Last January I was reading some topics in the OldSubbuteo forum when I entered in the section dedicated to Subbuteopia.
Since I’m a Subbuteo lover I must inform about this film-documentary which was based on the different aspects that characterize the game, and the forum absolutely was the best place to deepen the knowledge. I continued reading a lot of pages about this topic and at a certain point I saw a picture full of all good things for every Subbuteo fan. Among the various things two huge Subbuteo man caught my attention: they seemed to be made of cloth.
I must admit that I was very curious about them and then I started looking for some information about those guys in internet. But sadly I didn’t find anything.
The only thing I could do was to contact the forum moderators of that discussion and ask them where I could find the Subbuteo players I wanted. Finally, after a few days, a user gave me a piece of information that might have helped me to know something more about those great small masterpieces.
It is in this way that I knew Dee Westwood by email.
As soon as I wrote her an email I asked Dee where to find them and she, maybe a little surprised by my question, answered me that she was the authoress of the players. They were knitted guys!
I must swear, I didn’t image till that moment that they could be handmade , they were too good to be true. In attached she sent a couple of other knitted guys pictures, for example a perfect copy of Ruud Gullit, the great AC Milan footballer with dreadlocks and moustache.
I’d love to have one of them so much but honestly I didn’t know how to ask a player to her: fortunately Dee proved to be very helpful through her emails then I asked her if she could manufacture one for me. I didn’t mind of what team.
Later I made a precise request, my favourite Fulham FC player, Hugo Rodallega with his dreadlocks!
Dee was really quick to knit him, she made him up and gave him life. Eventually one day she sent the first pictures of Hugo: well he was definitely a masterpiece as I imagined.
So after crossing the English Channel Hugo arrived in Italy.
Since I think it might be interesting to talk about these knitted guys and the film Subbuteopia with the person who has been involved in first person with these topics I decided to interview her to share these materials with all my blog readers.
1) How did you come up with the idea of the Subbuteo knitted guys?
I remarried my first husband after 13 years apart…. he moved into my house with ALL his Subbuteo and football memorabilia it was at about the same time that we also became grandparents because our elder son Ewan became a Dad. I decided that even though I was just 39, a Grandma should knit!!! And so I took up knitting which I had not tried since I was a child and learned from my own grandmother… anyway I had an idea to knit a Subbuteo player for Calum for Christmas. There was no pattern, I had no idea how to start, to I just cast on and went for it. Every time he came home I hid it and knitted something else so that he didn’t know. And so the first man was eventually made. You have no idea of the trouble I had with him. He is much bigger than the ones I now make having changed and improved the pattern over time. Each one I knit changed slightly until I got to “the perfect pattern”! Here is the first! Link
You can see a most of them here by the way. ALL of them have been made for specific people in our lives. One or two are sadly missing as photos were on a phone that I cannot get the photos again...Link
2) What is the knitted man you're most proud of?
Ah, Andrea, I'm proud of them all. How can I choose just one???
I think I am most proud of the first one, but also of the one I made for my husband (this one simply can’t hold his head up!) and the 2 for the documentary “Subbuteopia” I'm very flattered to have been asked by you to make one and to be featured in your blog ;-)
3) What was your family's reaction seeing the first guy?
On Christmas morning, Calum was presented with a huge box Id made and wrapped. Only Jim (my husband) had seen him until then. Calum’s face was a picture as he opened it. He still makes us laugh! This particular Subbuteo knit has also featured in forum posts a few times and created quite a stir…. Mainly due to his size and appearance I think…. No one had seen one before of course. It was suggested I get a broom stock and make him into a goalie figure!
4) Let’s speak about the film/documentary Subbuteopia…
Being asked to take part in the film Subbuteopia was a brilliant experience and affected our whole family.
Our son Calum, who hand paints Subbuteo to magnificent standard. O.K I’m his Mum and would say that, but I don’t think anyone anywhere can paint like he does. He was asked to paint onto the Santiago teams and balls the Subbuteo hawk when whilst at my home filming. The film crew were so impressed he was “hired” there and then! (Westwood Table Soccer)
These became teams, individually numbered, never to be repeated and were given to people who had donated to a certain amount via Crowdfunding to help fund the film. Calum wasn’t in the film itself (except in the credits) because our friend Mark & Mary Parker had been featured as Subbuteo painters and have a business doing this. Mark owns the rights to Santiago, a very close replica to original HW Subbuteo figures.
My husband (now almost 53) has played Subbuteo all his life and he was also featured in the film…. He has a room dedicated to Subbuteo where his stadium set up and he plays in there every week. He has “solo leagues” where he plays as both teams and keeps logs of who scored. There is a library going back to when he was age 11.
Subbuteo - my home is full of it. One room cannot house it all. It can be found stored in the loft and garage too!
The internet has brought those who love Subbuteo together and made us one big family. I love that we are a part of that and through the film a permanent part of its history. Each year we meet new friends from your beautiful country who come to England to play in “Old” Subbuteo Tournaments. A lot of people from England also travel to Italy to play too…. Sadly we never have the money to do this. I love to travel so I’d love it!
We were in Genova for the Premiere of Subbuteopia last May and as I understand it most towns in Italy have thriving Subbuteo clubs who meet often (weekly?) whereas in the UK this is not the case. We have to travel a long way to attend Subbuteo meetings.
In addition to being very happy for Rodallega and having therefore a unique piece, I am very happy to have known Dee, a very generous and helpful person who told me loads of things about Subbuteo in England.
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