Ref 194 - Crystal Palace

A great example of a hand painted lightweight Crystal Palace team 

Ref 194 - Crystal Palace

Heavyweight Subbuteo

Three great Subbuteo sides from the Americas.

Ref 50 - Brazil 

Ref 155 - El Salvador 

Ref 165 - Santos

Ref 4 - Stoke City Heavyweight Subbuteo

To further illustrate the way heavyweight Subbuteo teams varied here are some ref 4's.

Ref 4 - Stoke - White outer

Ref 4 - Stoke - Red outer

Ref 4 - Stoke - Claret outer  (nice these)

Ref 4 - Stoke - White collar/White socks

Ref 3 - WBA/Huddersfield

Subbuteo made a number of teams that were variations on the standard teams found in the catalogues. I only became aware of this when I resumed collecting in earnest in 2005.

This is a West Brom/Huddersfield variant with arm stripes and sock tops.

Ref 3 - Subbuteo West Bromwich Albion

For comparison here is a standard ref 3 and another standard issue with white bases. My awareness of the availability of different base combinations only revealed itself to me in 2005, before then I just thought teams came as they were pictured in the catalogues.

Ref 3 - WBA. Standard Issue 

Ref 3 - WBA all white bases

Named Boxed Peru

Rather than the use the usual reference number stickers, SSG brought out teams in named boxes for the 1966 World Cup. They did this again for the 1970 Competition - these teams were in the long boxes. The tradition of bringing of WC teams continued every World Cup year until 1994 by which time the figure types were lightweights.

This Peru team can therefore be fairly accurately dated as the side were part of the World Cup finals in 1970. They did feature again in 1978 but by this time they were more likely found in a short splash box.

This lovely Peru team is one of my favourite Subbuteo references.

Reference 159  -  Peru (in a named World Cup box)

Subbuteo Policemen

Here you can see some of the different types of Subbuteo policemen that were available. The figure type varied over the years from blue to black plastic. Bases varied also in size and colour, many of the later bases were left unpainted.

I will feature the pitch-side sets in greater detail in the future.

Subbuteo Policemen

West Ham Subbuteo

A play worn, but still really nice, white inner West Ham team. A really common team this one though they don't come up that often with this base combination.

Reference 7 - West Ham

Repainted Lightweight Teams

A couple of lightweight teams that I repainted a few week back, onto standard ref 1 & 2.

Ref 139 - Lyon 2nd (Alt)

Ref 323 - Paris FC

NGD Solo Cup Winners Season 2

This weekend saw the final of the NGD Solo Cup between league champions Redpool FC and last year's beaten cup finalists Burndale FC.

It was a great game, the action was pretty much end to end. Burndale forward Gorgo Dash was the difference between two very closely matched sides. He scored two stunning goals, the first half-way through the first half before adding a second just after the break.

It was a great moment for the Clarets after a difficult season, and went someway to sweetening the bitter taste of finishing runners up in both the league and cup last season.

Gorgo Dash atop the cup after Burndale win the NGD Solo Cup

Hull City - Heavyweight

Watford, Hull City, Oxford United.  It took me a couple of years to get hold of this reference - granted I was in no major hurry.

Reference 6 - Hull City

Liverpool 1950

After a long wait I finally got my hands on some of the Santiago vintage figures.

So here we have Liverpool from the 1950 FA Cup final. I've made a representation of the badge, this is not something I usually do as I like to keep faithful to the way SSG produced the hand painted teams. I just felt that this team needed to have the badge included as it finished off the kit. However, after selecting this photo for the blog I'm not that happy with the results. They look better with the naked eye as the camera throws up all of the faults. So will likely revisit the badges in the future to tidy them up.

I've got one more team to do in these figures and I am considering two kits, it's going to be either the Arsenal kit from the 1950 FA Cup Final or the Burnley kit from the 1947 final. I'll post them up when I've finished them.

Liverpool FA Cup Final 1950

NGD Solo Cup Semi-Finalists

It's cup weekend and here are the semi-finalists for this season's NGD Cup. The four teams are champions Redpool FC and last year's losing finalists Burndale FC. They are joined in the last four by two non-league sides AFC Litherland and Blackfriars FC.

All teams are painted on Santiago replica figures.

Redpool, Litherland, Blackfriars, Burndale