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C140: Stadium Grandstand.
Specially designed for the big match atmosphere, this superb model is moulded in green and tan; supplied with five spectator figures.
Having scoreboards, TV towers, ball boys, and other pitch side sets, I imagine the urge to produce the stands as well must have been overwhelming for Subbuteo in the 1970's. It must have been a mammoth task, but I think they got it absolutely right, as this is a beautifully designed grandstand. It arrived in 1976 at a cost of £2.95, making it the most expensive item then available. The spectators (C141) arrived at the same time, but the terrace, and corner terrace arrived slightly later in 1977. The stadium lived on into the "61" number years, but was finally replaced in 1988 by the more modern looking red, white and blue stadium (61216). The set was originally sold with just five painted spectators, but later re-boxed ones also included 25 unpainted spectators.
C141: Spectator Set.
Ten seated spectator figures to swell the attendance of the new stadium grandstand.
Of course, this was
only the early packs that I owned. Later packs are painted
differently, and often more sensibly (blue jeans and white shirts for
instance).
C142: Stadium Terracing.
A cheaper way to enclose your ground, this was basically just the two tan coloured tiers of seats from the grandstand, with small plastic uprights to hold up the back. It was a credit to the stadium design that this worked so effectively. With the original version of this set, no more spectators were provided so you had to fork out for a few more C141s. When it was re-boxed in 1984 twenty-five unpainted crowd figures were added. This set survived alongside the green/tan grandstand, but when the new stand was produced in 1988, it was changed to a grey version and gained a new number - 61217.
Alternate Early Version.
This is a strange thing. This early version of the terrace set has the terrace supported by two ball raising chutes (Set JJ). I would have put this down as a bit of enterprise by the previous owner, if the back of the box didn't illustrate how to apply them. I guess we now know why the ball raising chute does not make it into the "C" range in 1977. The remaining stock was put to a different use!
C143: Stadium Terracing Corner Unit.
...to enable you to complete your stadium.
In addition
C144: Three Panelled Balls.
Previously Set F.
C145: Three Small Balls.
Previously Set FF.
Arrived on this number in 1977, but had ceased to be in the range by 1978.
C147: Logbook Refill.
Previously Set LX.
This item managed to out last the cover by a couple of years, and it still features in the 1980 catalogue... but it had gone by 1981. The final version is shown here.
C148:
De-Luxe Goals.
Previously Set N.
C149: Smaller Goals.
Previously Set
NN.
Again the box is reprinted, but there seemed little point to it, because this time the accessory had left the range by the time of the 1978 price list.
C150: Fixture Cards.
Previously Set U.
C151: Referee's Whistle.
Previously Set V.
Another pointless renumber, as this item arrived here in 1977, but had gone by 1979. However, Subbuteo did release a new Referee's kit (C166) in that year, and the whistle in in that set seems to be the same product.
C152: Automatic Timer.
Previously Set W.
C153: Diving Goalkeepers with caps.
There is no description to go with these, but then they don't really need one. They are what it says. Actually, they are a favourite design of mine. They possess a nice wide stable looking stance. Popular, because they have a slightly wider pose than the alternative keepers, these were a nice steady, simple money-earner. They arrived in 1978 and remained in the range up to 1995. Like the standard goalkeeper, these received a peg base in the late 1980s. They were actually dropped to the "requests only" part of the price lists in 1982-83, and I think they are the only set that recovered from this and returned to the main range.
C154: Tournament Goals.
With round posts and crossbar, and bases for extra stability.
C155: Subbuteo World
1978-1981.
The Subbuteo catalogues changed in 1978 from a fold out poster of team colours with accessory details on the back, to a full blown colour illustrated catalogue. This new catalogue was made available to buy in the shops. My 1981 version cost me (or probably my mum!) the princely sum of 20p. The catalogue was given the C155 number in 1978, and this number carried on through the four versions of this catalogue until 1981. After that, Subbuteo changed back to producing posters of the range for several years. I've now added a couple of pages of catalogues to the website, so you can check out what was produced for each year.
C156:
T.V. Film Unit.
