Flicking Masterpieces

I've been thinking to write a new post about Subbuteo for a while, I miss playing it very much so I started pondering what would really interest a lover of this game.
I spent a lot of hours on the net looking for the best Subbuteo creations, from stadiums to football goals, from customized footballs to painted teams.
As soon as I discovered Westwood Table Soccer I fell in love with his works, they are incredibly well made and I started fancying to have a personalized team.
The person behind the great works that you can find by clicking HERE is Calum Westwood: he loves Subbuteo since he was very young thanks to the passion transmitted by his dad Jim and flicking enabled him to be known also for his wonderful painted teams.
Here is the interview he left to MyFootbalLand where he speaks of all his career in painting figures, his idols, Subbuteopia and much more!!

Hi Calum, how and when did you start painting Subbuteo figures?

I started painting Subbuteo figures when I was little, about 7 or 8 maybe, I started with goalkeepers, their kits were always boring, and I was inspired by the Goalkeeper from the R720 England 2ND my dad had painted for me for a birthday or Christmas, gloss purple shirts with equally shiny and spectacular purple lightening bolts.

 

So one afternoon whilst my dad was out working on the farm, my brother and I got creative, plastering paint onto every goalkeeper we could find, orange kits, blue, red, yellow; every color under the sun, unfortunately I sold most of my lightweight teams about 5 years ago and these goalkeepers are long since gone, I do however have a few HW keepers I did at a similar time and still have and use today in my Subbuteo league and needless to say my dad wasn't pleased that we'd been at his paints, probably leaving lids off and not cleaning the brushes properly, the sort of thing that nowadays really bothers me!

Anyway back then I painted anything I could get my hands on. I used to have LW teams that I used in my league but quickly found these teams to be inferior in terms of their playing ability and I was better with HW players, so I used to sneak players from my dads spares box and use them in matches, usually in centre forward as they had a better shot! And it wasn't long before I started painting them too and eventually my dad resisted and painted an old R2 lightweight team into a Leicester City kit for me and added two Brazil HW players into the mix, I was Delighted! as I had the brand new Leicester Kit in Subbuteo, I never thought this was possible, and I guess I was inspired from there to continue to try and create teams for myself using anything I could get.

It was early 2000's when my Dad moved house and got a computer and discovered eBay and his Subbuteo buying went mad, he was picking up all sorts and back then it wasn't as expensive as it can be now, we also got involved in the Subbuteo club and there were regular swap meets around the country, this is where the bug really took over! It was around this time that I expanded my Subbuteo League from just 1 Division to 4, and I needed teams to fill it. So I started really attacking my Dad's spares, he had more now as he'd got quite a lot more stuff since buying on the internet, I'd prize players from bases, swap combinations and even flip discs upside down because the was paint on the other side. I did not even bother to strip them down, just layer the paint over the top until you can't see what's underneath any more, my earliest works are Burnley and the Scunthorpe United, two sides which have been ever present in my Subbuteo league. The Burnley was intended to be an Aston Villa but so bad was my painting it became a Burnley (Notice that different shades of blue on the players collars)

and the Scunthorpe United which has actually been painted twice, originally it was claret and sky stripes but when they changed their kit, I changed with it, and painted this newer version.

As I grew older I realised that painting over old colors was not a good option, the players looked messy and overweight and some of the colour was changed due to the color coming through underneath, it was then that I discovered R21 Leeds United, a blank canvas, and relatively cheap so without further a do I got hold of two R21's and thought about what kits I could do, I decided that I needed a Northampton Town as I was born there and the other choice was Darlington, for no other reason that my Dad had an old football card of a player wearing the home shirt with red shorts and I thought it looked good!

And you'll notice that the Northampton has also been rebased and embarrassingly enough the kit is actually painted wrong, the hoops shouldn't be on the sleeves but I didn't use reference material much back then, one look and I was away with the brushes.
Later that year whilst travelling the country with my Dad: Wakefield, Welwyn Garden City, Leicester and Manchester as well as picking the odd bits up from free ads and an old antique shop in Sherbourne (the scene of perhaps the greatest Subbuteo HW haul in Westwood history) Anyway, I think it was the first meet we'd been too, we arrived 2 hours early at the venue, having left early as we had no idea where we were going and these were the days before SatNav. I discovered that you could buy blank teams, with bases in all different colors and you could do virtually anything with them, I was like a kid in a sweet shop - except I didn't have a lot of money back then, but I was able to use that to my advantage picking up teams on the cheap because I 'was only a lad' (at a Knutsford swap meet I was handed a team for free in the car park before we'd even gone in with the words 'you can have that now don't pester me all day' it was a R27 Hearts that someone had painted sky collars on but I've since painted over those and it's a very nice looking side now) The parts were made by Zeugo and they also had already painted kits, they were beautiful, I'd never seen anything like it, I came home with an AC Milan Away, Aston Villa Away, Manchester United Home and a Napoli that I used as Leicester in my league because it was a little bit like R192. I also picked up some blanks that would really start the Westwood Painting revolution.

