot-out.
An epic penalty shoot-out saw Jen’s Man City trading blows with Alan’s Blackpool, and after 8 shots each Man City scraped through 5-4.
When Ben was offered West Ham as his team to play for, he politely declined(!) and chose to play instead with Brighton. Alan saw the Hammers through however, after the customary penalty shoot-out.
Steve (playing Burnley) was 1-0 up and comfortable, when in the last minute a foul gave Jen the chance to blast a free-kick passed 3 defenders into the back of the net.
That meant a penalty shoot-out, and that meant only one winner…(!) Watford duly progressed to the last 16.
FOURTH ROUND MATCHES – Remaining 4 games
Leeds Utd with their rich footballing heritage, were represented by Alan. Alan clearly felt at home close to his roots and navigated Leeds through Bharat’s Barnet to progress to the 5th round of the cup.
Jon took part in his first Subbuteo event and got off to a great start with a 1-0 win, representing Norwich City. Ben’s AFC Wimbledon still have to rely on past FA Cup glories.
The real test for any fAABI Subbuteo player a penalty shoot-out with Jen – the penalty shoot-out Queen! Jen’s Wigan prevailed 2-1 against Jon’s Peterborough. Henceforthwith ‘The Posh’ duly exited the cup whilst Wigan look set for a great run.
Here’s a clip of Jen’s controversial winning goal. The ref said “Saved – No goal!”, but VAR said “Hole in the net – Goal!”
The last two clubs from the midlands in this year’s cup played each other in this encounter. In the full size version of the game, it’s been a good season for Wolves, and this is being reflected in our miniature version of the game, with Ben and Jonathan seeing them through against Steve and Bharat’s Aston Villa.
FIFTH ROUND MATCHES – First 2 games
Alan was again representing ‘The North’ when Hull played Gillingham. However he must have got those foreboding feelings when the game went to penalties and he was facing Jen… It was one of those epic shoot-outs, with each player taking 7 shots. Eventually, with the light fading and all small children soundly asleep in their beds, Jen scored the winning goal. Here’s a clip of Alan’s penalty being saved by Jen’s goalie and then the post!
The tale of this match was an ill-timed substitution. Bharat had to go at half time and Steve took his place. Therein lay the tale. After some cracking goals, Ben, Bharat and Steve’s Luton Town were 2-1 up against Jon and Jonathan. It should have been plain sailing but for Steve giving away a stonewall penalty (just to clarify folks, Steve writes all the match reports, so no-one is being vilified unfairly here!)… Anyway, long story short – Steve lets in the penalty and the games ends 2-2. Steve then misses his shot in the ensuing penalty shoot-out, and promptly fails to save against Jonathan. Come back Bharat – all is forgiven!!
So we now have our first 2 cup quarterfinalists, Gillingham v Lincoln City… Joins us at our next session on Monday 3rd June, where we will find who the other 6 quarter-finalists will be. The games to be played are:
FIFTH ROUND MATCHES – Remaining games
This week we discovered who would make the 2018/19 fAABI FA Cup quarter-finals
Alan and Bharat played out this battle of the North, where stoic defences held firm, forcing a penalty shoot-out. Bharat emerged victorious, so it’s not too grim in Grimsby as they progress their legendary cup run!
Steve, determined to see his beloved Southampton win the cup once again, scored early on as a helpless Jonathan and Ben were left watching in wonder at the seer brilliance of play and the Saint went marking in! In a throw-back to the days of McCalliog, Channon. Stokes, Osgood and McMenemy, Southampton were unstoppable. Although Steve reminisced for too long and lost his concentration in the final minute as Ben took a sharp chance to equalised for Newport.
And so it came to pass the game went indeed to penalties, and with the sun shining on the righteous, the Saints finally went marching in to the quarter-finals!
A bad year for Fulham was compounded when they were knocked out by Manchester City, who keep their hopes of an extraordinary quadruple alive! Alan and Steve combined to create a guilt-edged chance which
Alan slotted past an observant (but not diving) goalkeeper held by Jonathan. Jonathan magnanimously acknowledged the quality finish, whilst also musing on his casual goalkeeping…
We offered Crystal Palace supporter Ben the opportunity to play for West Ham, which was an interesting discussion. Suffice to say that Ben chose Watford…
Bharat took West Ham and the game was decided by an entertaining shoot-out. It was also controversial as Bharat was sure he saved a spot kick. VAR was needed as it all happened too fast…
However, the slow-motion action replay revealed Bharat did in fact save the ball, but on the way out of the goal!
