Ref 74 Alternative Kit

A nice variation on a common reference for todays post, Aston Villa. I wasn't aware of this ref/kit until I started collecting in earnest. It's a real beaut, especially as it is on reversed bases.

A quick update on the Solo FA Cup - I'm almost done with preparing the teams and will get some images up very shortly.

Liverpool 87-88

Today's team is Liverpool 87-88 - painted on Santiago HW.

Swansea Zombie - Ref 236

As it is Hallowe'en what could be better than a fine example of a Swansea City hand painted zombie team?

Ref 194 - Crystal Palace

A great example of a hand painted lightweight Crystal Palace team 

Ref 194 - Crystal Palace

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

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

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

Presenting Reference 170 - Burnley FC

I wanted to do something a little bit special for my 100th post and decided what better way to celebrate than to show the reason why my Subbuteo passion ignited.

It was 1979 and I had been playing Subbuteo for a few months. The first items I had bought were the Club Edition, complete with red and blue zombies and two C100 teams, Liverpool and Norwich.

It was my birthday and I had some money, so I took a trip to the shop were I bought most of my Subbuteo.  'Herbert Leather' was actually a cobbler but he sold Subbuteo on the side. I'd gone along with my either my brother and mum (maybe both) and I remember being short of time because we had to be somewhere.

I looked at the shop catalogue and picked a number of references that I fancied. I looked at four or five teams before being shown the reference 170. As soon as I saw it I fell in love. From the large sky blue 'V' on the front of the shirt to the bright base combination of claret outer/sky inner - they were perfect.

Although at that time I was already well and truly hooked on football or 'togger' as I called it Subbuteo just another game, albeit one of my favourites. When the clarets came on the scene the love affair really began.

The actual team I bought on that day is pictured below - it is very play worn as it was such a favourite. This kit is, in my opinion, a classic. The size of the 'V' varies from team to team, these are massive and fairly messy -  a few of them even run onto the shorts.

I'm still hoping for a reintroduction of this kit to the Turf. We can only hope.

Reference 170 = Burnley 'V' shirt

Reference 170 = Burnley with Panini Stickers

Claret and Blue Army

Check out Burnley's latest playing strip at The Claret's Website.

Luton Town - Subbuteo Zombie

A smashing hand painted Luton Town zombie side is today's pick. I acquired this team minus one player and was lucky enough to find another from a member of the Independent Subbuteo Forum.

If you haven't visited the site then you should check it out here - ISF

Reference 169 - Luton Town

Replica Moulded Classic Heavyweights

I painted these replica moulded heavyweight teams to represent variations of two Subbuteo references. The teams here are New Hearts and Juventus.

The Hearts team was an updated kit that seems to have appeared in limited numbers after the real life team changed their kit. SSG printed 'New Hearts' on the boxes. Other teams had the same treatment, i.e. New Norwich, New Burnley and New Wolves to name three.

The Juventus kit is usually painted as black stripes on a white shirt, so this kit is simply a reversal.

Reference 27  -  New Hearts

Reference 34  -  Juventus (reverse stripe)

More information about variant teams can be found on Peter Upton's site.

The figures are available from Top Spin.

Heavyweight - Ref 1

I'm a little short of time tonight and considered not posting, but I'm quite pleased with how the blog is going and wanted to continue making daily entries. So without further ado.

Peter Upton has done the leg work on the sides represented by reference 1. So thanks to him for the list of teams. Picture by yours truly.

1960's - Arsenal, Bournemouth, Barnsley, Charlton, Lincoln City, Liverpool,  Manchester United, Middlesbrough , Nottingham Forest, Brechin City, Stiring Albion, Doncaster Rovers, York City, Aberdeen, Third Lanark, Wrexham. 1970s Workington, Cliftonville, Portadown

In France it was simply sold as 656.412 Equipe Rouge. 

Reference 1 - Generic

Zombie Leeds?

Missing the zombie posts? Not so many this last couple of weeks! Here is a reference 21 to slake your thirst.

Reference 21 - Leeds (plus one)

England 317 & 321 - Zombie England

England is, unsurprisingly, a very common team in the Subbuteo world.  As such it can throw up a number of variations. Here we see an away strip, machine printed with added hand painted trim. Amongst the home strips we have a hand painted version, pale short version and base variation.

