flick footballers (Subbuteo)

Member Name: ajbluestar

Product:	Subbuteo
Date:	05/11/09 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: classic football game

Disadvantages: pieces can break, crawling around on your knees

Subbuteo is best described as a table top version of a real football game aiming to simulate a football match in your living room with mainly plastic figures on a a 'pitch' which is a bit like a mat or sheet with the markings of a football pitch on it. Due to the size of the actual 'pitch' it was and is probably more likely to be found played on the floors of rooms. The first set was produced and released in 1947 by a man named Peter Adolph. It is now sold and marketed under the Hasbro company.

The game requires you to flick the playing pieces (footballers) which stand on weighted bases, across the tabletop mat towards the ball, which is oversized . You need to flick the ball using the playing pieces towards the goal to score past a goalkeeper who has an extended piece on the back of his figure to move across the goal and save the ball from going into the net.

Part of Subbuteo's appeal was the vast array of interesting accessories produced. As well as the two teams pieces that came with the original box you could buy extra teams which included a lot of the major English and European as well as international teams. It also included a number of other accessories such as referees and linesman, the dugout, floodlight pylons and for the more posh people a stadium pack.

I had a set which was a present and it was quite a fun thing to have at the time. I did also buy a few of the extras but not the very luxurious accessories such as the stadium packs. The game does require a good level of dexterity and skill. You do need some good hand eye co ordination in order to flick your teams player to hit the ball towards the goal. The pitch was too big to fit on most tables so it became "Subbuteo Floor football". There was lots of crawling around on your knees which didn't help in trying to prevent breakages. The players and other figures did tend to break if you obviously stepped on them but also if you flicked them too hard. The pieces weren't that sturdy.

I didn't really have any tactics or skills when I was playing but if you are a big fan and want some tactical aspects to the game there is an interesting read for you on the following web site.

"To attack well, you have to flick well"

http://subbuteo.iougs.com/tactics.shtml

Games such as these are a lot less popular these days due to the influence of the more realistic and virtual video games such as Fifa and pro evolution soccer. Despite that it is a classic game amongst football fans.

Summary: a classic fotball game with some flaws