• 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, 301-322+,  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

These pages are an alternative trip through the first 300 or so Subbuteo team numbers. 

These numbers had been available for years as heavyweights before the introduction of the lightweight in 1980, but of course, they feature many standard kits. So quite a few of these kits last into the 1990s.

When I first started work on this page, I imagined that their would be a need to illustrate many of the machine printed and hand-painted variations of each number, to aid identification. Luckily (for me), several Italian collectors had the same idea, and have started a comprehensive website which tackles this issue. Visit Subbuteo Italia to view the real figures for these teams. When I see how many different versions they have found, it makes me glad I missed the boat! 

So instead, I've stuck to the catalogue illustrations, which remain a useful guide to the "official" look of teams. Indeed, you will usually find that hand-painted sides match these illustrations very closely. As I've mentioned, one of my interests is machine prints, and I would like these pages to help identify these teams. Therefore, I've included a selection of such prints. I've added more of these variations to this first page than any other. There are two reasons for this. The first is simply that these are long-lasting generic kits, and so do have more variations. The other reason is that the teams on this page are supposed to get viewers used to the different types of pattern that are seen on different kits. So if I mention "wicket pattern" or "v-neck" later in the list, you will know what I'm talking about (with any luck).

April 2004: Eddie Lang has kindly provided me with information from the Italian Edilio Parodi catalogue of 1992 This catalogue illustrates 210 teams, many of which were deleted from the English range some years earlier (usually in the purge of 1987). Some teams are even still illustrated with heavyweights! So where a team lasts longer in Italy than it did in the UK, I've added a comment to the decription.

Team Colours.

• Numbers in bold are those in "the top 100" in the UK in 1982. These teams were the usual shop supply.
• Numbers in red did not have teams associated with them in 1980, and were deleted in 1981. These are the teams least likely to have a lightweight version. However, lightweights do sometimes turn up for these kits, and I have stated where these have been seen.

1. Lots of sides !!
2. Lots more sides
3. Coleraine (NI), Huddersfield, West Bromich Albion - To 1996
   • Original machine print - wicket pattern stripes, white socks.
   • Late 1990s print - thick pattern stripes, blue socks.
4. Stoke City - To 1996.
   • Original machine print  - wicket pattern stripes.
   • Late 1990s print - thick pattern stripes.
5. Ballymena 1980-87 Was still Lazio, Napoli and Treviso in Italy in the early 1980s so - 
   • Machine printed version
   • Machine printed "special" with badge.
   • Also seen with machine printed collar.
6. Alloa, East Fife To 1996
   • 1980s - round collared machine print.
   • 1990s - V-necked machine print. Also a Hasbro
7. Gzira United (Malta) By 1981 this is the only club left on No 7. 1980-82 H/P version seen.
8. Dunfirmline Athletic, Newcastle Utd, St Mirren 1980-93
   • Machine print - wicket pattern stripes
9. Brentford, Derry City, Exeter City, Lincoln City, Sheffield Utd. To 1996
   • Machine print - wicket pattern stripes.
10. Darlington, Austria 1980-88
    • Machine print exists.

11. Morton, Reading. 1980-81 Replaced  by 391.
    • A machine print with thin hoops was produced.
12. Bristol Rovers. 1980-81 Replaced by 387
13. Blackpool, Holland, Volendam 1980-87
    • Machine Print has round collar and cuffs.
14. Fulham 2nd, Albania and others 1980-86 Not great teams, but enough to make the top 100 in 1982.
15. Plymouth, Cork Hibernians 1980-81
16. H.V.C. (H), Lija Athletics (M), St Patricks Athletic (E), V.V.V. (H)
    Arsenal's switch to the red socked 232 left this figure unloved. 1980-81 only.
17. A blank team by this time (was Sheffield Wednesday). 1980 only.
    • Despite the blank, a hand-painted l/w has been seen.
18. Bury, Distillery, East Germany, Finland, Greece.
    • Blue Socks version - 1980-84 in catalogues, but may have existed for longer.
    • The Italian catalogue of 1992 still shows the blue socked version.
    • White Socks version - 1985-96
19. Barcelona (Sp), Catania (I), Liege FC (B) 1980-86
20. Hamilton Academical 1980-92, but not top 100.
    • Machine print with thin hoops.

