Subbuteo Villa Park

[LeeB]

There was only one table top football game worth it's salt when I was a kid and that was Tomy Super Cup Football.

[Fred Crump]

Aah, Subbuteo, happy memories. I spent most of my final year at junior school playing monster tournaments with my mates organised by our teacher Mr Baxter. It was much more fun than swotting for the 11 plus. As I recall there was controversy in the semi final of our version of the 1970 World Cup when a free scoring Pele was horribly injured when the Italian captain ( me )  ‘accidentally’ stood on him breaking him off his base and severing his right leg in the process. Emergency surgery with Araldite epoxy glue meant he was able to take the field in the final but he was never the same threat as a unidexter and England retained the cup trouncing a shell shocked but uniformly expressionless Brazil 6-0.

[old man villa fan]

In the good old days any self respecting toy shop or department would have had loads of teams to choose from.

Bought my Villa and Brazil teams from Harry Parkes in the Pitman Chambers building on Corporation Street.

[Nunkin1965]

I spent weeks saving my pocket money for a Subbuteo FA Cup from Clive Smith Sports Shop in Rubery about 45 years ago.
I can still recall handing over my hard earned cash while staring transfixed at the plastic containers of live maggots on his counter!

[exigo]

A mate's just sent me this beauty. The kit looks early 80s, although the packaging looks older.

[hilts_coolerking]

I think it's great.  Top man.

[algy]

We had a large Subbuteo league in Lichfield in the 1990s which ran for ~12 seasons.  Everyone picked a real-life English or Scottish team to play as.  I was lucky enough to be Villa throughout, but there was always a big rush to "manage" any team that played in something vaguely like claret & blue ... West Ham, Burnley, Scunthorpe United, Crystal Palace, and Heart of Midlothian all enjoyed unusually high levels of support in the WS13 postcode - along with Tranmere Rovers on account of their occasional claret & blue away kits

[PeterWithesShin]

I reckon it could be early 70s and based on this kit

[Rudy65]

   
  1971...1st Subbuteo set, you always got a red & white, + blue & white team in the basic set which I added to with a Brazil & Villa team. Got the self adhesive numbers applied to the teams , scratched the hair off our number 9 & we were good to go. Always found that a decent bit of hardboard beneath the pitch worked wonders for long range shots.

Same year And same colours as me. I think it was based on England’s and W Germany’s away kits

Played on carpet. Never had many Of the accessories except scoreboard and throw in players (who were rubbish). Initially played with the big ball, which was huge, and then changed to the smaller one which was more realistic. Plenty of knee patches needed in those days. Used to have a league of 6 mates and used to play home and away at each other’s houses much to the bemusement of our parents. QPR was my favourite kit. Played with my son when he was younger and he loved it and then came the x box / FIFA.......Great game Subbuteo

[Allan C]

My first International subbuteo team was Bulgaria bought from Harry Parkes shop in town. Loved the colours. This was followed by Peru who looked quite smart in the all white kit with diagonal red band.

[BoVillan esq]

There was only one table top football game worth it's salt when I was a kid and that was Tomy Super Cup Football.

The board game Wembley was crazy, apparently you can still get it, used to be great though, right from the first round to the cup final, brilliant stuff, sill have to say Subbuteo takes some beating.

[Godfrey Brian]

I saved for ages to buy the cheapest version from the Co-op in the mid 60's. It came with the bases, slot in cardboard players and rigid plastic goals. Most of the game was spent slotting the players back into their bases. Harry Parkes' was my supplier  of choice when I graduated to buying proper plastic teams.

[FrankyH]

What was the football game called , where you pushed the player's head down to make him kick the ball ?

[go on the dog]

Striker

[FrankyH]

That's the one, thanks.