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Subbeteo,come-on own up.







MF'84

A load of Bolanos
Jul 26, 2012
301
Derbyshire
I had the USA '94 set for Christmas (probably '94 from the bargain bins rather than Christmas '93..!) which I think came with USA and Brazil. I definitely had Brighton, Germany, England and randomly Notts County / Newcastle. Had Arsenal too I think.

Like many of you I had various pitch-side accessories with the picket fencing, dugouts, camera crews and police (one on horesback), scoreboard and trophies plus a selection of different match balls (the Adidas orange Tango balls being the preferred choice). I had the standard pitch tacked onto some hardboard with raised beaded edge. Tried the astro turf pitch at a mates and it was rubbish.

I think it's all still in the loft at my parents place along with the Scalextric... (whole other thread there!).

Happy days.
 


Prince Monolulu

Everything in Moderation
Oct 2, 2013
10,201
The Race Hill
Still better imho, especially if you had the 'diving' goalkeepers rather than the Gary Sprake design, prone to chucking it into your own net.

striker-game.jpg
 








BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
17,138
I also had the 5 a side version, Football Express.

Subbuteo cricket was ok but having to lean across the pitch to bat and bowl ensured casualties nearly every match.

They did Rugby and Fishing (or have I made this up?)

Ha We had rugby, I can confirm. I think our cousins gave it to us because it was a bit shit

Pict4803.jpg
 


Lankyseagull

One Step Beyond
Jul 25, 2006
1,839
The Field of Uck
Still got all of mine safely stowed away up in the loft - complete floodlit set, "electronic" scoreboard (as previously pictured on this thread), loads of teams, some five-a-side teams, several sets of goals, lots of balls and a couple of throw-in figures. I also have the cricket set (minus 2 stumps) complete with spectators in deck-chairs, sight screens and a groundsman with a heavy roller. I used to have an F A Cup, but I think it got stood on at some point and binned.

Obtained a lot of it from car boot sales when I was in my teens. I have plenty of bags of random players that you can't make a full team from. I think my best car boot find was the cricket set even though some bits were missing.

Looking forward to the day that I can get it down from the loft for my two sons to enjoy!
 


METALMICKY

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2004
6,092
Had the lot
3 grandstands down both sides a couple of opening terracing plus the 4 corner opening terracing, 4 floodlights, tv gantry, electronic scoreboard (well sort of) Corner kickers, picket fencing plus the beautiful World Cup coloured goal nets (red & blue)
Plus about 30 different teams ranging from Brazil Arsenal Leeds Albion and even Luton Town

And therein is my point. Personally I thought all the extras were great but I just thought the mechanics of the game were poor compared to Striker particularly the one with the diving keepers.
 






SUA Seagull

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2016
408
Stratford-upon-Avon
My first Subbuteo set was a present from my parents in the early 70s. It was the basic kit; two teams, one red shirts/white shorts, one blue shirts/white shorts. Unable to purchase a team with Albion’s strip where I lived in East London, I painted tiny white stripes on the blue team to create my own BHA….all my mates thought it was Inter Milan! I used to play for hours on end with my mates and we had leagues and competitions amongst the lads at school. Over the years, many of my players were trodden on, some repeatedly, and repaired with a light brown Evo Stik glue, which always slightly melted their legs and in the end I had a team of swarthy, short-legged players resembling Diego Maradona in stature. A couple of them had no legs at all and were glued to the base via their waist! Not the most aerodynamic when it came to “flick to kick” (…god, I hated the “draggers”. Cheats!) My mum had very limited vision and I recall that many of my players met an untimely, dusty demise via her hoover. What often started out as an 11-a-side game would end up as 5-a-side after she’d passed by doing the housework, but we never had the heart to tell her. I eventually bequeathed my entire collection to a younger cousin and never heard about it again. Had Subbuteo cricket too, which was actually quite tricky to play. Great memories reading other posters’ recollections too. Different, more innocent times.
 


timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,932
Sussex
Had loads of the odd accessories like the shooting practice thing you attached onto the goal with holes to shoot through.
:



Thank you SOP. I would never ever have remembered that piece of plastic and not sure if it improved my game. I think I used to buy my subbuteo stuff in AA Baker in London Road. Would that be right? Each team used to have two black players, and a repaired player was "never the same after breaking his legs".