21. Cambridge 2nd, Hull City 2nd, Newport County 2nd, Wolves 2nd To 1996
    Anderlecht, Belgium, Real Madrid, etc...
22. Stockport County 1980-84
23. Partick Thistle, Benevento (Italy)  To 1996
    • Wicket pattern stripes.
24. Queens Park To 1996
    • Thin hooped machine print.
25. Celtic, Shamrock Rovers (Eire) To 1996
    • 1980s version - thin hoops.
    • 1990s version - thick hoops, short sleeves, and badge on shorts. Also a Hasbro.
26. Bangor, Drumcondra (Eire) 1980-88
    • Has a machine print.
27. Arbroath, Hearts, Stenhousemuir 1980-89
    • Round collar machine print.
    • Appears in the 1992 Italian catalogue as Arezzo, Livorno and Reggina (all Italy)
28. Norwich City
    • First Version - 1980-81 This has a machine print with white socks.
    • Second Version - 1985-86 Machine print with yellow socks and extra trim.
29. Blank team (Was Partick Thistle) 1980 only.
30. Berwick Rangers, AEK (Greece), etc... To 1996.
    • 1980s version - Wicket pattern stripes.
    • 1990s version - Thick pattern stripes. Also a Hasbro.

31. Blackburn Rovers 1980-81
    • Hand painted team with red collar.
32. Blank (was Alloa) 1980 only.
33. Blank (was Bishop Auckland) 1980 only.
34. Charleroi (B), Diest (B), Juventus (Italy) 1980-86
35. Blank (was Barnet) 1980 only.
36. Lots of foreign teams. Chief one Rapid Vienne (Austria). Also Yeovil Town in the 1990s. To 1996
    • 1980s version - Wicket pattern stripes, white socks
    • Late 1990s version - Thick pattern stripes, green Socks. 
    • Also hand-painted Parodi Version from 2002.
37. Helmond Sport (Holland) 1980-82
38. Blank 1980 only. But a hand painted version has been seen.
39. Poland, Bahrain, Antwerp (Belgium), Hamburger SV (Germany) and others 1980-86
40. Blank (was Crystal Palace) 1980 only.

41. Brechin City, Liverpool, Scunthorpe, Stirling Albion, Canada, Dubai and others. To 1996
    • Early version - round collar and cuffs.
    • Late 1990s version - v-neck and cuffs.
42. Brighton, Chelsea, Montrose, and others. 1980-86
    • Machine print with round white collar, and cuffs.
    • Illustrated in the 1992 Italian catalogue, but not listed for any teams.
43. Blank (was Coventry) 1980 only
    • Hand painted side exists.
44. Blank (was Scotland/Dundee) 1980 only
45. Hibernian and others. To 1996
    • 1980s version - round collar
    • late version - v-neck.
46. Marsalokk FC (Malta) 1980-83 Seen as a hand-painted figure.
47. Arsenal 2nd, Bristol Rovers 2nd, Everton 2nd, Southampton 2nd and others. 1980-91
    • Machine print exists.
48. Spain and others 1980-86 Was a 1982 World Cup side.
    • Machine print exists.
49. Cambridge Utd, Laval (France) 1980-83
50. Brazil 1980-82 Was a 1982 World Cup side before being replaced by 410.
    • World Cup machine print seems identical to first (round collar) version of 410.

51. Chester, Colchester, Sheffield Wed, Wigan Athletic and others. 1980-86
    • Wicket pattern machine print.
52. Excelsior (Holland), Rende (Italy) To 1996
    • 1980s Wicket pattern stripes machine print
    • Late 1990s Thick pattern stripes
53. Rangers 1980-82 Hand painted and machine printed versions sighted.
54. Blank 1980 only
55. Anderlecht (B), Fiorentina (Italy) and others 1980-91
    • Is in the 1992 Italian catalogue.
56. Ajax (Holland) 1980-82
    • Machine print exists.
57. AC Milan (Italy), Sorrento (Italy) To 1996
    • 1980s version - wicket pattern stripes
    • Approx 1990 - wicket pattern with Scudetto.
    • late 1990s - Gate pattern stripes
58. Inter Milan (Italy), Atalanta (Italy) and others. To 1996
    • 1980s version - wicket pattern stripes
    • 1989 wicket pattern with Scudetto.
    • 1990s version - Gate pattern stripes
59. River Plate (Argentina) 1980-86
    • Machine print exists.
60. Blank (was FC Subbuteo) 1980 only

