Subbuteo blog
Working on the ultimate guide to #Subbuteo—the history, the legends, the love of the flick-to-kick game. Support the project via PayPal: Dthomas123@usa.com
TabletopFootball #RetroGaming #SubbuteoCommunity #SubbuteoBook #VintageToys #SupportIndieAuthors
"SUBBUTEO – THE GAME OF SKILL, THE GAME OF THRILLS!"
As featured in the parlours and drawing rooms of Britain’s finest homes!
Step right up, young sportsman, and discover the most marvellous miniature game ever devised! SUBBUTEO—where the grand spectacle of Association Football comes to life upon your very own tabletop.
Invented in 1947 by the ingenious Mr. Peter Adolph, a gentleman of vision and bird-watching pursuits, this splendid pastime brings to you the thunderous roar of the terraces and the thrill of the final whistle—all in the comfort of your home.
Once sold as humble kits with cardboard figures and wire legs, SUBBUTEO has grown into a triumph of craftsmanship: exquisite hand-painted players, lush green cloth pitches, and all the trappings of the stadium game—goals, referees, floodlights, and more!
No batteries, no wires, no fuss—just pure, flicking fun! Whether you fancy yourself as Matthews or Mortensen, Beckenbauer or Best, this is your game.
So, rally your friends, ready your fingers, and step into a world where heroes are made in one-inch boots.
SUBBUTEO: The game you play, the game you live, the game you’ll never forget.
Chapter One: The Start of the Game
Flicking Into History – The Birth of Subbuteo
The story of Subbuteo begins not on a football pitch, but in the mind of a former RAF man named Peter Adolph. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Britain was a land in recovery—ration books, make-do-and-mend, and a yearning for the return of peacetime pleasures. Football, the people’s game, had been sorely missed. With stadiums damaged and travel limited, many longed for a way to recapture the excitement of the matchday experience.
In 1946, Peter Adolph applied for a trademark for a game he’d been developing during the war. He initially wanted to call it simply “The Hobby,” but that name had already been taken. So he chose Subbuteo—the Latin name for the Eurasian hobby bird, Falco subbuteo, a clever nod to his ornithological interests.
The very first Subbuteo sets weren’t the neatly boxed plastic editions fans remember today. Instead, early kits were made up of cardboard players with paper bases, balanced on half-pennies, accompanied by a cloth pitch marked out with chalk. Players had to send off for their set via post, often receiving just instructions and materials to cut out and assemble the game themselves.
Adolph promoted the game through small advertisements in boys' magazines and newspapers, offering a way to play "Association Football in the home." What started as a humble mail-order curiosity quickly grew into a household sensation. By the late 1940s, Subbuteo was capturing the imagination of football lovers across Britain—and it wouldn’t stop there.
This was the beginning of something extraordinary. Subbuteo wasn’t just a game—it was a portal to Anfield, Wembley, the San Siro, and beyond. It gave boys and men alike the chance to live out their footballing dreams, all from the comfort of the living room floor.
The whistle had blown. The first flick had been taken. Subbuteo had begun.
Chapter Two: The Golden Era
Subbuteo’s Rise to Glory – 1960s to 1980s
By the early 1960s, Subbuteo had become more than just a quirky pastime—it was a phenomenon. The game had evolved, replacing its original cardboard figures with beautifully detailed, hand-painted plastic players standing atop the now-iconic weighted bases. These were the golden years—when Subbuteo was king of the kitchen table, and every flick was a moment of magic.
As television brought football into people’s homes, Subbuteo brought it to their fingertips. The game mirrored the rise of modern football. Teams were available in dozens of authentic colour combinations, allowing fans to recreate matches between club and international sides. Boys didn’t just support their favourite teams—they played them, managed them, and built rivalries in miniature leagues that lasted for years.
Subbuteo’s catalogue grew fast. By the mid-70s, the range included referees, floodlights, ball boys, TV cameras, and entire crowds of painted spectators. You could even buy a scoreboard and substitute benches. For the true enthusiast, it was possible to create a fully immersive stadium environment, complete with fencing, dugouts, and advertising hoardings. And for many, the ultimate dream was owning the green baize pitch, rolled out like a sacred carpet on match day.
The game’s popularity soared not only in the UK but across Europe and beyond. Italy, Spain, France, and even South America embraced Subbuteo with passion. Competitive leagues and international tournaments sprang up, with players honing techniques that could make the ball curl, chip, or even spin—a true art form in flicking finesse.
No other football game could match its charm or depth. In the pre-digital age, Subbuteo was pure magic—tactile, strategic, and endlessly imaginative. Children became commentators, managers, and fans all at once. Fathers played sons. Brothers clashed in championship deciders. And every home had its own “Wembley” moment.
Subbuteo had captured the hearts of a generation. And though times would change, the echoes of this golden era still flicker in the memories of those who played under the glow of floodlights—plastic ones, clipped to the table’s edge.
TBC...