That team was Real Betis: Betis had always been my favorite Spanish team, I think because they wore Green and White stripes and I liked the way it looked, they didn't have any white bases so I ended up buying black as I didn't want to wait to do it, I was so into it at this point that I did different Skin tones for the team, even looking up what they looked like, different boots and hair colours, I was in heaven, I now had the freedom to create without ruining teams or having to find enough of the same colour parts to make the teams. The Painting was my oyster I could do what I wanted, that doesn't mean that I didn't still take old teams and paint them, however we'd discovered Mr Muscle oven cleaner and it's paint stripping abilities by then!

I don't remember when it was but a 'Green Plymouth' Sold on eBay for over £300 and I was amazed, one because of how much money it went for and two because I thought the green one looked way better than the white version! Inspired, I had to have one (image attached), again raiding old players, even bases from old referee figures bit the dust this team as I needed 10 all green bases to create my own £300 masterpiece.

I guess this was when my painting ability took an upturn, that team was incredible for me and at about 12-13 years old I thought I was amazing, looking back at it now, it's good but not amazing, but for me it doesn't matter, it didn't matter, I wasn't painting these teams with anyone else in mind, I wanted them to play with and that's exactly what I did. (Although it turns out that the Green Plymouth didn't play that well and lost every game they played, probably down to the fact that they were all mismatched bases and again I'd painted the kit wrong, the band should have gone all the way around, I've since changed back to my original white one who are much better.)

Over the course of that first year or two in the Subbuteo club I picked up all sorts of bits and pieces, teams to paint, teams just for my collection, it was a real golden age, but even though I was getting teams I'd never thought I'd own like an original R36 and a proper R192 on Navy Bases I still wanted to paint kits, mostly Leicester City Kits, and I knocked up numerous away kits, The first on a Zeugo paint-your-own option, the classic Black with Sky Sash that the club wore on the 120 year anniversary of its formation, and the second the White with Sky and Black Sash that we wore in around 2006-07, I bought an old R5 Man City and striped it to paint this Leicester Kit, as I'd become frustrated the the Zeugo 'Flesh' plastic looked more like a ghost.

In terms of Subbuteo, things dried up from here, I was at college and had less time on my hands, and my league stopped, all around the same time that I met my now wife and my Mum and Dad got back together and he moved back in at home, the trouble was where he was before there was a dedicated room for Subbuteo so you could play whenever you wished, now there was just the garage and it was freezing, a few games got played that year but the league was put on the longest winter break in history.It wasn't until the last few months of University that I thought about Subbuteo again, the painting to sell fad had just kicked in an people were making lots of money from it, and knowing that I'd be leaving Uni with masses of debt it was something that me and my dad spoke about. My mum had already been painting kits for my dad, now that Santiago players were easily available and were a great resemblance to the HW style player my dad and I love. My Dad had also got into Dutch football from the 70's and decided that he needed a collection so I had much to do when I returned, I wasn't the only person to paint teams for him, a think the dutch team collection contains work from around 5-6 different people.

So I got back from University and started painting again, looking up kits and researching, and just throwing them through eBay to see how they did,

I made some good money but nothing major, but I wasn't detered I loved creating teams and enjoyed the challenge and perhaps my biggest success was Sporting Lisbon that I think sold for £30 on eBay, each shirt alone took more 20 Minutes to finish so in all the team took me well over 6 hours to complete.

I did this for a while and eventually people started asking for individual teams as one offs etc, so I now had some demand for my supply, I didn't get many orders so I had to continue painting, the trouble was I also had to work a normal job and it made my life fairly boring and monotonous, I feel out of love from time to time and sometimes didn't paint for weeks, I just didn't want to, I felt like I was doing it because I had too and not because I loved it any more, as time has gone by and my life and changed I still find myself going through these periods where I hate painting, where I just don't want to do it, but after a few weeks I'll be ok again. As I've got older and started working as a football coach I've had more time to paint and have really worked on improving my work, I thought to myself, I can't compete with the volume that my rivals are producing but I can make sure that my work is the best it can be, and I strive with every team to make it better than the last, added badges and pinstripes around broad stripes like this Gremio, Real Betis Away and AS Roma Home kit that is painted on 2K4 figures.

