C135 - VIP Presentation Set

This was a favorite of mine. On every cup final day in my Subbuteo calendar the VIP's would be out in force, along with the ball boys, press pack and even Ken Baily. On the final ring of the timer the winning team would be lined up around the center circle and the presentation of the cup made by the Queen, accompanied by Prince Phillip, The Queen Mum plus two undercover bodyguards. For extra realism, I'd fill the replica FA Cup (C128) with Guinness from my Mum's glass and we'd drink a toast to the winning side. Obviously being only ten, I'd get out of my face on around ten FA Cup's worth of Guinness and end up either abusing Ken's rattle or demolishing the TV stand staggering around the living room. This set bought last year on eBay for £3.00 on a buy it now, still having the cup on the sprue in the original stapled packet. £3.00 might sound a bargain, but the seller put his location as 'toyland' on the auction and it wasn't until he sent the end of auction eBay invoice that he came clean and said he was really based in Singapore and postage was $20.00 donkey express or $43.00 insured airmail, I went for the $20.00 donkey option and it arrived five months and two days later.

C157 - Subbuteo New World Cup

I am led to believe that Subbuteo were forced to make their own version of the New World Cup due to a licensing technicality in reproducing the FIFA World Cup, the problem was sorted out and the official replica appeared a couple of years later. This leaves C157 as quite a rare and desirable item to collectors. I was actually quite disappointed with mine after I finally tracked one down, as it has to be the worst made and less detailed of all the trophies ....and you can't drink Guinness from it either.

Repaint

I often wonder when I get these in collections what the owner was trying to achieve? If anyone knows what this team is then please email me and I'll give you a credit for identifying it!
February 2003 - Phil from Berkshire has kindly sent me an email identifying the mystery team as non other than the Oxford College of Further Education team from the 1980/81 season and he should know, as he actually played for them! He does stress that to be totally accurate, the shirt colour should have been painted in more of a shade of green similar to that of number 78.

Tan Rugby Fence set RR

I've had this for a few years now and am starting to wonder if its quite rare in the brown box? I've never seen another one as most rugby fences are in green football type boxes with a round tan sticker to denote the colour.

ref: 41 off eBay

One of the first teams I bought off eBay in '97, the auction didn't have a picture, just said '1970's Subbuteo team Liverpool reference 41 in very good condition, no breaks or glues' I had already spent £15.00 on a Liverpool, but at the time I didn't know the difference between heavies and lightweights, so ended up with a zombie Liverpool that wasn't anything like the one I had as a kid, anyway this time I was convinced I had finally got the heavyweight I'd lost all those years ago. Then it arrived and the moral of this story is.....

ref: 49 - Dundee United

When I got this I looked at it every night before I went to sleep for a month. It has gold inners and outers and is in the original numbered green and white box with wire goalie, there are no breaks or glues, just little paper numbers stuck to the bases which as a rule I'd soak off. But not this one. What else could a man ask for I ask? Should the house catch fire, I would return and save this. If I go on some reality desert island TV show, I'd take this as my one personal possession ahead of the toothbrush. I would gladly sell myself to medical science before I sold this one. If terrorists abducted my girlfriend and wanted my number 49 as ransom for her safe return, I think I'd let them keep her.

set W - The Timer Device

I had strange flashbacks when I heard this 'device' ring for the first time in over 25 years recently. It brought back memories of the times before my mate Simon bought this expensive accessory, I'd cheat on the exact time played in order to try to get the extra goal to get the draw. Sadly, with the addition of the dreaded timer, my losing few minutes were often spent looking at this thing ticking away at 150 decibels rather than concentrating on the pitch. Relive those frantic last seconds by clicking on the 'interactive' picture of the timer.

1960's Red Fence

Came from the back of a storeroom of a toy shop that closed in the 1990's and is totally mint... like the floodlights.

ref: 13 - Blackpool

An original Subbuteo paint job. The dilemma of the painter is that he or she has overdone the flesh on the head, the error has been corrected by simply dropping the shirt down to a nice off the shoulder number to fit in the white trim around the bare flesh. Classic Friday afternoon cottage industry Subbuteo!