The pattern for Subbuteo sets over the years was three sets in various periods but the difference in the early years was that the three sets followed on from each other rather than three sets at different price points at the same time. The three early sets were called Assembly Outfits which was an accurate if uninspiring name.

We have to assume that the first Assembly Outfit was the first one issued, appearing with button bases. It is possible that there was a missing link, a short-lived first set with button bases that was quickly replaced with the first Assembly Outfit but there is no evidence that this was the case. The box lids helpfully list the contents but give no vital clue about the button bases. If the game was launched in March 1947 then I believe this is when the first Assembly Outfit appeared.



You can see from the picture that these are very shallow boxes. The wire goal was covered with a printed cardboard net and the players came on a card strip allowing the box to be very small.



This box is something of a nightmare for the modern collector because once assembled there was no way of getting this particular genie back in the box. For the collector this adds a steep premium to mint examples today. The boxes were too shallow for the players to stand up in their bases and you would not have wanted to disassemble the goals with the fiddly paper nets. Opening one of these sets today you will often find the players bent beyond repair, not so much from play but because of the dimensions of the box. There is a French version of the Assembly Outfit with a much deeper box which does not appear to have been sold in the UK.

Whilst the boxes are much the same for the first three sets the labels vary from one set to the next. You must remember that the table soccer game was developing all the time in this period so even two sets that externally appear the same may have varied slightly in their content. Add in accessory purchases and their is a recipe for confusion today about what compromises a genuine version of each set.

The early sets did not come with a pitch but instead included a piece of chalk. This continued right in to the seventies with the basic sets.



You were suppposed to draw your own pitch on a spare blanket which must have impressed mums across the country. Within a few months a baize cloth was made available as an accessory, firmly establishing the tradition in the game that your spending did not stop with buying the set. It also creates some confusion about when items became available. This was usually before they appeared in the catalogue and long before they made their way in to the sets.

Also on the contents list is a number sheet. In relatively common use and supply today are sheets with round red numbers and player positions. One problem is that these stick-on numbers irreversably damage the player and even attack the surface of celluloid players. Many collectors have no doubt come across cut-out players with black numbers. This use with card and their short supply almost certainly mean the first number sheets were black not red. With short -lived card nets stuck on the goal (so also in short supply in good condition) there are some very rare items here for Subbuteo collectors to hunt down.



The boxes are of further interest for the collector as they provide further hints about the development of the game and also clues about dates. The first sets appeared in March 1947 and were clearly called Table Soccer but the Subbuteo name does appear as a small logo. The September advert in Boys Own Paper uses the Subbuteo name for the first time. Peter Adolph originally wanted to call the game the Hobby, presumably as a play on words linking the bird and the game, but this was refused as too generic. Peter therefore turned to the latin subbuteo name of the bird. We all accept it today but at the time the company made several attempts to guide the public about the pronunciation of this strange name.

By the time the second Assembly Outfit appeared the label had changed slightly and a much larger 'Subbuteo Regd' appears on the lid. I do not know for certain the date of registration of the name but the BOP advert in October 1947 says it is pending but by December it is claimed as a registered trade mark. I think the second set almost certainly appeared earlier than is generally assumed. The fledgling game was involved in a bitter struggle with Newfooty and would have used every opportunity to gain an advantage. Let us not forget how important Peter Adolph regarded the patent registration. The replacement of the button bases would have made a significant additional reason to announce a second set quickly. I find it very difficult to believe that with a new name registered he would not have made the most of it in the critical sales drive for Christmas 1947.

The third set is generally believed to have appeared in 1949 and lasted for around four years as the game settled down. The set featured the plastic goalkeeper bases that had been available since mid-1947. The press out players also became a part of the set according to the label and these first appeared late 1949. Celluloid teams became well-established as an accessory purchase in 1948 although just in red and blue shirts initially. The first cricket set was launched in March 1949 so the third set probaly appeared for Christmas sales in 1949. The third box featured the kicking logo, which appeared on an advert in Sporting Weekly on 2nd October 1948. It is possible the catalogue availability of the press-out sets might have been later than their introduction in the sets

Just when you think you are getting to the bottom of a particular area someone pops up with something new - thanks Ashley and Trev. The easiest way to describe it is a fourth Assembly Outfit because the first Assembled Outfit does not sound right. The first catalogue dated Season 1948-9 carries an advert for a much larger boxed outfit 18 inches long 'for holding the articles safely while not in use'. It is aimed at, indeed restricted to, schools, youth clubs and the like. The set includes a marked out pitch.

This set is also curious because it appears to recognise the need for a bigger box and more complete set but it took another five or six years for such a set to become part of mainstream sales. The only reason offered for the restricted sales is 'owing to the difficulties of the time', presumably a reference to rationing.

Another interesting question was proposed to me by Ashley Hemming. The third version of the Assembly Outfit lasted several years - so did it change at all during that time. As he pointed out to me there are certainly two versions of the box lid as the position of the kicking logo alters. One is justified to (in line with)the right hand side of the writing above, whilst the other overlaps considerably.





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