Since the start of Westwood Table Soccer I have produced hundreds of teams for sale, my own collection, my dads collections, presents, former footballers, professional football teams and even as a decoration for a wedding. I've loved every team I've produced and continue to enjoy it today and still look for the right opportunity to turn my art into something real and into something that can earn me the money that I planned when I was at university.


What do you think is the best work you have ever done?

My favorite piece, I don't really have one, I have a massive love for the things I did when I was younger, when it was just for me, just so I could play with it, but then I am so proud of some of the other things I have done, Like the Leicester City team that I presented to the Football Club on my birthday in 2013 and was able to take the team onto the pitch and was featured in the program with an interview.

Then there is the Leicester City Coca Cola Cup final kit that I produced for my Footballing hero Steve Walsh last year.

In teams of complexity and the one that most people have said 'wow that's amazing. to would be the Team GB kits, the two shades of blue are custom mixes so you have to get that colour onto every single player before it dries out else you end up with different colours.

Which is the kit you like most and the most difficult kit you have ever painted?

The Kit I like the most is usually the last one I finish, I fall in love with kits that I paint and sometimes don't want to give them away to people, even though it was their money that paid for it! I guess my favorite team that I've done would be one of my Leicester City kits, there mean lots to me and the newest one I've done has connected me with a football hero and and a potential new business idea.

The hardest piece to paint, that varies to be honest, I'm not a big fan of painting hoops, or anything that requires custom colours as you know that you only get one shot to get it spot on else your starting all over again, so with that I guess it would be the Sporting Lisbon I mentioned earlier and the Team GB Kits, including the Away kit as the shades of grey are all different.

You had to paint a lot of figures for the film "Subbuteopia". How was this work?

Subbuteopia, I'll start by saying that I only had to paint the logo on the shirt for these, the skin, hair and boots were all done by Mark and Mary Parker and they deserve a lot of credit for that. It all came about becuase of my Mum's knitting of Subbuteo Players, and Subbuteopia got wind of it and came round to interview her as well as my dad who has been Subbuteo mad since he was a child. I wanted in as a painter but they had already interviewed and used Mark and Mary but whilst they were round I said I could paint the badge from the Subbuteopia kit, and they asked me to show them, They said that my work was excellent but I'd painted the badge too well and too small and they wanted it bigger so that's how that came about, it wasn't until all the players arrived that I realised what I'd said yes too, there were hundreds. I broke them down and set daily targets and just pushed through to finish them, I was relieved at the end but also proud that I'd had something to do with the amazing project that the documentary was.


Is there a football player you'd like to dedicate a spare?

If I could dedicate a spare to anyone, well I kind of already have with Steve Walsh, infact he had a whole team, so I would say him for sure, but if you wanted me to produce a player for someone who I have never met or spoken too it would be Gabriel 'Batigol' Batistuta or David Beckham, two world class players who I'd love to make player for.

The Ammies

Last Tuesday I was in Manchester with my girlfriend, I had been dreaming to attend a non-league match for a while, possibly a Salford City Football Club one. I've probably been attracted by the team's unusual colours (orange and black), or maybe by the team's logo which seems representative of a long history in a football context.
On that 8th of October was going to be played the rematch for the 6th day of the Evostik Premier Division North season, 9th level of the classical UK's football pyramid, considered as a respectful league since the players are semi-professionals.(Between the team's line-up are included players who milited in Football League clubs).
The upcoming match was between Salford City and Bamber Bridge FC, the "bianconeri" who come from Preston periphery.
The playing field is Moor Lane, the ancient ground dates back to the 17th century and became the City home during the 70ies.
Moor Lane is situated on the north of Manchester, it's possible to get there by bus, there's a comfortable stop in the city center on Blackfriars St. Parsonage, the direction is Bury and the final stop for the ground is Kersal Vale:
being honest the toughest part of the trip was finding the final stop since I hadn't a map with the bus direction and stops.
Luckily after asking some people for advice me and my girlfriend found the right stop and dismounted the bus.
We immediately took the stadioum's road, this must not be overlooked as it was dark and that was an unkown part of the city for us, after 5 minutes walk in a beautiful block we saw the Salford's ground.

The entrance was very tight and definitely "old school", you have to pass trough a foot pedal operatedturnstile which looks pretty old-fashioned.

We bought the £7 ticket and a match program for only £1, unfortunately as I said the match was postponed so the match program was a couple weeks old and had different date and slightly different datas, apart from that it was very well done.

