Table Football Monthly: Solo Play Special

It's Christmas and following a few requests I have uploaded my first ever attempt at a solo match! Whilst I hope the game is helpful for solo players looking for ways to make solo play work a little better it is a 1970 pastiche and the real aim is to make you smile during these troubled times. Happy New Year!

[@andyhenly1538]

Brilliant Keith! I'm glad to see so many people down below finding out what a great game solo Subbuteo is! As you are playing as both sides, it doesn't matter whether you are superb or rubbish at Subbuteo as the game will be very equal! Happy New Year to you!

[@oldskoolfool141]

I was there that day, conditions were awful and it promised to be a slow plodding affair, but a giant man with an earring showed up demanding the players go where he pushed them which really made for end to end stuff, I hope further matches benefit from this gargantuan presence

[@hernandotorres1234]

Loved that, far more exciting and fun than MOTD. The commentary was top drawer.

[@PeterPan-oe4mu]

Great solo game, excellent commentary. As a Canaries fan, I was on the edge of my chair. Brought back some fond memories.

[@bigbake132]

This was a lot of fun to watch! You should do more solo matches with narration.

[@je2383]

Thanks - this is a great tutorial for solo playing! I've run across some rule issues for my own league and this helped to answer a few of them.

[@jimmer1159]

Enjoyed watching that , love the commentary 😎 and the crowd noise ! Great choice of era, some fantastic players on show 😎⚽️💙

[@ralphpomeroy3690]

aye Blant and Pointer !

[@StephenWestrip]

Excellent stuff! Great commentary and camera work. Hope you enjoyed your first solo match.

[@nellyfett2681]

As an Evertonian happy to see Mike Trebilcock in action. Its pretty much all your fault I'm spending too much on subbuteo now so thanks for that! Loving the content though so thank you and best wishes to all for '21.

[@martinshipman3260]

Nice to see the rules in action, happily the play was very much like my own. Thanks Keith, thanks for this year’s entertainment and here’s hoping for a better New Year!

[@LordZontar]

These solo match play videos are quite instructive, especially when play follows the 1960s Advanced Rules. Pendle Falcon also had a couple of very good demonstration videos outlining the blocking flicks rule. I'll have to remember the house rules for home advantage for when I can start up my own play.

[@Frodland]

Luved it! Great laugh and shows that solo play can be fun👍

[@windy1965]

What more could you ask for with Bert, a flat cap, trousers & Subbuteo. Top stuff ! A great effort that was very informative & entertaining too Keith. All the best to you & the crew !

[@stevegladwell6949]

Very well done Keith, loved the barging of the Pompey player by the Norwich defender to clear the ball. Played pretty much how I do it, although for home advantage I restrict the away team players to only two flicks in the opposition half.

[@electricfootballhero1349]

This was very entertaining! Looks like jolly fun!

[@rfirth1]

Fantastic - really enjoyed that, thanks. That's what I personally love - "the replica of association football." The comment about the standard goalkeeper being unrealistic when the centre forward sailed over the crossbar moments later did make me smile, though.😆

[@undraftedplayer]

Hello Keith, thanks you so much to bring me back to this lovely Subbuteo game ! Thanks too for all the efforts put in yours awesome videos. All the best and Happy Flicking.

[@b17marko]

Very entertaining, I do not play much but I too am a big fan of the circa 68 advanced rules that you utilise.

[@efcz623]

Very interesting as an Evertonian to see Keith using the 'Anfield' questionable decision house rule. Well done all great work.

[@thecustodian3813]

This was brilliant! Please do more!

[@garymather3929]

That was brilliant great entertainment 👍👍⚽️⚽️

[@ianfitzgerald4857]

Great match Keith! As an only child, thiis was how I spent many rainy days in the 70s. One small detail though - wouldn't the old brown scoreboard with the panel--style numbers and removable lamps have been more appropriate for 1970? Keep up the magnificent work!

[@markdavies5376]

Absolutely wonderful to watch.And so evocative of the greatest period in football. A superb melding of realism and imagination. Great colour combinations for the teams as well. However I don't agree with the goalkeeping solution. That's the one ugly facet. When I was a boy I always preferred to act as goalkeeper and shooter. It maintained the realism and uncertainty. Although you mentioned at the start you didn't like it. My only gripe with the game was the lack of heading, and the shooting area being to large. I reduced the shooting area in solo play to extend just beyond the penalty area to the shooting line. The areas to the left and right allowed passes or crosses only. And because of the lack of crosses and headers in the game., I developed a system where any pass forward that was to likely end up in the shooting area had an equal chance of going onto the cross ball sectors. Then there was an equal chance of a pass or a cross. I had a little green cardboard ramp to assist with that and with corners , free kicks and goal kicks. And of course if it came off the upper part of the player as intended then it was a header. So at least headers were more likely. Having watched your channel I have just kitted my self out with 4 teams and all the other necessities. Teams are two from the first division from the 70's Arsenal and Chelsea-even though I was a Leeds supporter, and 2 National teams Holland and Argentina from 1978 ,a fantastic final. To get the critical colour combos I will paint them myself and have carefully chosen the bases and disks. Again really enjoyed watching. I was actually excited.