A great year for Norwich City was undermined when an own goal saw them lose against Leeds United. Alan offered his commiserations to Ben (whilst celebrating enthusiastically!), as Leeds added to the strong northern contingent progressing through to the quarter finals.
What a game to finish with! Bharat was unstoppable, latching onto lovely passes by Steve. Twice he found the bottom left corner of the goal as Jonathan’s keeper watched on, mesmerised…
With some amazing goalkeeping by Bharat against the ensuing onslaught by Jonathan the game should have been up, but with two minutes to go Jonathan scored what should have been a consolation goal…
And then, with the final kick of the game a Wolves forward hit a lucky shot, ricocheting against at least 2 defenders for the ball to sneak in past a confused Wigan keeper.
Wigan (Bharat and Steve) were clearly unsettled and promptly bottled the penalty shoot-out. Wolves emerged victorious as the only team from the Midlands to remain in the cup.
So we now have our quarterfinalists…
Joins us at our next session on Monday 10th June, where we these ties will be decided!
Manchester City v West Ham United
Leeds United v Wolverhampton wanderers
Gillingham v Lincoln City
Grimsby Town v Southampton
Eight teams battled it out in the 2018/19 fAABI FA Cup quarter-finals this week. Four were victorious and four will have to wait for another chance to play in the semi-finals.
An opening doubles match-up saw Jen and Ben looking after the Saints with Bharat and Alan (mainly Alan!) getting close to their Northern roots, playing for Grimsby. It was a midfield sort of affair, with precious few clear cut chances, and the inevitable penalty shoot-out ensued. Jen and Ben emerged victorious and the Saint went marching in to the semi-finals.
Bharat, playing Lincoln city had two penalties after some over-enthusiastic defending by Ben’s Gillingham. Ben’s keeper came to the rescue on both occasions however as Gillingham maintained a miraculous clear sheet! Lincoln also needed to defend stoutly at corner kicks with some close shaves in their own goalmouth, and did so successfully. The penalty shoot-out didn’t bode well for Lincoln though, with the two previously saved attempts. Once more Ben’s goalie did some 00-scale heroics and for the first time in history, Gillingham reach an FA cup semi-final.
Jen enthusiastically offered to play for West Ham, and faced Alan’s Manchester City. One thing Alan needed to avoid was another penalty shootout with the shoot-out queen. He didn’t manage to avoid this however and so it came down to shots! It was controversial as ever with one of Alan’s shots needing to be referred to the Video Assistant Referee. The issue was did Alan shoot before the referee said “shoot!”? The Video Assistant Referee rules in Alan’s favour and the goal stood. The judgement was that he shot after the “Shh…”, but arguably before the ‘oot’…! However you can be your own judge by watching the clip yourself…
This was all in vain however as Jen eventually emerged the winner 3-2. Manchester City exit the cup, and West Ham are still on track for re-living former glories!
Jonathan and Jen teamed up for Leeds, playing Alan and Ben representing Wolves. This proved to be a dream team set up for Leeds with some great passing and build up play. Eventually Jen split the defence with a what can only be described as a defence-splitting ball, and Jonathan berried the ball in the back of the Wolves net. This proved to be the winner and Leeds find themselves back in the big time!
So we now have our semi-finalists…
Joins us at our next session on Monday 24th June, where we both semi-finals and the final will be played.
Gillingham v Southampton
West Ham United v Leeds United
The semi-finals of the 2018/19 fAABI FA Cup saw some great action and a couple of stunning goals. The final was end-to-end with a late twist and penalty drama!
Semi-final 1
Gillingham 0 v 1 Southampton
The Mighty Gills of Kent took on the Saints of Hampshire. Steve and Alan (playing Southampton) were aptly pious and devout in the application to the task in hand, and a splendid through ball was converted ‘on-the fly’, leaving the hapless Gillingham goalie no chance. Jonathan and Ben tried in vain to recover, but to no avail, and it was A Wembley destiny for Southampton.
Semi-final 2
West Ham United 1 v 0 Leeds United
Ben, being a Crystal Palace fan requested he play for Leeds rather than West Ham, and joined Alan (our resident Northerner) seeking to relive the glory days of Lorimer, Bremner and Hunter. It transpired that the rumours ‘Norman Hunter bites yer legs’ were mostly unfounded in this match, and West Ham took their opportunity to progress to the final. Some opportune inter-passing between Jonathan and Steve culminated in a fine goal and despite some close attempts at the other end, the Hammers will be blowing their Bubbles down Wembley way!