There's more than one stand around the pitch so the spectators can choose where to sit or stand, the main one looks old, it has the tipical brick walls which keep fascinating me as an Italian lover of the British style.
Some squared pylons support the roof's stand blocking the view during the game, it's a pretty common thing in the non-league stadiums, I find it chatacteristic so the pros overcome the cons.
When we got there the team's mister was organising the pitch for some pre-match exercises, we passed really close to him while walking around the pitch(it's a really nice thing in my opinion because we can't do it in Italy, not even in the smaller districts pitches).

At that point we went looking for the Club Shop, the society of Ammies answered one of my tweets saying that there was one, even if small.
Keeping entering in the wrong doors that are on the main stand's side, before getting in the shop, I saw a small pub and the club house.

From there my night changed, positively of course, I had the opportunity to meet a very kind man, Tony, who was managing the shop and knows everything about Salford FC.
Once we introduced he couldn't avoid expressing how strange seemed that two italians could get into the Manchester pheripery to see the City.
He told me and my girlfriend a lot of interesting anectodes on Moor Lane, even though this ground has been used for centuries now, it only became the home of Salford FC in the mid seventies.
The players also have a singular nickname due to the fact that they formed the amateurs football team of Salford, they are called "the Ammies".

I remembered already that Enock Balotelli, brother of the well known Mario, who militated for Manchester City, had played for a little for the Manchester nort-western team.
It's been fun understanding how the fame preceded poor Enock, who had to fulfill his will of a football black-and-orange career playing for just 5 minutes.
The time flew and it was already time to go and attend the match, but not before having left the shop with: a scarf, a badge, a cup, a couple stickers and a pen, everything strictly branded SCFC.

We ate the usual sandwich (bought in the City center at Subway), sat on the stand close to the midfield line and the "hostility" begun.
It was maybe fault of the timing but unfortunately, on a tuesday night at 7.45 p.m., the stands were almost empty.
Tony had anticipated that the team, supporters included, were having a hard time and for that reason the stadium attendences were greatly diminished.

The referee was a girl who well managed the match, excemption made for the lasts handful of minutes. She should have been more strict since the Bamber Bridge's players started to feel the tension rising.
By the way they started the match at their best, the guests were pressing the Ammies and snatched a penalty after only a couple minutes caused by a guillible collision in the penalty area: central shot and O'Bryan, home goalkeeper, lands on the right. The result was then 0-1.

At that moment Salford felt the importance of changing the match inertia, they started to press until they obtained a penalty in their favour. Mota, the spanish funambulist, takes charge of the shot and smoothly strucks the Bamber goalkeeper! 1-1.

During half-time I had to go to the restroom and followed behind the main stand a man that seemed to have my same need.
Right there rise the old changing rooms, included the referees one, all of them in old and British style. Also toilets kept up with the same style. Nowadays the players change themselves inside some sort of containers.

The second time went on more slowly and saw the Salford City shove pursuing the victory goal and the Bamber Bridge get dangerous only on a couple of counterattacks.
At the end, after an action on the left and a good cue, home n. 10 Bancroft bagged the definitive goal. The result was then 2 nets to 1 for Salford, partial that wouldn't have changed anymore until the end of the game.

The little audience and I were very happy for the victory and the convincing performance of the guys in orange shirt, we all went then to cheer the team near the changing rooms.
Eventually me and my girlfriend went to say goodbye to Tony at the Club Shop clearly with the promise we would have come back one day to see another match of the Ammies.
We went again over the street that connects Moor Lane to Kersal Vale and, taken again autobus n. 92, went happily and fully satisfied by the night, back to the hotel.

Collecting Football Shirts

Who has never dreamed since childhood of owning something that belonged to your favourite player? Usually a fan tends to idealize his heroes and sometimes seems impossible that players are normal people.
Even me when I was a child, when matches ended and players swapped their football tshirts I dreamed that maybe one day one of those shirts would become mine. With much effort I managed to get some matchworn or issued material but the passion has remained as the perennial search for material belonged to my idols.
In twitter I discovered quite a lot of shirts, boots, shorts etc.. collectors, many collect worn items to sell, while others would not private themselves of a reserve player shirt even if you give them all they want!
I like very much snooping trough these twitter collectors’ pictures and seeing loads of memorabilia that they own.
Among the many I was impressed by the collection of a Fulham fan.
I’m sure that a lot of MyFootballand readers may be interested in what he has to say about his collection so I asked him if I could make him an interview for my blog.
Lee Adams has been a Cottager since he was a child, he regularly follows the team matches and he flew all over Europe during the prestigious season 2009/’10 when the Londoners defeated among the other, Juventus and Hamburger SV before losing only in Final against Atletico Madrid.
Recently he is creating a website that is going to show all his Fulham shirts. The site is www.fulhamfcmatchwornshirts.co.uk.

