• The Main Subbuteo Page.
• The Team Colours Project: Index and Introduction.
• Card and Celluloid teams 1-55; Early Heavyweights 1-54+World Cup
• Classic Heavyweights 1970s: Intro, 1-100, 101-200, 201-300, 301-328+, Un-catalogued teams.
• The Zombie Page
• Lightweights 1980s-90s: Intro, 1-100, 101-200, 201-300, 301-400
• Lightweights 1980s-90s: 401-500, 501-600, 601-700, 701-800, 801+Hasbro
• Parodi Production - Zëugo, Intro+2002, 2003 Part 1, 2003 Part 2
• Appendices: English League sides, Scottish League sides, National Sides
• International Appendices: France, Italy, Germany, Belgium/Holland, Spain/Portugal, Scandinavia, Rest of Europe, and America and South Africa.

• Appendices: Team boxes, World Cup 1966, Super teams, The Italian Production Appendix

For many collectors, the classic heavyweight player of the 1970s is simply THE Subbuteo figure. 

The classic heavyweight began to appear in 1967, and replaced the previous short sleeved player type very quickly. It inherited a range of fifty-two teams, and the 1966 World Cup range. The 1967-68 catalogue is the one that crosses over, with teams painted in both figures. This is important, because some of the club colours change around this time, meaning that some of the earlier colours were produced in the new figure for a very short time.

The inherited kits were mainly standard footballing colours used by teams the world over. However, a few odd little kits had began to creep into the lists in the 1960s such as Oldham at 37 and Grimsby at ref 38. Even by the time of the heavyweight figure, a couple of these stranger kits were not being used by anyone. However, this did not stop Subbuteo from selling them, and they continued to turn up throughout the 1970s. As with most things Subbuteo, there is no real rhyme or reason to the process of replacing teams. 

The slow and haphazard addition of teams continued until 1971 when the team chart had reached 81 with a mixture of national teams (e.g. Chile), international club sides (e.g. Ajax, River Plate), minor English sides (e.g. Darlington), equally small Scottish sides (e.g. Montrose), and even Irish teams (e.g. Cork Celtic), before finally some iconic away kits were added to the mix (i.e. West Ham, Liverpool). 

In 1972 this changed, as the first wholesale expansion into the European leagues (and export market) began. The first batch increased the teams from 81 to 106. This page gives us the Dutch sides, and most of the Italian ones from this expansion.

The Team Colour Chart.

• Dating information. Now that I've split the figure types, I've had to change how the lists are dated. Heavyweight figures were only produced until 1980, and the figures in brackets are how long each number continued as a lightweight.
• Although the UK heavyweight stock seems to disappear quickly. it should be noted that the 1982-83 Italian catalogue still illustrates a large number of teams in the 1-350 range with heavyweight figures. The fact that some heavyweights are still gracing the 1992 Italian catalogue shows the hazard of relying on standard dating. 
• March 2020: I've added more detail and dates. Too much? Helpful? Let me know.

"New" Partick Thistle	Black shorts until 1968-69	Alternate version?	Black shorts until 1967-68	Yellow Socks	With Trim