Final
Southampton 1 v 1 West Ham United (Southampton win 3-2 on penalties)
This time Ben played avoided playing for West ham by teaming up with Steve to represent Southampton. A fine goal saw the Saints off to a great start and by the time Jonathan and Alan had recovered it was nearly half-time. A really promising West Ham attack was developing, but Ben intercepted the ball in the penalty area and shepherded the ball out of play with some deftly placed flicks. The second half became become ever more open with four end-to-end moves happening within the space of 90 seconds. Eventually something had to give and it was Alan’s pinpoint ball to Jonathan’s striker that saw West Ham pull level. The final whistle blew, signifying the 2018/19 fAABI FA Cup would be decided on penalties.
It was tense, with all players scoring their first shots, however it was Ben who broke the deadlock with a fine save, and then an unstoppable penalty kick to win the cup for Southampton! The Saints marched in and burst the West ham bubbles! The Southampton players celebrated early into the evening (but not late as we had to go home!)…
A special thanks to all who took part is the matches over the weeks, especially Jonathan, who volunteered whenever he could make it to referee, coach and play the ‘odd’ match when needed.
The final table of all the games played went down to the wire, with Jen pipping Alan on goal difference. Her prize is to look after the FA Cup trophy until the next time…
On the eve of the 2019 SoS OSC tournament, the Old Sods check out the Stadium of Fingers, which is set up for some end of summer Subbuteo Cricket.
Ever open to inspiration and unable to avoid the temptation to play a 00-scale test match between England and Australia, the inaugural Old Sods Subbuteo cricket match commences...
This clip shows the first ever piece of footage of the event, featuring Spudski bowling to Ute Ubo, watched on by Puffin, JohnClu48 and Donald 'Fabio' Crowhurst'...
One close-up video clip was taken for a hat-trick ball...
Ute, was having a purple patch with the ball and had already dispatched two fine Old Sods back to the pavilion...First Puffin, and then Fabio...
The hat-trick ball was fended off by an Older and Wiser Sod (Rocket), playing a solid forward defensive shot.
Even so, the ball nearly found a way through...
Fingers, tries to nullify the devastating Ute Ubo bodyline bowling, by taking a long stride down the pitch.
The tactic fails miserably and Australia are all out, beaten by an innings and 25 runs!
The Old Sods then strolled back to the pavilion to watch highlights of their game.
Suffice to say there was some plentiful sledging of the umpire with some suggested visits to the opticians...
This is the story of the unfinished season...
One day in 1976, three brothers decided to play a Subbuteo league - the youngest not yet 10 years old...
They had 12 teams between them, who competed for the league championship and the FA Cup...
Southampton, Chelsea, QPR, Man Utd, Watford, Norwich City, West Ham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Spurs and Man City.
Then more teams appeared, so in 1977 a 2nd division was needed. The top 6 teams formed the new first division (apart from Watford, who seemed to be lost for a few years!? ?), where they were joined by Everton, Hibs and Plymouth.
Leeds Utd were added to the second division. This belonged to the three brothers' Dad, who decided it was time to join in...
The seasons continued until 1983, but this season remains unfinished - just 4 games were left needing to be played...
Subbuteo produced a limited range of trophies. This one is the rare intact 3-handled League Cup. One of the holy grail accessories for 21st century collectors. In mint condition it could be worth up to £200. "The rarist by far of all Subbuteo trophies" (Subbuteo Emporium) "The League Cup is now the most sought-after trophy on the planet." (Subbuteo Online).
As this one was used for the Division 3 Cup and has tippex on the base, it is devalued by approximately £199... ?
The foul rule played in these games, was if a figures hits another figure before hitting the ball it was judged a foul. Obviously a foul because the player smacked into an opponent before playing the ball - a clear foul!
Apparently, this is a 'back' in Subbuteo rules, but these three brothers and the Dad didn't know this rule at the time. They played the foul rule as it clearly should be played if the figures were real people. I mean can you imagine if a football player runs up to an opponent and kicks his legs away, and then the referee says "go back to where you were" and then waves play-on??? ?
So, using this (more realistic) foul rule, there were plenty of fouls. If a player committed two fouls in a game they were booked, and a third foul meant they got sent off
The dirtiest player of the season? The 8th Southend's number 11 - Pete Osborne...