Admiral was a cool kit manufacturer back in the mid seventy's and supplied a number of clubs. It's fair to say that many of the kits they went on to produce became iconic and reached legendary status. To my mind some of the best Subbuteo teams are the ones wearing Admiral. Aberdeen, Coventry, Luton Town and West Ham all wore classic admiral kits. Check out a more comprehensive range on John Devlin's fantastic True Colours website.

England greats Kevin Keegan, Trevor Brooking, Mick Channon and Glenn Hoddle wore the strips featured on the references 317 and 231 between 1974 and 1981. I got my own replica England home strip around 1976 as a birthday present, it was very expensive. I still remember my mum wanted me to choose a different kit, no doubt because of the high price tag, but I was an insistent and selfish little boy - sorry mum.

A great history of this and other England strips can be found at England Football Online.

Reference 321 - England away

Reference 317 - England home hp

Reference 317 - England home blank disc mp

Reference 317 - England home pale short

Reference 317 - England home white base

Zombie 28's?

It's the last day of the month, so we see 'zombie month' draw to a close. I will continue to post zombie pictures in the coming months but the focus with now change. June will be the month of...ah! Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

I know that people are checking in regularly to keep up-to-date with the site, which is appreciated. Please feel free to comment - I've had almost 2500 page views in six weeks but nothing much on the comment front. Is there anything you want to see, say or ask?

To round off May here are a couple of delectable zombie sides for your perusal. The top side is one of those mystery sides - it could be a 28 or a 174. I've picked up a number of Australia sides over the years as they were one of the few available teams in NZ, this one was unboxed however and features an armstripe, so is just  as likely a ref 28. Though, ref 28's usually have short stripes and this team is missing them...so therein lies the mystery. The other side is definitely a 28 plus a couple of spare, well worn, mates on different colour inners.

Reference 28/174 - Norwich variation or Australia hp

Reference 28 - Norwich City hp

Blackburn Lightweight

This Blackburn team was the first lightweight figures I ever saw. Although I never fell in love with the figure type, I did like this team as it was an aesthetic improvement on the zombie figure. I was disappointed when I got them home however, as they didn't seem to play well and made a hollow sound when flicked...not at all satisfying. I didn't add any other lightweight teams to my collection for years.

Reference 31 - Blackburn Rovers

Scottish Zombies

Today's post features a couple of Scottish zombie teams. Aberdeen hand painted and also Dundee. The latter are a machine painted side with shorts and trim added. These type of teams turn up fairly regularly in the zombie world - but one should always be on the lookout for a repaint. I know both of these sides are kosher as they came in referenced boxes.

Reference 193 - Aberdeen hp

Reference 196 - Dundee hp

Wolverhampton Wanderers Zombie

This Wolves and Borussia Dortmund Zombie was one of the first c100 teams I owned, buying this and Coventry 206 on the same day. I remember being disappointed with them, but bought them anyway, pocket money HAD to be spent. The problem was, I was brought up on the HW figure and the difference between the two figure types was just too great. 

I've learned to love the zombie over the years - but it did take years. The hand painted ones are my favourite. I think my major dislike aside their looks is that most of the one I encountered had white inner discs. Of the 5 teams I owned as a kid only one broke that rule. It made it virtually impossible to distinguish the sides from one another.

This side has numbers on their backs - painted very badly but a much younger me. It also features a repainted goalie, a common feature of the teams I owned back then.

Ref 211 - Wolverhampton Wanderers mp

Ref 219 - Zombie

Today's zombie is a hand painted Ipswich with an extra player.  Bobby Robson's side were performing well in cup competitions at home and in Europe when I first discovered Subbuteo. Despite this any games featuring blue teams were usually Everton, in Merseyside derby matches.

Ref 219 - Ipswich

Heavyweight - QPR

Subbuteo inventor Peter Adolph was a Queen's Park Rangers supporter, this lack of insight didn't stop him from bringing the best ever football game to the table.

So by happy coincidence, pictured here, is QPR - Ref 11.  This one is the rarer version with a collar.