21. Leeds Utd. Also Tranmere Rovers, Swansea City and Torquay Utd are frequent users of this number.
    • Almost as popular as refs one and two, this kit was also used by Milwall, Bradford, Doncaster, Port Vale, Northampton, York, Colchester and Darlington in England and countless others abroad.
    • In France this side was sold as 656.402 Equipe A Decorer so buyers could paint add their own colours.
    • Although it was also sold in as 656.472 Angers and 656.762 Real Madrid.
22. Originally Sheffield Wednesday this reference remained empty throughout the heavyweight period.(1984)
23. Bradford City (68-73). Empty (74). Partick Thistle (75-80). Benevento (Italy) arrived in 1980.
    • The stripes on this team are red and yellow in the 1960s, before becoming a proper claret and amber. The red and yellow version then switched to ref 61 for a couple of years before disappearing.
    • There seems to be a "new" version circa 1978 to match the Partick Thistle kit of the time. Not featured in the catalogues. This also saw a return to red and yellow stripes, which matches Partick colours as opposed to Bradford ones. Because Partick Thistle had the number to itself in the late 1970s, the New team could have sold here without difficulty (as new Norwich City did at ref 28).
    • The Italian catalogue of 1992 still illustrates this team with a heavyweight player (in red and yellow).
    • A red/yellow striped team with the sock colours reversed was sold as 656.652 Lens in France.
24. Queens Park (68-80). East Stirlingshire (68-73), Ayr Utd (69).
    • Like ref 20, the original black shorts version was in two classic heavyweight era catalogues 1967-68 and 1968-69
    • Had white shorts from 1969-70 onwards. (until 1996)
    • The black shorts version of this team is more unusual than the equivalent reference 20.
    • Like reference 20, none of the three Scottish sides of the period wore black shorts anyway. Was this left over from Darlington in the early 1950s?
    • The Italian catalogue of 1992 still illustrates this team with a heavyweight player.
25. Celtic and Shamrock Rovers (both 68-80) (1996).
26. A Leeds Utd kit in the 1950s, By this era it was only used by Bangor (NI) and Drumcondra (Ire). (68-80). (1988). Drumcondra amalgamated with Home Farm in 1973, but Subbuteo don't seem to have noticed.
    • This team is listed with blue shorts from 1970-71 until 1972-73, but reverts back to black with the illustrated catalogues. The version with blue shorts then becomes reference 121
    • However, I've never seen a reference 26 with blue shorts.
27. Hearts, Arbroath, and Stenhousemuir (all 68-80). York City (70-77), Burnley (70-73) and Northampton (68) (1989).
    • Possible alternate version that looks a little like Ajax. Worn by Hearts for the 1972/73 season, it doesn't feature in the catalogues (but Hearts fans have remembered seeing it, and several have been sighted in collector circles).However, this may have just been sold as a "named box" team (see later in the lists...)
28. Norwich City (68-69 and 72-80)
    • The final appearance of the original black shorts version was 1967-68. So it exists in this figure, but is hard to find.
    (Norwich returned to black shorts in 69-70, but Subbuteo just put them on ref 6 for the period).
    • Standard version with green shorts and white socks existed in catalogues from 1968-69 until 1980.
    • Variation - The green shorts version can also appear with yellow socks (which was acctually more accurate for Norwich City in the 1970s).
    • "New Norwich" variation with added trim. Originally a named box side, this was sold as reference 28 in the late 1970s.
29. Partick Thistle (68-73), then emptyuntil it was deleted from the range. (1980)
30. Burton Albion (70-74), Hull City (67/68), Cambridge Utd (75-79). East Fife (69-71), Dumbarton (69), Berwick Rangers (78-80). (1996)

Reversed socks	Red Collar	1967-68 only	Reverse stripe.