1) When and how did you start collecting football shirts?

Well I was 9 years old and went to a Chelsea game (my dad is a Chelsea fan). We were watching the game (behind the fence, ha ha).
After the game my dad gave me one of the match worn shirts. I was amazed and thought ' thousands have seen this shirt and I have it'.
Being 9 I couldn't pay for my shirts so every birthday I would ask mum and dad but nothing came of it.
I got a signed Fulham shirt back in 1998 (I meet the team).
Then in 2002 I had kids so I stopped collecting. I still picked up a few shirts.
But after 2 kids (boys) I'm back collecting for them and their future.

2) Do you have any anecdote regarding a shirt?

I do but I can't say at all... Sorry! But it was the Kelly shirt.

3) Is there a particular shirt you'd love to have?

Ah it has to be Simon Davies Europa league final shirt.
I was there at the final (I was always away).

4) How did you get the idea to create a website? Can you tell me something about it?

There are a few of us collectors on twitter. Most have websites.
I just thought having all my shirts I would love people to take tour and have a look at my collection.
Spread the word. Ha ha

Following there are some Lee’s collection football shirts. Among the others there is the one of Dickson Etuhu when he scored in Turin against Juventus.

The Old Appiani

Last saturday I went for a walk in Padua city and I parked my car near Appiani Stadium (the previous pitch of Calcio Padova).
Since my girlfriend has never seen it I thought it might be interesting to show her something of what I believe should be considered one of the monuments in Padua city.
Approaching the stadium we heard a referee whistle from the pitch so I deduced that there must be a football match: Padova youth teams use to play there on saturday afternoons.
We walked for a while through the street near the stadium, we crossed the players and officials entrance and then we arrived at the central stand entrentrance where home supporters used to attend Padova's matches.
Being honest I had never been there, I've only played there once but I've never seen a match from the stands at Appiani but I guarantee that you can see all the historicity of a team like Padova from that ground.
Above the entrance of the spectators there is an inscription, now almost illegible, which was the header of the Municipal Silvio Appiani stadium.

Once inside we went up in the stands, although now there is only the middle one open and the others are pretty much damaged!
Also the nice thing to note is that where there is no grandstand around the field there is something like "terraces" that reminiscent British stadiums very much.

For the record, the game was among Padova Calcio U18 and  US ProMogliano Preganziol U18, a team based in Treviso, set up last year by the merger of two football teams.
I do not know how it turned out in fact we were there only a few minutes but I can guarantee that the level of play was very high and I have enjoyed some great skills in that quarter of an hour.

SUBBUTEO, SUBBUTEOPIA AND...KNITTED GUYS

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.

ANY OTHER FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE

Hi! I would really like to to read someone else's football story..if you're reading this blog and you want to share an adventure, the description of a football t-shirt or kit, the story of the encounter with your football idol, the best match you have ever seen, etc.. leave a comment below!

I'm sure you have tons of interesting things and anecdotes to write and share with me and the other reders of this blog!

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BECKHAM

Manchester United is one of the most victorious clubs of the world, in its formations we have always seen great football players who made history and gave the club the possibility, even recently, to gain so many titles.
In May 1999 the English team was going to win the Champions League against Bayern Munchen, scoring during the last minutes of the match, and I, being just 9 years old, knew nothing about this all.
I only knew that there was a blond football player, with a hairstyle like the one I wore at the time, he was becoming greater and greater everyday, playing in the Manchester United team whit the t-shirt number 7, he was David Beckham.
My parents were going to go to Blackpool in a little time and I was sad to let them go so I asked them where exactly they were going.
My mother, as if I asked that question purposely to gain something, answered that Blackpool was not far away from Manchester, in the north of England.
Since then I started wondering if they could bring me home as a travel-souvenir a Red Devil's t-shirt.
After a 5 days, at the return of my parents I was very happy to see them and not so convinced I would receive the present I wanted so much.
Just when my mom opened her valise I saw that beautiful red t-shirt.
I thought I was dreaming, in particular when my mom started describing me how she got to Manchester just to make me happy and how she bought my present at the MUFC megastore.
At the time I couldn't believe in the existence of a store made up for one team only! That's when I started dreaming about visiting places like that by myself!

Anyway the t-shirt was wonderful, even now I keep it with great care and I know it's one of the most popular between the red devil's supporters since it represents so many team successes.
The club badge is carefully embroidered and the sponsors are the typical ones of the United.
The collar and sleeves show the typical 90's style.

Honestly I have wore that t-shirt many times and every time I scored a goal in my yard, making the live commentary of my actions, I dreamed about being like Beckham.