Subbuteo has featured in a variety of Australian media over the years with some real highlights in the late 1980s. The recent upsurge in the popularity of the game, however, has also led to recent renewed interest in a number of media outlets.
2017
2016
Benjamin Ng of the Western Flickers Table Football Club in Melbourne, created a short film which was entered into (and, from what we are aware, has won!) a short film competition run by the official Subbuteo website.
Subbuteo action in the local papers in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Foxsports Australia sent a crew along to the Australian Grand Prix in January, 2016 to make a short promo film for our sport. A few weeks later, when the promo was aired on the Shootout program, they invited a few of our players to come in for the live part of the show. Both clips can be seen below.
2015
Subbuteo Parramatta’s Adrian Elmer is interviewed by The Parramatta Advertiser newspaper about the club and rebirth of Subbuteo in Australia
1980s & 1990s
During the 1980s, ‘Wombat’ was a popular kids’ afternoon TV show on Australian TV. They did a story on Subbuteo which features a number of the players who are still active today. Look for Steve Dettre in the cheering crowd wearing the purple shirt, Paul Magee burying a few goals in the demonstration match (with some outrageous finger fouls in the process), and Robert Green with a concerned look on his face mid-game. The interviewee is Gary Hosie, long time Australian champion who, unfortunately, no longer plays (but there’s always the dream of dragging him out of retirement!).
In 1988, then world champion, Willy Hoffman of Switzerland, came to Australia and played some exhibition matches as well as teaching some things to the locals. The national broadcaster, ABC, sent a TV crew out to cover the main match against Gary Hosie. Look for Eliot Kennedy on referee duties.
SBS also got in on the action when Willy Hoffman was here. Andy Paschalidis, SBS’ chief sports reporter/commentator of the era, gave an enthusiastic report and even had a go at keeping Hoffman’s shooting at bay.
Newspaper Clippings
Click on each image for higher resolution version
Tri Flick Magazine
During the ’80s and ’90s, Steve Dettre edited and published a regular magazine for the ASA (Australian Subbuteo Association) called Tri Flick. In the pre-internet age, the magazine, mailed out to all members, was the only way for players around the country to keep up with results and upcoming tournaments. These pieces of Australian Subbuteo history will be gradually uploaded and can now be viewed online in PDF format.
Number TWO – December 1987
Number FOUR – March/April 1988
interNETional flick
As the 90s progressed, Steve Dettre left behind the ‘zine publishing and headed where many underground communities went to keep in touch, the then burgeoning internet. Between 1995 and 1997, Steve published a semi-regular e-newsletter, interNETional flick. Flowing from his role as the Communications Director of the nascent FISTF, these newsletters took a more international approach to the global game, but from a very specifically Australian vantage point. All 6 issues are still available online. Follow the link below to see the first edition, then move through the links to see all 6.
interNETional Flick – Issue One (1997)
interNETinal flick – Issue Two (1997)