31. Blackburn Rovers (68-80)
    • Socks can be reversed.
    • The late 1970s version had a red collar (also seen as a zombie and a lightweight)
32. Alloa (68-72). Dumbarton (68). Empty 73-80(1980)
    • This kit was advertised (as Alloa) with black shorts from 1970-71 until 1972-73, although I have not seen one.
    • In real life Alloa did indeed wear black shorts with this kit 1968-72, so it does make sense.
    • It returned to the original white shorted version for the illustrated catalogues (from 1973-74 until 1980). By this time Alloa had switched to reference 6, so returning to the old version made no real difference. See also Motherwell ref 46.
33. BishopAuckland (68-77). Famous amateur team for their exploits in the FA Amateur Cup in the 1950s. The glory days of the Amateur teams were long gone by the h/w period. Reference is empty 78-80 (1980).
34. Juventus (68-80) Also St Mirren (68-73 and 77), and Dunfermline (68-69). Other international sides: Botofogo (Brazil) 69-77 (1986)
35. Barnet (68-75). Hull City (77-78), East Fife (69-71), Vitesse (Holland) 72-74 Still the mysterious Milano in 1968.... Empty 79-80(1980)
36. Bradford (PA) in the 1950s, then empty. Gains Forfar (68), but empty again 69-70 Then Floriana (Malta)1971-80, Wageningen (Holland) 72-80 and then a host of other international club sides, keeping it going until the end of the Waddingtons era.... (1996).
37. Oldham Athletic on introduction in 1963, it was Kilmarnock in 1967, and then empty (68-70) until BSC Hertha (Ger) 71-77, and Helmond Sport (Holland) 72-80. (1982).
38. Grimsby Town on introduction in 1963 (but did they wear it?).Empty throughout the classic heavyweight era (68-80), although it was still painted and issued. Possibly also used by Montpellier (France)? (1980)
39. Walsall (68 then 70-77). Bradford (PA) and Doncaster (both 70-72). Airdrieonians (68-73) International Sides: Poland (72-80), and Bahrain (75-80), Oddly "Germany" in the 1960s, although West and East Germany were elsewhere in the range. Also German sides Hamburg (71-77), Rot-Weiss Essen (71-74), Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (75-80), and Chemie (East Germany) 72-80. Also Antwerp (80) (1986)
40. Crystal Palace (67-71). Then empty 72-80(1980)
    • The original black shorts version of 1963-64 is too early for this figure.
    • However, the claret and blue hoop, white shorts version was in the 1967-68 catalogue. So it has one year in this figure.
    • The common claret and light blue striped version arrived in 1968-69, and existed until 1980, although Crystal Palace had long vacated it. (in real life they wore it 1967-71).
    • There is an alternate version of the 1968-80 kit, where the stripes are the same colours but painted around the other way (i.e. claret stripes on light blue, rather than light blue stripes on claret). A number have been seen in collecting circles, all in mid/late 1960s boxes. (in real life Crystal Palace wore it that way around in 1966-67 only).

"With Trim"	1970-1973	Tangerine	Gold, Tangerine, and possibly Amber

41. Liverpool. Also Scunthorpe, Stirling Albion, Brechin City. Other British clubs using this no: Bristol City, Orient, Rotherham, Crewe, Aberdeen, Middlesboro, Lincoln, Doncaster. Also Wales.
42. Chelsea. 1960s: Carlisle, Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Leicester, Peterborough, Mansfield. 1970s: Southend, Oldham, Montrose, Raith Rovers
    • Usually on flesh coloured plastic, with the socks painted white. Has been seen on white though.
    • Final version had white collar and cuffs, and is therefore more likely to appear on white plastic rather than flesh. More common as a lightweight or zombie.
43. Coventry City (68-73 then 75). Reading (68-69) and Chester City (69-72). Empty 74 and 76-80. (1980)
44. Dundee (68-72), Falkirk (69-74). Also Scotland 68-72. Empty from 1975 (1980)
45. Hibernian (68-80). Plymouth (72-73), and Werder Bremen from 1971. (1996).
46. Motherwell (68-70). Then Marsaxlokk (Malta) from 1975.(1983)
    • This kit has amber shorts from 1970-71 until 1972-73.(Thanks to the N.R.D.S.L. for photographing their team for the site.).
    • Note, in real life Motherwell wore amber shorts with this kit in 1968-69, and without the hoop 69-73.
    • The kit is therefore empty when it is first illustrated on the 1973-74 poster, when white shorts return. This matches the changes to references 26 and 32 which have different coloured shorts in the early 1970s only to switch back to the original versions once the illustrated catalogues appear.
    • However, this is the only one of these three variations I've actually seen.
47. Mansfield Town (68-75), Southport (73-74 and 78-79). Later used for a host of away kits - Man Utd (74), Arsenal (77-80), Ipswich (77), Southampton (77-80) , Everton (80), and Bristol Rovers (80).
    International side: Sweden (68-69).
    • Shirt was tangerine from 1970/71 to 1972/73 when it was Oldham Athletic (70-71) and Halifax Town (71-72).
    • The posters still refer to it as Tangerine after this, but it is clearly amber in the illustration (and all the teams of the later date wear amber/yellow).
48. Spain (68-80). International sides included AZ 67 (Holland) from 72, and Panionos (Greece) from 74 (1986)
49. Wolverhampton Wanderers (68-70), Southport (68-72), Torquay (69-74). Later Cambridge Utd (80). Scottish sides Dundee Utd (71-77), Motherwell (71-73), and East Fife in 1971. (1983).
    • First version: All Gold with black trim in1967-68. This was the colour of the short-sleeved reference 49, and appeared in the gold coloured bases used in the older range. Tangerine reference 49s turn up in the old heavyweight boxes, so this was likely to be a very short lived variation.
    • Second version: Tangerine with black trim 1968-80. Usually on flesh coloured plastic, it has been seen on white, where it obviously looks lighter in colour
    • Third version?: Not catalogued, but increasingly likely "amber with claret trim" variation from the mid 1970s. Motherwell were on this number from 1971-72 until 1973-74 although no mention of trim is made. Thanks to Matt Johnstone for the improved picture. This team has now been spotted in a named box.
50. Brazil (68-80) (1982). Also Zebbuk (Malta) 71-74.
    • Was ref 656.732 in France.

