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Subbuteo is a set of board games simulating team sports such as football, cricket, both codes of Rugby and hockey, although many people associate the name Subbuteo exclusively with the football version. The name comes from Falco subbuteo, a bird of prey commonly known as the Eurasian Hobby, after a trademark was not granted to its creator Peter Adolph to call the game The Hobby.
Subbuteo is a physical simulation of the sport, involving dexterity and skill in flicking the playing pieces, which stand on weighted bases, across the tabletop mat towards the ball. Note that the ball is in fact hugely out of scale in comparison to the figures for ease of use. In fact, the Subbuteo football stands almost as tall as the players!
What makes the game different from most other tabletop sports games are the hundreds of team kits and accessories. While most games feature only two teams (usually "red vs blue" or "white vs black"), Subbuteo has several team designs, all for real teams. While some of them could obviously be used by different teams, there are several unique kits, such as Sampdoria or Soviet Union, and even unpainted models. There are also many additional accessories, such as new balls and goals, special figures for free kicks and throw-ins, stands and crowd, streakers and policemen, floodlights, and TV cameras.
Given the number of specialised components and optional accessories, Subbuteo can be expensive for a hobby, but not as much as other tabletop games like Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Some enthusiasts collect accessories, and older sets can achieve high prices. "Swap meets" are held as an inexpensive means for enthusiasts to improve their collections.
Subbuteo also has a long-established competitive circuit, where it is known by the term sports table football. There is a world governing body, FISTF, and a World Championship every year.
Rules of Subbuteo
The rules of Subbuteo table football correspond quite closely with the sport itself. Players maintain possession as long as the figure they flick makes contact with the ball and the ball does not subsequently hit an opposing figure, although the same figure cannot be used for more than 3 consecutive flicks. Shots at goal can be taken once the ball is over the 'shooting line', a line parallel to and equidistant between the goal line and half-way line. Goalkeeper figures are attached to a rod that fits underneath the back of the goal.
Pop Culture
Subbuteo's prominence as a significant part of the game-playing youth of Britain - particularly in the 1970s and '80s - is demonstrated by various references to it in the pop culture of the last couple of decades. Two pop songs, in particular, have featured significant reference to it - the most famed being The Undertones' 1980 hit single "My Perfect Cousin", which mentioned being beaten at Subbuteo by the titular cousin (referencing the game's popular slogan, "Flick to Kick!"). The cover of the single also featured a Subbuteo figure in the colours of the band's hometown team, Derry City.
In addition, the game was the main subject of the Wirral punk band Half Man Half Biscuit's B-side "All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit". It was the flip side to their 1986 breakthrough single "The Trumpton Riots". The lyrics start off discussing setting up a Scalextric set, but then move into a detailed breakdown of every kid's memories of playing Subbuteo against his mates. Followers of HMHB often wear replica Dukla Prague away kits to gigs. Although hundreds of teams were replicated in the Subbuteo range in the 70s and 80s, a Dukla Prague away kit was never produced.
Subbuteo is also mentioned in the song Five Man Army from the 1991 album Blue Lines by Bristol's well known Trip Hop artists Massive Attack.
Two famed British sitcoms also make reference to the game. In an Series II, episode 5 of Red Dwarf, Queeg, it is mentioned as a possible game for a challenge match between two computers (eventually losing out to the somewhat more cerebral chess), while in an episode of Black Books entitled "The Big Lock-Out", a Subbuteo playing piece became the unintentional cause of a night of misery for book-shop owner Bernard Black and his assistant Manny.
See also
External links
- Official Subbuteo website
- International Federation
- Players Forum
- Little Plastic Men Subbuteo Web Site
- American Subbuteo Association
- Euro 2004 goals in Subbuteo
- Subbuteo Tribute Website
- Subbuteo LightWeight Website
- Superbuteo, a 3d multiplayer online game based on Subbuteo.
- The SUBBUTEO technical page, illustrated rules, tactics, practice drills, etc for the beginner Subbuteo/table soccer player.
- Solo Subbuteo Syndicate, for lonely Subbuteo players.
- SubbuteoFan.it
- Subbuteo Shop in Wales
- * The Maryland Subbuteo Club (league)
"Subbuteo"