That was my thought as well Vik!! ?
However, the old 3-tier stadium does make for interesting incidents. I was playing my brother on Wednesday evening. We are still trying to finish off our 1983 seasons and we were playing a third division match between Cork Hibs and West Brom (my brother was West Brom, who were already relegated).
Cork Hibs were also playing their 9th and last game of the seasons and were destined for mid-table mediocrity, win lose or draw. So the game was played more for inspiration than points, and for the first time for probably 15 years we had reached half time 0-0 – not easy to do when you play 20 mins each way. There were loads of chances and close-shaves, but it seemed like the goals and goalkeepers were having a charmed existence.
For example, I was trying to pass back to my goalie from the edge of the defensive area, and because it’s too much hassle to walk round the table and lean over the 3 tiers, I leaned over from behind the goal turning my hand 180 degrees to play the ball back with my left hand holding the goalie’s rod.
This body position apart from looking ungainly and feeling uncomfortable, also lends itself to a certain lack of subtlety that such a delicate flick demands. Essentially, I ended up blasting the ball back to my goalie who promptly punched the ball straight into the west stand for a thrown-in! ?
Later I was attacking with the ball by the corner flag with my lone attacker on the goal line with 2 flicks left. My brother was tying me down with defensive flicks, but to do these flicks he had to let go of his goalie in order to play them. As there really wasn’t anything on I went for the old ‘flick the player along the goal-line whilst just glancing the ball, and then fire in a 'Hail-Mary' shot from 2 inches from the corner flag before my brother could take his defensive flick’ option.
I was astounded when this actually came off, but even more astounded when my brother’s unattended goalie pushed the shot round the post!! ??
The match carried on in this general chaotic vein until my brother scored what we thought at the time was the winner, in the 38th minute. It was one of those impossible to read shots where the player is 6 inches outside the shooting area and the ball 2 inches inside it. He was just able to lean over the 3 tiers to get right behind the player and caught the ball just right, slotting it inside my left-hand post.
He then played 9-0-1 for the last 2 minutes and 50 seconds! ?This tactic appeared to have worked with 7 seconds to go. He had just taken a goal kick that ricocheted off one of my players, and the ball had ended up right in my defending left hand corner arc. We both applauded the realism of such quality time-wasting tactics and we mentally prepared to play out the game by faffing around the corner flag. ?
My left back then played a blinder. First he curled 25 yards (00-scale!) and just touched the ball with his head (the ball was still nearer the touchline than the player). Then he did one of those ‘180-degree-tight-curl-right-around-the-ball’ type of flicks ? and ended up in the corner right next to the ball, with only one option of passing to the goalie. He kicked it hard to make sure it reached, forcing the standing goalie to boot the ball up the pitch whilst it was on the move. At this point my brother’s spidey-sense made him turn and head for his goalie.
A midfield player played the ball on through a tight gap and the ball ended up in the shooting area, with his players all around it. My only player with sight of the ball was 5 inches from the half-way line and slightly on the other side of the pitch to where I was flicking. So, on the tippiest of my left toes and with my right foot in the air, I had to lean as far over the 3 tiers and across the pitch as I could. My finger just reached, but it was total guesswork in aiming for the ball. From where I was leaning over the West Stand I had a great side view of this player catching the ball perfectly and seeing the ball blast inside my brother’s hapless keeper inside his right-hand post. He was initially stunned, and then when the full-time whistle went one second later, he just fell to the ground in a state of dejected hysteria!! ?
I love the effect this stadium can have on what is otherwise an orderly pastime! ?
So, 39 years after the season started, the First Division title decider was played, when a couple of the brothers caught up in March 2022!
The temptation to play a game for old times sake proved to be too much, and finally, Southampton and Chelsea took the field to play the final game of the first division, with Saints just needing a draw to end on top...
The rules were played as back then. 20 minutes each way, with no defending flicks allowed until the team in possession crossed the half-way line. This rule needs more consideration. It takes the incessant pace out of the game and creates a more relaxed atmosphere. A chance to step away from the table and enjoy the defensive action, or take a sip or two of a glass of Mackerson...
Oddly, no goals for the first half an hour, until with 10 minutes to go , when Hollins fired Chelsea ahead!
But then with a minute to go, after some intense Saints pressure Osgood fouled in his own penalty area (what was he doing there??)...and he got booked! ?
Channon slotted in the winner, and the Saints have finally marched back in!