1968	1979-80	1968-69	Colour Variations	1969-70-1972-73?

51. Originally Millwall (to 68). It was also Chester in 68 (and 75-80), Colchester United in 69 (and again 74-78) and FC Magdeburg (E Germany) from 1972. Its popular era came later with Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton (both 73-80), plus Peterborough (78-80), and Wigan Athletic (79-80) (1986)
52. Originally Lincoln City (to 68). It was later used by Exeter City 1969-74. Excelsior (Holland) kept it going though the lean times (from 74). Also Bayern Munich (75) (1996)
53. Portsmouth (68-73). Empty (74-78) and then Rangers (79-80)
    • First Version - Full red white and blue trim. Portsmouth. Can include shorts trim, which might be unique for a 1960s side. First shown on the Little-plastic-men website, I've recently picked up this team locally. The player is painted onto a white figure, and the white trim is bare plastic.
    • Second Version - Blue Shorts. Portsmouth (then blank). The common version, with simplified trim (painted onto flesh plastic). 1968-78.
    • Third Version- White Shorts. Rangers and Den Haag-Ado (Hol). 1979-80 (1982)
54. Plymouth (68-71). Then empty (72-80) until deleted (1980)
    • First version - green with white/black chest bands. This only features in the 1968-69 price list, and the big undated green catalogue of the late 1960s. So it is quite a rare side.
    • Second version- white with green/black bands (69-80). Plymouth only used it until 1971-72, and it was then a blank side.
55. Anderlecht (Bel) from 68. Fiorentina (Ita) from 72, Beerschot (Bel) from 74. TB Berlin in 75-76 before getting its own reference. (1991)
    • Two very different colours exist for the h/w of this kit - as illustrated.
56. Ajax (Holland 69-80) (1982)
57. AC Milan (Italy 69-80) Sorrento (Italy) added in 75. (1996)
58. Inter Milan (Italy 69-80). Club Bruges (Belgium from 70) Atalanta (Italy from 72) Pisa and Imperia (both Italy from 75). Also Middlesboro 2nd 72-74
59. River Plate (Argentina). 1969-80
    • First version - Diagonal strip 1969-70 to 1972-73 This is a weird one. The early catalogues were quite clear that this had a diagonal or slanting band, and indeed that is the real River Plate kit. However, they are almost never seen, and no early 1970s shop displays show this variation.
    • In addition, ref 73 Clydebank had an identical description from 1971-72 to 1972-73.
    • Second version - Horizontal hoop 1974-80, although the horizontal stripe must have actually arrived earlier than these catalogue dates suggest(1986)
60. F.C. Subbuteo (Barcelona). 1969-80
    • Subbuteo had a factory in Barcelona, and this was apparently their team's colours. Mark Adolph has pictures of a side from a different Subbuteo factory wearing the same kit. The top was simply a yellow t-shirt with the word Subbuteo written across the chest in red. Obviously, this could not be done at this scale, so it changed to a red hoop.
    • The colours match the Catalonian flag, although this could be a coincidence.