Happy memories from the 70s along with my 6 X 3 snooker table with short cues, the chalk and a slope to the top RH pocket. Despite all the warnings I've never seen the cloth get ripped.
 




Aug 11, 2003
2,728
The Open Market
There seemed to be a run on Aston Villa when I had my first set (1977) and bought more from AA Baker. Other friends had them too.

The great thing was - the standard red team and blue team that came with the box really could have been Everton / Leicester / Birmingham or Bristol City / Charlton / Nottingham Forest thanks to the simple, clear plainness of the shirts; without silly trim or psychedelic watermarks.

Oh, and played it on the floor. The fabric of the carpet statically held the pitch I'm place beautifully. Of course that meant risking kneeling on a player. Or the match being delayed by a cat on the pitch, pawing the ball away...
 


D

Deleted User X18H

Guest
I got my first pitch already mounted on a piece of board second had from someone on Findon Close.

Then eventually moved on to a rolled up astro turf pitch.

I had interchangeable goalkeeper and throw in takers on springs.
 


maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
13,054
Zabbar- Malta
Had the lot
3 grandstands down both sides a couple of opening terracing plus the 4 corner opening terracing, 4 floodlights, tv gantry, electronic scoreboard (well sort of) Corner kickers, picket fencing plus the beautiful World Cup coloured goal nets (red & blue)
Plus about 30 different teams ranging from Brazil Arsenal Leeds Albion and even Luton Town

I had the flat plastic players not the 3D version :( ( I inherited about 20 teams when my older cousin "grew out of it" ) I did buy a couple of the moulded player teams but remember that they didn't roll as well and just stayed upright and skidded.

I would love to know how many hours of fun I had with that game.

I did get floodlights for Christmas though.
 








Gary Leeds

Well-known member
May 5, 2008
1,526
jump to 1.31 to save wasting your life and 2 of my hand painted teams are on there, the chewit wrapper play off final and the 2011 home kit, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18943268

There is still a club in worthing who meet once a week for a beer and a laugh who are always looking for new (or old) playesr who are not looking to take things serious

For those with a hoard in the attic, you do know you could be sitting on a small fortune? Some of the old hand painted HW teams, if in good condition and boxed, can go for 200-300 quid a pop. Even some of the accessories like the large crowd control fences can get 70-80 quid if they are boxed. But sorry, the standard brown low fence that everyone has and the digital scoreboards are virtually worthless
 


marshy68

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2011
2,868
Brighton
I had a pitch stuck onto a sheet of hardboard, also had the fence all round the pitch. I did have a few other accessories like dug outs and the FA Cup.
Can't remember exactly how many teams I had but I bought some in the London Road Co-op. I'm sure I had a Brighton team but i did have a West Ham team with the Admiral kit with the multiple v design on the shirt.


Yep I had my pitch nailed to hardboard too was excellent for chipping the ball. My favourite player was broken so many times, I glued him with the airfix glue and eventually his legs melted... I used to spend ages painting players as well. At the time I thought they looked great but in reality I suspect they were a shambles.... Happy memories.
 




wallyback

Well-known member
Jun 22, 2011
1,406
Brighton
I had quite a few teams.

I especially remember updating the 1974 Holland kit, removing the white cuffs, plus adding a black badge.

Best of all adding Johan Neekens mullet!

Oh and making some of the Brazilians white.
 


1234andcounting

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2008
1,609
Still have mine, all packed neatly away in a box, along with other stuff from my childhood. Lots of different teams. The pitch was glued to a piece of hardboard cut to size, courtesy of my dad. I think I may still have the Jules Rimet Trophy which, like the European Cup, was about 10x the size of the players. Am I right in thinking they also did tiny numbers to stick on the shirts. Terribly fiddly do do, I seem to recall.
 


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