Peter Upton's |
Subbuteo Tribute Website. |
Delacoste and French Production. |
Team Lists - French Club Sides. |
For their team selection, Delacoste originally stick mainly to the French leagues, but add a few famous national colours. The early catalogues offer just four club sides outside of France (Ajax, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich). This changed later, and the zombie illustrated "D" catalogue featured 32 non-French club sides.
Black Players.
When I was about fourteen years old, I purchased a large box of second-hand teams. Among these was the French national side from the mid 1970s (reference 164). This team had two black players in it, and was the first mixed-race Subbuteo team I had seen. The black players did not look repainted, but the paint didn't really match the rest of the team (some of whom have glossy shirts). So I wasn't sure if the team had come "from the factory" in this condition. However, since talking to other collectors, it has become obvious that these two black players are quite a familiar sight on ref 164 (even appearing in zombie teams on occasion).
By watching ebay, it has also become apparent that in France the club sides also sometimes have this mix of skin tones. Pretty impressive, considering that it wasn't until 1994 that we started seeing black players in British Subbuteo teams.... In fact, the "C" catalogue actually illustrates Benfica with a black player.
Glossy Paint Work.
Although the boxes appear to be imported, it has been suggested that the French did have a factory producing Subbuteo items. It certainly seems likely that they painted their own teams, as the Italians did. The teams from the "blue" and "A" catalogue tend to be those found in the French range within the English catalogue. i.e. refs 136-150. However, the "B" catalogue sees some of the teams corrected, and could be interpreted as Delacoste producing their own sides. The black players seen mainly in France also tend to back this up theory. What is also noticeable about the sides illustrated in the "B" catalogue is the terrible glossy paint used. The ones shown above are some of the worst examples.
It must be said that French teams in collecting circles tend to look like standard English sides, so it might have just been a case of someone painting the teams for the catalogues (and doing it very badly).
The French Team Lists.
It is worth noting that the French teams are sold as a single named side, rather than by number. This means that exactly the same kit can turn up several times in the lists.
Most of these teams also appear in the English catalogues, but there are a couple of variations to look out for.
656.452 Bastia. This French version of the original ref 143 has blue sock tops.
The numbering on this page has become a little more complicated to cope with the different numbers that the clubs were issued under. Note that the 1983 catalogue has new numbers, but it doesn't have any kit changes from 1981.
Part 1. The All Purpose teams.
Number | Team Name | Catalogue | English Reference No. |
656.402 | Equipe A Decorer | A-D | 021 |
656.412 | Equipe Rouge | A-D | 001 |
656.422 | Equipe Bleue | A-D | 002 |
This section features the standard red and blue teams, and also an all white "paint your own" team. This team has the flesh and boots already painted and is glued into a white base, so it is really just a reference 21. The same side was therefore also sold at ref 656.472 as Angers, and at 656.762 as Real Madrid.
Part 2. French Club Sides.
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 | Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
5748 | 656.432 | ---- | ---- | Sedan | A-C | 149 |
5749 | 656.442 | 1079 | ---- | Valenciennes | A-E | 150 |
5750 | 656.452 | 1011 | 538002 | Bastia | A-B C-F | 143(a), 143(b) |
5751 | ---.--- | ---- | ---- | A.C. Ajaccio |
---- |
Probably 004. |
---- | 656.462 | 1067 | 538021 | Rouen | C, D-F | 218, 225 |
5752 | 656.472 | 1005 | 538001 | Angers | A-F | 021 |
5753 | 656.482 | 1072 | 538011 | Strasbourg | A-B, C-F | 166, 314 |
Notes:
A.C. Ajaccio only appear in the blue catalogue, but this does explain why there is a gap at 462 in the Delacoste catalogues until it is filled by Rouen in "C".
In France, the hooped Bastia also has blue sock tops. in the UK catalogues, this only happens in 1973-74 and 1974-75. After that the sock tops are dropped.
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 |
Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
5754 | 656.492 | 1015 | 538014 | Bordeaux | A-B, C, D-F | 137(a-c) |
5755 | 656.502 | 1036 | 538016 | Lille | A, B-F | 139, 304 |
5756 | 656.512 | 1038 | 538005 | Lyon | A-B, C, D, E-F | 139(a-c), 347 |
Bordeaux - The original looks black, but should really be navy blue.
Lille - The second version can be produced simply by adding blue to the first.
Lyon - The striped version may have been produced both with and without white stripes. See the standard range for more details.
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 |
Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
5757 | 656.522 | C1039 | 538017 | Marseille | A, B-F | 140(a), 140(b) |
5758 | 656.532 | C1041 | 538006 | Metz | A-B, C, D, E-F | 099, 315, 001*, 156 |
5759 | 656.542 | C1048 | 538018 | Monaco | A, B-C, D-F | 148 |
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 | Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
5760 | 656.552 | C1052 | 538019 | Nancy | A-C, D-F | 141 |
5761 | 656.562 | C1054 | 538008 | Nantes | A, B, C-F | 142(a), 142 (variation), 142(b) |
5762 | 656.572 | C1056 | ---- | Nice | A-C & E | 076 |
5763 | 656.582 | C1058 | 538020 | Nīmes | A-D, F | 138, 218 |
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 | Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
5764 | 656.592 | C1061 | ---- | Paris-Football Club | A, B-C, D, E | 145, 306, 323(a-b) |
5765 | 656.602 | ---- | ---- | Red-Star | A-C | 146 |
5766 | 656.612 | C1065 | ---- | Reims | A-E | 016 |
5767 | 656.622 | ---- | ---- | Rennes | A-D | 147 |
5768 | 656.632 | C1070 | 538010 | Saint-Etienne | A-D, E-F | 146, 346 |
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 | Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
---- | 656.642 | C1071 | 538022 | Sochaux | A-B, C-F | 047, 316 |
---- | 656.652 | C1033 | 538004 | Lens | A-B, C-D, E-F | 23 (variation), 250 (a-b) |
---- | 656.662 | ---- | ---- | Troyes | A-D | 252 |
---- | 656.672 | C1062 | 538009 | Paris Saint-Germain | A, B-D, E-F | 145, 251, 358 |
---- | 656.682 | ---- | ---- | Avignon | B-D | 166* |
Blue No |
Number |
1981 |
1982-83 | Team Name | Catalogue | English Ref No. |
---- | 656.692 | C1029 | 538015 | Laval | B-D, E-F | 249, 049 |
---- | ---- | C1009 | 538013 | Auxerre | E-F | 135 |
---- | ---- | C1018 | 538003 | Brest | E-F | 441 |
---- | ---- | C1050 | 538007 | Montpellier | E-F | 138* |
---- | ---- | C1077 | 538023 | Toulouse | E-F | 341 |
---- | ---- | C1078 | 538012 | Tours | E-F | 172 |
---- | ---- | ---- | 538024 | Mulhouse | F | 18** |
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