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The 1990 Subbuteo World Cup was perhaps the last big "hurrah" for the Waddingtons run Subbuteo Sports Games Ltd. The tournament was heavily promoted, with coverage on Channel 4, and I know it bought some lapsed players back into the game. Sadly, it was a short lived success. The advance of the games console in the 1990s saw Subbuteo sales trail off. Waddingtons withdrew its financial support of the UKSA in 1993, and by the time Hasbro purchased the company in 1995, the whole game was on a downward spiral.

However, head back to 1990, and we find the UKSA busy raising funds with a list of promotional items. These were advertised on the reverse of the standard Waddingtons Subbuteo order form, and also sold through the UKSA club magazine.

Rather pleasingly, the accessories were given their own reference system, which matches quite nicely to the standard Subbuteo ones. This information allows me to add a few extra Subbuteo items to the website - including a watch that had previously been sighted in the community.

UK200: Sports Bag.

This rather garish green holdall (the UKSA preferred the word "striking") had been in the standard Subbuteo range as C200 in the early 1980s, and there was clearly still a big pile of them in the warehouse..... All the other items in 1990 have UK5xx numbers, but I like the fact that this one reflects the old C200 number.

• See C200-61221 for the original entry for this bag.

• In 1990 it was priced at £4.

• January 2023: I've added a picture from my archive of a slightly less garish green holdall with falcon crest. This may well be the version sold to UKSA members (is this one more striking than the usual I ask myself).

UK500 Sports Shirt.

This sports shirt was embroidered with the UKSA logo, and available in three colours - Jade, Navy, and Sky.

• The shirt cost £7.50 in the smaller size (26/28 and 30/32) and £9.50 in the more adult ones (34/36 to 44)

UK501 Jumper.

This acrylic sweater was available in a single colour - navy - and once again featured the UKSA logo.

• The jumper was £9 in small sizes (26 and 30), and £11.50 in the bigger ones (34-44)

UK503 Roma 1990 T-Shirt.
The stunning Subbuteo world cup logo on a quality white t-shirt.

UK502 is not on the 1990 list. UK 503 was a simple t-shirt with the big logo used for the Rome tournament. The T-Shirt cost £5, whatever size you needed (S, M, L or XL).

UK504 Stopwatch.

The most useful item on this list, this was described as a "LCD display keyring timer with countdown facility, and end of game BUZZER". I've never seen one of these. Frankly, I'm a bit worried by the use of capitals for that buzzer. Loud?

• Subbuteo had not sold a timer since Peter Adolph offered the old Smiths Kitchen timer in the 1950s-70s.

• The keyring timer was priced at £3.50, which seems great value compared to the watch shown below.

UK505 Fashion Watch.
Grey strap with stunning Subbuteo watch face design.

The blurb writer loved the use of the word "stunning" - see the t-shirt. Subbuteo collector Chris Allen has one of these, and we wondered whether it was a "proper" Subbuteo release, and where it fitted in. So lovely to see it on an official list. It was guaranteed for a year (so its a bit late to send it back).

• The price in 1990 was £10. This was much more expensive than the timer....

• And seems a lot of money for a cheap looking plastic watch....

UK506 Ball and Falcon Gift Badge.

This allowed UKSA members to order a second badge, if they had lost the first. It only cost 60p, and you received a Subbuteo ball into the bargain. It was only available to UKSA members. So you could order a UKSA sports shirt as a non-member, but clearly bad things happened if you wore the badge and weren't a memb..... oh.... Perhaps I should leave mine on the shelf huh?

UK507 Pen.
Subbuteo club retractable pen in the Subbuteo colours of red, white and green.

Subbuteo had official colours? Who Knew? Actually, they just sound like the Italian flag colours used for the Roma World Cup.

• The pen cost 80p in 1990.

• A pen in the correct colours has turned up. Thanks to Alan Lee for this one.

These accessories are getting a bit more predictable now. I guess we should be grateful there isn't an eraser, or a pencil sharpener. What next? A mug?

UK508 Roma 1990 Mug.

What Subbuteo event would be complete without a proper mug? (Certainly not the 2021 Subbuteo Festival - plug). This original Subbuteo one cost £1.50 in 1990 and simply featured the World Cup logo.

• Probably not sold under this reference (but where else does it fit?) is this earlier mug advertising the European Championship held in Brussels in 1988.