By Angela Harrison
Do you fancy playing an old-school retro game that takes you right back to your childhood?
It’s a game that is relaxing, social, friendly – yet competitive. Do you remember Subbuteo?
The table football game was invented in 1946 in Tunbridge Wells and experienced a resurgence during the Covid lockdown.
At the Queenswood Social Club, Queenswood Drive, Kirkstall, there is a welcoming and busy league bringing people of ALL ages together that meets up on an evening, once a month, called the “Kirkstall Crusaders”.
The venue has room for 12 tables to play on when tournaments are being played.
Although regular meetings are relaxed and sedate, it gets quite competitive when leagues are playing at national level.
Subbuteo experienced a revival during lockdown when people went up into their attics to retrieve old childhood games to pass the time.
Gary Mather, league organiser, said: “Everyone got their old gear out of their lofts and started playing again in lockdown, virtually on YouTube!”
Anyone is welcome to come and play at Queenswood Social Club from age six upwards! The age range of the players at the time of this visit was 12 to 65.
Each game is 12 minutes long and players have about four games each.
Playing on the evening of WLD‘s visit was a team from Dewsbury Moor Social Club called Yorkshire Phoenix, whose players were Ian Sharp, 65, and Ian Smalley, 62.
Mr Sharp said: “Playing the game makes me happy. You can have had a rubbish day, but you can play Subbuteo to relax.”
Mr Smalley calls the game ‘Land of the Giants’ due to the big people hovering over the little people in the stadiums!
The two Ians attend the annual Subbuteo International Festival held in Mons, Belgium. The festival is called “Fromage Grande Open” (The Big Cheese!)
Gary Mather, 56, organiser of the monthly games at Queenswood Social Club, has been playing Subbuteo since childhood and has a spare room at home especially for his football table, memorabilia and collectors items from over the years.
Gary’s opponent was Cameron Parker, 40, who has also been playing since he was a young boy. He confirmed that his mum also retrieved his old table from the attic during lockdown!
The youngest player this evening, is Mikey Pogson age 12, with his dad Phil, who passed on his passion for the game to his son.
If you like the sound of this and would like to be part of a social and friendly Subbuteo group, please look up on Facebook: Kirkstall Crusaders Subbuteo, or contact Gary Mather at Queenswood Social Club by e-mailing gazmather@yahoo.co.uk.
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