My reasons for creating this website are simple. Subbuteo flat collecting is not so much a small pond as a slight puddle. As a collector of flat era Subbuteo I find it frustrating that most of the available information on Subbuteo concentrates on the later OO-Scale figures. There is little detail recorded of the 1940s and 1950s and what has been written tends to focus on interesting but inconsequential stories or myths, but little hard fact. I also wish to create a Subbuteo forum for news and discussion about the game to help develop the world of subbuteo flats and collecting. I am extremely grateful to collectors who have sent me information and pictures because this is what the site is about.



It is infuriating that those writers who have written books on table soccer and had access to Peter Adolph so dismally failed to extract the key information from the founder of subbuteo. It is all very well to know that he was challenged to a duel and that the Board of Trade wondered if the celluloid figures constituted a fire risk but I would much rather know who manufactured bases across which dates! This is not helped by the impression that Peter Adolph was a salesman and story-teller first and foremost.

I have seen very little attempt to measure the repeated 'facts' about the early years of the game, table soccer , against the evidence that exists. I have seen even less effort to identify the various types within the game, as if all celluloid figures are the same , for example. I have written my own Subbuteo book about the flat era and hope this will be published shortly. Frankly, many of the people who know what actually happened are already dead. If Subbuteo collectors do not make an attempt now to gather this information together it will be too late.

I also think it is time that collecting Subbuteo card and celluloid players was put on a proper footing. If you do not think it is time to correct the numbering system, if you believe there are only twelve base colours, if you do not want to establish proper references then what follows is not for you. I would like to establish a reference point for Subbuteo player scan, look at goals, pitches sets and bases and many other neglected areas.

My original intention was to split the site in to pages looking at the various elements of the game. Whilst I keep to this in the settled, later years of the flat period I do not think it works in the chaotic early years. This is where the history of subbuteo starts.

Mike Hyatt





All images on this site are Copyright. I have no problem with any subbuteo collector keeping them for their own use, but if they are reproduced in any form whatsoever I do expect a name credit for the source of the image including the address of this website, www.subbuteoarchive.co.uk

There are several other good websites dealing with different aspects of Subbuteo collecting. If you are interested in Subbuteo flats you might want to take the time to look at some of the following sites:

gadgetsandtechreview.co.uk info/reviews on electrical and electronic products and links to buy at good prices.
www.subbuteoflats.co.uk Paul has set up this site to concentrate on the subbuteo flat era.
www.subbuteoworld.co.uk I have bought several things off this site - always a pleasure to deal with.
www.peter-upton.co.uk The current key reference site in Subbuteo.
www.mrsite.com who provided the rather excellent software for this site.
www.littleplasticmen.co.uk A unique look at the subbuteo game and era.
www.soccer-corner.com subbuteo table soccer links
www.subbuteo365.com Plenty for the collector, pictures, rare items
www.subbuteo.iougs.com pages of technical information, tactics etc
www.oldsubbuteo.it for an Italian view of the game
www.oldsubbuteo.com for 'home made' teams to view or buy
www.valiantweb.co.uk - an individual collector's view of heavyweights
www.spanglefish.com/MySubbuteoCollection - for a view of a coolection of items across the subbuteo years.
www.nidodeirapaci.it - another Italian site



Flick Me! subbuteo archive a short history and explanation of subbuteo