A strange one this, and only available for two years (1979 and 1980). Whether it was an attempt to produce a trophy similar to the new FIFA World Cup without paying for a licence, or whether this is a replica of the cup the Subbuteo World Champion received, I'm afraid I don't know. If anyone can clear this up then please mail me.
C158: Stadium Scoreboard.
Fully working with name cards of all leading English and Scottish League Clubs...
The box shown here is an early design, and note that the illustration was not completely accurate,
with the board looking too long, and the legs shown as being on the
right on the ends. Actually, the design of the legs ended up being a bit
complicated. Because one of the legs had to slot in over the back of the dial
cover, that leg would end up slightly behind the other. So each leg was designed
differently to make allowance for this, and were then labeled A and B so you
get them in the correct side of the board. The
big legs also allowed you to place the board flush to the back of the terrace set
while still reading the scores. Very clever.
C159: Police Squad.
Introduced at the same time as C156, this was another attempt to update the "stand around the pitch" range for the 1980's. These flat capped modern policemen replaced the bobbies in C113. I think they were designed to give a more European feel. Without the distinctive British helmets, these figures could be sold anywhere... I'm not sure why the motorcyclist would be standing around the pitch (unless someone has ordered a pizza). The set is on this number until 1986/87 when it became part of 61214, and it finally finished up in 61239 in 1996. It also appeared in the Match Day series (187/4). Buy all these sets, and you have enough horses to produce the impressive slow march across the football field to separate any marauding plastic fans. But if you want a truck with a water cannon, you'll have to buy a Corgi one....
C160: Soccer Plotter.
C161: Floodlight Mains Adaptor Unit.
Okay, how can I say anything exciting about this? It did what it said, allowing you to run the floodlights from the mains rather than gobble up batteries. In fact, it included wires to connect up four floodlights, so it was quite a good idea. It doesn't feature on any of the product range posters later than 1982, but then it's not exactly gripping poster material. It seems to drop to the reserve list on the 1983 price list (available to order, but not readily stocked at shops), and disappeared a year later.
C162: EPNS Cup Large.
C163: EPNS Cup Medium.
C164 EPNS Cup Small.
Peter Adolph first introduced the EPNS Cups (Electro-Plated Nickel Silver) circa 1960. There were originally four cups, but this dropped to three in the mid 1970s. These cups were designed as prizes for local leagues etc, so they were kept separate from the normal range until 1979, when the three remaining cups became C162-C164. They were illustrated in the 1979 catalogue, which was possibly the first time they'd been illustrated since the 1960/61 catalogue. This 1979 listing is their only appearance on the new numbers, and a price list dated 1st July 1979 already has "sold out" printed next to all three. It's pure speculation, but it's amusing to imagine that sales had trundled along at a low level for years, until this catalogue appearance whereupon enough extra sales were generated to exhaust the stock in a few months. Certainly as a newbie Subbuteo player in 1979, I thought the high "C" numbers indicated that these were new items.
C165: Home International Team Pack.
C166: Referee's Kit.
C167: Three Tournament Balls.
C168: Fifty unpainted Crowd Figures.
Introduced in 1980, this was a response to demand for a cheaper way to fill the stadium. Obviously it would be costly for the company to paint big packs of figures, so these were supplied in pink plastic. That at least, made them very easy to paint up, especially anyone with a few military modelling paints sitting around. Just paint them Africa Corps yellow... One website visitor did mention dunking these figures into a paint pot to give them a better colour on the terraces, but most people just seem to have used them "naked". The set out lasts the hand painted set (C141), and survived until 1995.
C169: Advertising Boards.
Add realism to your Subbuteo scene with these perimeter advertising boards.
Another simple, but effective addition in Subbuteo's big expansion phase of 1979-82. Each board was just a piece of thin white card, scored down the middle, onto which two adverts from the fence surround (C108) could be placed. You then folded along the middle line, stood them by the pitch, and hey presto - advertising boards. They were produced until 1983, and although one was shown on the 1984 poster which is when the numbers changed, they weren't given a new number, and this was just an old illustration being reused.
Well, we've reached the end of another page. Next up, the continuation of the large 1978-82 accessory expansion - all the way to C193.