71. Cork Celtic (Ireland 70-71 only). Empty 72-80 (1980)
72. Cagliari (Italy) from 1970. Later used by other Italian sides Genoa (from 75) and Sambenedettese (just 75 and 80). A common Italian kit, it existed in lightweight until 1996.
    • Cagliari had unexpectedly won the Scudetto (Serie A) in 1970 (for the only time).
    • This kit was often painted with Subbuteo's navy blue (i.e. a very dark blue).
    • However, it also seems to have been produced with black paint replacing the blue. Was this due to poor artificial lighting, or is there a more sensible theory??
    • Note, Subbuteo's navy is often mistaken for black. "Black" versions usually turn out to be navy.
73. Clydebank (70-74) Empty 75-80 (1980).
    • Like ref 63 above, Clydebank wore this kit 1965-69, so it went out of date just as it arrived.
    • The non-illustrated catalogues of 71-72 and 72-73 list this team as white with a red diagonal, which matches both the possible alternate reference 59 shown above, and the correct Clydebank kit of the period (69-72). However, I've never seen this version (even in shop displays of the period).
    • As with other references, the illustrated catalogues return the kit to the "classic" version when illustrated. Clydebank were back wearing a predominately red kit, with white front at that stage - perhaps it was regarded as close enough?
74. Aston Villa (70-80).
    • First version Claret shirt with blue V neck, light blue shorts.1970-71.
    • Second version Claret shirt with light blue sleeves, white shorts. 1972-1980.
    • Aston Villa's change out of light blue sleeves was unpopular and short-lived. It made a nice Subbuteo team though.
    • The final lightweight version of this kit has sky blue socks, but I don't know if a heavyweight of this exists....
75. Forfar Athletic (70-73). Empty 74-80. (1980). Often behind the times in Scotland, Forfar seem to have worn this kit only in 1968. (and the striped version that followed it was also obsolete before Subbuteo produced it!)
76. Man City 2nd (71-74). Bournemouth (71-73). Lots of continental use kept it going through the ages including Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger 71-74) Foggia (Italy) from 72, Nice (Fra) from 73 and others. (1996)
    • In France this was ref 656.572 Nice.
77. Wolverhampton Wanderers (71-77) originally as "New Wolves". Plus Newport County (71-80), Southport (77) and Mansfield Town (78), Dundee Utd. and Meadowbank Thistle (both 78-80). Willebroek (Belgium) from 77. (1981)
78. Coventry 2nd (71-74). Later Celtic 2nd and Plymouth (both 74-77). Brugges CS (Bel) from 74 (1983)
79. West Ham Utd 2nd (71-74). Empty 75-80 (1980)
    • First version: White shorts in one catalogue 1971/72.
    • Second version: Sky blue shorts 1972/73 onwards.
    • The official kit had blue shorts, but I have seen pictures of it worn with the white shorts from the home kit, hence Subbuteo's confusion. Often the shorts on the all blue version do not quite match the shirts, and collectors believe that there was a recall of the white shorts version, so that it could be corrected. This may also explain why the all blue kit is usually painted on white plastic, rather than flesh.
    • Despite this, in my experience, the white shorts version is still slightly more common than the blue.
80. Burnley 2nd (71-74) Empty 75/76. Northampton Town (77-78) Empty 79-80 (1980)