• Subbuteo Main page.
• Delacoste Introduction, Delacoste Accessories, French teams, International teams (this page)
• The full text listing of Subbuteo football accessories.
• The Team Colours Project  (Ongoing illustrated team lists).
• Subbuteo Football boxed editions, Five-a-side and junior versions, international editions.
• Italian Production in the 1970s; Jokari and the North American Range

Part 3. National sides (équipes nationales)

This series started with France, England, Italy and Brazil, although West Germany and Holland had been added by the time of catalogue "A". These sides remain unchanged in catalogue "B" and were then expanded in the third and fourth catalogues. However this final expansion consists of standard sides, so I've decided they don't need pictures on this page.

Twenty-two teams appeared in the Delacoste catalogue of 1981, which switched to standard zombie illustrations. This saw the first reduction in these teams, but also four new countries introduced. The range was reduced still further to Seventeen national sides which appeared on more new numbers featured in the MAKO S.A. catalogue of 1983. There were no new teams here, and none of the kits were updated.

The extra catalogue "C" sides.

And finally the "D" catalogue of 1979-80, plus the renumbered teams from "E" (Delacoste 1981) and "F" (MAKO 1982-83). There were four new teams in the 1981 re-number - Chile, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Belgium who oddly seem to be missing until then (and use reference 21 in both 1981 and 1983). Chile and the Republic of Ireland only appear in 1981.

Part 4. International Club Sides (Clubs Internationaux).

The "Blue" catalogue did not include any international club sides, whilst the "A" and "B" catalogues only offered four teams. In addition to this, Real Madrid was the same all white side as was sold under 402 and 472. 

As with the national sides, catalogues "C" and "D" saw a big increase in available teams, but again these are all sides in the standard UK range. The teams from 657.002 to 657.152 appear in both the "C" and the "D" catalogues, while 657.602 onwards were new to "D". One side, 657.112, seems strangely absent from both catalogues. Slightly more worryingly, the teams from 657.002 to 657.072 are not classed as "New" in the "C" catalogue, perhaps suggesting that a further catalogue was produced. 

The Delacoste catalogue of 1981 was much reduced with just eighteen sides with zombie illustrations for the sixteen old sides, and lightweights for the two new teams - Valencia and Aston Villa. However, this is the one Cxxxx range from 1981 that has gaps in the new number range, suggesting that more of the teams were originally carried across (was there a 1980 catalogue with these numbers?). The MAKO range from 1983 was further reduced to just fifteen sides with one brand new team with a lightweight image - Ipswich Town on 538056. The Ipswich illustration is weird though, with dark and light blue hoop shirt, white shorts with sky trim, and dark blue socks with sky trim. It's a nice professional illustration, it just doesn't look like a standard UK catalogue print (or an Ipswich kit in fact). It looks more like Racing Club Paris!

Part 5 Rugby teams.

The final part of the Delacoste team range is the rugby sides. I have heard that the French did produce some of their club sides for use with the rugby game, but sadly these were not catalogued. So we have to make do with the international sides. The range has the usual standard red and blue teams, but here they aren't really needed, as Scotland and Wales (not to mention France) already cover these colours. So here the "sale by team name" method looks especially silly, because the ten club range is represented by just six different kits.

To be fair, Delacoste do seem to be producing a few differences in later catalogues. France is shown with (badly overpainted) red socks in catalogue "B", and then white socks in catalogue "C". Also in this final catalogue, Ireland appear to gain yellow socks. However, there does seem to be an outbreak of yellow on the bases in this catalogue (the illustration below shows Wales), so it might not be an accurate representation of the side as sold.

That's it for the French team range. Time to pick another destination.

• Subbuteo Main page.
• Delacoste Introduction, Delacoste Accessories, French teams, International teams (this page)
• The full text listing of Subbuteo football accessories.
• The Team Colours Project  (Ongoing illustrated team lists).
• Subbuteo Football boxed editions, Five-a-side and junior versions, international editions.
• Delacoste Catalogues and Accessories. Delacoste Teams (this page).
• Italian Production in the 1970s; Jokari and the North American Range