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These are the Subbuteo figure type that started my fascination with Subbuteo. I am not alone, as these are the most popular of all in collectors circles.
If you grew up in the 70s, as I did, and enjoyed football then it is likely you played Subbuteo too.
Many of the teams featured in these pages are ones I bought myself with my pocket money or pay my friend Lawrence used to give me for helping him with his paper round. I remember buying most of them. Partly because of the pleasure they have given me down the years and also from the memory of Mrs Hyland, the lady who owned the shoe shop which also dabbled in Subbuteo.
She lived three doors down from me, and her son was obviously a major fan of Subbuteo and he influenced the stock in the shop, as she used to mention him often. Though bizarrely I never remember seeing him!
She never seemed that pleased to see our small gang descend upon her shop and ask for the Subbuteo catalogue. Probably as we would usually to ask her to take down virtually every team from the shelves behind the counter. I vividly remember one time when I went alone, after asking for about 10 teams which she didn't have, I chanced upon a Ref 176 - Zaire. On opening the box we dicovered that the 'keeper was broken. Despite my asking for a replacement from another box she flatly refused and said her son would glue it. I walked home with the Ref 7 Throw in figures and pack of balls I had bought as consolation.
I always wish I'd bought that team, as the throw in figures were pretty rubbish, the ball either went behind you or half way across the room. Also because I rarely swaped over my 'keeper between games anyway so wouldn't have missed him.
The rest of the teams are from all the usual sources. Some were bought for me by my mum and brother and later additions were picked up at sports and toy shops, second hand shops, charity shops, from friends and ebay.
Ref 7
West Ham Utd.
Though also Aston Villa and Burnley and Aldershot.
Ref 1
One of the two standard teams that came with box sets.
Many teams have been associated with this ref - Bournemouth, Barnsley, Man Utd, Brechin, Aberdeen and Wrexham being just a few.
Ref 2
Along with Ref 1 this is one of the standard teams that came with box sets.
Many teams over the years have worn these colours, among them Everton, Gillingham, Leicester, Rangers and Ipswich.
Ref 3 - West Bromwich Albion
Unknown ref
I have placed this team at ref 4 as Stoke City have worn this strip over the years.
I bought this team on ebay and believe it to be a genuine team. I can't rule out that it has been repainted/touched up at some time, but as Stoke isn't a particularly rare ref I feel this is unlikely.
Ref 5 - Manchester City
Ref 6 - Wolves
I believe this team was originally a ref 77 but was badly overpainted to represent 211. The additional trim was very poorly done, so much so, that it could have even been an original Subbuteo job, but the touched up flesh was the give away. Badges and numbers were also added (in biro - as you do).
After some deliberation I decided to restore them to what you see here.
Ref 7 - West Ham.
Another ebay aquisition. I initially resisted the urge to pick up this team as I already had 3 claret and blue teams, refs 74, 170 & 209.
Ultimately the desire to have each of the first 10 refs was too strong and I gave in to temptation.
Subbuteo figures were never painted that well due to the time constraints on the painters. This is one of the untidiest I own, note the variation in necklines on show.
Ref 8 - Newcastle United
Ref 9 - Sunderland
Ref 10 - Fulham
Ref 11 - QPR
Ref 11 - QPR
Here with reversed base. I have always prefered teams that had the darker colour as the disc, perhaps because I had so few in the early days of my collecting - they seemed more unusual.
Ref 13 - Blackpool, Holland
Ref 16 Arsenal
Ref 21 - Leeds United
Ref 24 - Queens Park
Ref 25 - Celtic
Ref 25 - Celtic
Shown here with reversed bases.
Ref 27 - Arbroath, Hearts
The glue on these players has totally dried out and as a result they are falling apart. A future restoration project!
Ref 28 - Norwich
Ref 41 - Liverpool
One of the first C100s I bought.
This is a white figure version. They were also produced using a flesh figure but I believe these to be less common (but am happy to be told otherwise). Subbuteo tended to use white figures if there was white present in the kit though, of course, there are exceptions.
Ref 41 - Liverpool
A flesh figure version, is that important? Some collectors believe so.
Liverpool are one of the most common references, I have five, so it is not entirely surpising that there was some variation. As well as figure type, hair colour can be either brown or black. Bases are usually all red but I have seen red/white, white/red versions.
Ref 42 - Chelsea
Ref 45 - Hibernian
Ref 47 - Southport, Mansfield
A tangerine shirt with the more usual base combination of blue outer and yellow inner.
Ref 47 - Southport, Mansfield
This reference can be found in a number of variations. This one features a paler yellow shirt and has a rare base combination of white outer and yellow inner.
Pictured here with all orange bases. These are one of my favourite teams. The set I originaly owned was a player short & had a couple of breaks - I managed to make up a full team by buying another full team from ebay and mixing and matching with another 2 refs that had black inners. Unfortunately most of the players have numbers written on their backs.
Ref 50 - Brazil
Brazil come in many different base varieties. Here with yellow outers / blue inners. All the ones I saw in my youth had green/yellow bases, so I like these. They also have yellow socks with green trim, rather than the usual white/green, making them an early version. Again these have been made up from a variety of sources, though all are original.
Ref 50 - Brazil
One of the first teams I bought. As you can see from the picture, they are quite playworn.
Ref 50 - Brazil
I have included these for curiosity value. These two players are from one of the 5 Brazil teams I own. Five or six of the players show signs of having been painted with flesh (pink) paint before being overpainted with the correct chocolate shade.
I picked this team up as part of a job lot in the early 90's. I believe them to be original. None of the other teams I picked up with them showed any signs of being repainted so I am convinced that this is how they were produced.