61. Blank (was Northampton) 1980 only.
62. Blank (was Australia) 1980 only.
63. Libourne (France) 1980-83
64. Maritimo (Portugal), Oostende (Portugal), Ternana (Italy) 1980-86 and 1991-95
    • 1980s to mid 1990s - wicket pattern stripes, red socks
    • Late 1990s - Gate pattern stripes, white socks.
65. Blank (Was UK) 1980 only.
66. Blank (was Raith Rovers) 1980 only.
67. Argentina 1980-82 Was a 1982 World Cup side.
    • Machine print - wicket pattern stripes
68. Chile 1980-86 Was a 1982 World Cup side.
    • Machine print exists.
    • Appears in the 1992 Italian catalogue 
69. Blank (was Darlington) 1980 only.
70. Blank (was Bohemians) 1980 only.

71. Blank (was Cork) 1980 only
72. Cagliari (Italy), Genoa (Italy), Sambenedettese (Italy) Not top 100, but a regular Italian seller. To 1996
    • Badged version (Italian market)
    • 1990s print has more of a V-neck.
73. Blank (was Clydebank) 1980 only
    • Despite the blank this has been seen as a hand-painted lightweight.
74. Aston Villa in 1980. Deleted in 1981. I own a machine print of this kit.
75. Blank (was Forfar) 1980 only
76. Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany), Foggia (Italy), Nice (France) and others. To 1996
    • 1980s version - Wicket patten stripes.
    • late 1990s version - Gate pattern stripes.
77. Dundee Utd, Meadowbank Thistle, Newport County and others. 1980-81
78. Celtic 2nd, Brugges CS (Belgium) 1980-83
79. Blank (was West Ham Utd 2nd) 1980 only.
80. Blank (was Burnley 2nd) 1980 only.

81. Clyde, Liverpool 2nd 1980-86
    • Machine print exists.
82. Den Haag Ado (Holland) 1980-86
83. Twente Enschede (Holland) 1980-86
    • Illustrated in the 1992 Italian catalogue, but no related teams.
84. Utrecht (Holland) 1980-84
85. QPR 2nd, Feijenoord (Holland) To 1996
    • Black socks 1980-90 (in the catalogues - black socks might last longer)
    • The black socks version is illustrated in the 1992 Italian catalogue.
    • White socks 1991-96
86. Go Ahead (Holland), Kastoria (Greece) 1980-86
87. Haarlem (Holland) 1980-81
88. M.V.V. (Holland) 1980-82
89. N.E.C. Nijmegen (Holland) 1980-86
90. Como (Italy) 1980-88 Then returns as Reading 1990-91

91. Parma (Italy) 1980-86
92. Trento (Italy), Verona (Italy) 1980-86
    • Machine print with round collar.
    • Appears in the 1992 Italian catalogue (with no team descriptions)
93. Roma and Catanzaro (Italy) 1980-88 then 1990-91
    • Machine print with round collar.
94. Sampdoria (Italy) 1980-82
95. Bologna (Italy), Casertana (Italy), Cosenza (Italy), Taranto (Italy) 1980-95
    • 1980s-90s: The usual wicket pattern machine print.
    • Late 1990s: Gate pattern stripes.
96. Doncaster Rovers, Middlesboro 2nd, Bari (Italy), Padova (Italy) 1980-86
97. Brescia (Italy) 1980-86
    • The alternate Italian print of this kit appears in the 1992 catalogue.
98. Palermo (Italy) 1980-86
    • A hand-paint appears in the 1992 Italian catalogue.
99. Reggiana (Italy), Salernitana (Italy), Torino (Italy) 1980-96
    • Plain red shirt
    • Plain red shirt with logo (Italian issue)
    • 1990s - Wine red shirt
    • 1996 Hasbro - all claret, with V neck.
100. Manchester United 1980-81
     • Machine print exists.

• 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, 301-322+,  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

[  Main Page  |  Previous Page  |  Next Page  ]