[@Wickford_N_Gauge]

Most entertaining match I watched all season 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 but then again I support The Arsenal 😱😂😂😂😂 Great show, all that it was missing was a closing song 😉 🎤🎸🥁

[@TableTopYears]

Thanks Paul...truth told I reached the end of this in the early hours this morning and was too tired to put an end sequence on....so cue the ever helpful "fade to black" :)

[@mauricio0341able]

Really Great, this is the perfect substitute for the pro evolution soccer

[@wilffrith7768]

Like the benefit of the doubt for home teams, GK's have a good effect but would be nice to look more like other players. I've always been a solo player really, and do try to score and save in the same moment. I've also always allowed the GK on his rod out of his 6-yard box and opponents and defenders inside it. I love driving corner balls into a crowded goalmouth, which can make for some spectacular goals or clearamces, especially from some of the newer players like zuego figures.

[@zaxariasantonakis1197]

More more more subbuteo.excellent work!nice solo game

[@1989worms1]

This was fun to watch! You should make more matches or even a league season. Keep up the good work!

[@namdoognomis]

When I saw the Pompey team I was wondering because I didn't recognise any of the players but on more solid ground with Norwich - I remember Ron 'Manager' Saunders of course plus Kevin Keelan and Graham Paddon and Trevor Howard from 'Brief Encounter (With the Referee's Notebook)'. Great commentary and soundtrack coordination. Not easy to remember about using the 4th flick when you're focused on playing and commentary I suspect! Were you also trying to work record titles into the commentary - I did notice Back to Black in there? All the best Keith - great job!

[@Powellyy93]

I would love that pitch!

[@Rich10000]

Nice video, I like those white fences

[@ulli1895]

WOW - that was great fun now :-)

[@johnspera8369]

that was great fun; expected a 1V1. have to ask, though: when you were playing solo; were you truly being neutral in the match, or in the back of your mind, favoring one side? LOL. very enjoyable; great job, man! happy holidays from the states!!!

[@TableTopYears]

Hi John - truth told I wasn't remotely bothered about the outcome. It's why I chose such an old "non event" of a game. I was concentrating far more on camera angles, audio and trying to remember player names from 1970!!! Ultimately a laugh and fulfilling several requests for a solo game. Happy New Year!

[@positivelycurvedpikachu]

@@TableTopYears cheers from 🇦🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 love to watch this on Saturdays. 🎶 Tablefootball in Saturday 🎶

[@unrealrailway1592]

Favour* Sorry, I just had to.

[@johnspera8369]

@@unrealrailway1592 LOL! BUT i did say: from the states; happy New Year!

[@itcu185]

Camera is really clear , good job!

[@unrealrailway1592]

Digging the flat cap👌👌👌👌 Edit: could you do a video on how to make a collapsible table for subbuteo?

[@jimlouizos1462]

Good to see the defensive flick stay a good 6'' away from the ball ... makes for a better game .... cheeers

[@oakenshield6]

Superb! Better than anything on MOTD (except for West Brom’s unfortunate own goal). Being 1970, did they all have a pint and a ciggy at half-time?

[@milanidis]

New Year's delight!!🎉

[@larrykeller6304]

Love this channel. Do you have your solo rules published somewhere? I don’t have anyone near me here in the US. Would love to learn the solo rules.

[@sf-ou2fc]

Great video for us exclusively solo players. Possibly too late to ask a question on this one, but could you clarify the rules on defensive flicks, which I know you've done in a previous vid, but I can't find it for the life of me. I understand that you're playing under rules where there are no defensive flicks when your opponent is in possession in their own half and even when they've played the ball into your half, you don't have a defensive flick until after they've taken their first flick. And then you have a total of three defensive flicks until possession changes hand or the ball is passed back into the other half again. Is that about right?

[@albertoloi6709]

Great match! The rules you use are also very interesting. Where can it be found?

[@IndeedeeGraphics]

great entertaintment!

[@mcnab4236]

Really enjoyed that! 👍

[@PeterPan-wh1sg]

Hi Keith and gang. An off topic question. I have a 6x4ft table that I use primarily for war gaming but I also want to be able to use it for my Subbuteo setup. Is that too large to be practical (leaning over the table to shoot etc). ? There would be enough room round the edges for grandstands and scenery pieces though.

[@darren2514fv]

The real match was not shown on TV as Southern TV showed The Big Match that weekend

[@jameshunt8373]

Excellent as always. Unfortunately I can't play the home advantage as I'm in a league but for any home tournaments my son wants to do I'm sure he'll use your advice (he'll watch this later). One thing I noticed was that when Norwich hit the post possession was lost. Is that in the '68 advanced rules?

[@TableTopYears]

Thanks James - if the post rebound was miles from anyone it was messy to have players flicking everywhere so I simply used my common sense...otherwise I'd have ended up with a scrum of players all messing about on the goal line and the game would have lost momentum. Happy New Year!

[@jameshunt8373]

@@TableTopYears fair enough. Happy New Year.

[@ncowell]

Happy New Year, Keith! As always great job! Random fact: I actually know 2 of the Pompey players (the real ones, not the little ones). George Ley (pronounced LAY, not Lee, but hey!) was my assistant coach here in Austin & Norman Piper is the father of a coaching colleague here in Texas. Both played for arch rivals of Torquay United, Exeter & Plymouth respectively. As a Torquay player & fan, I also noted one of our former players, the famous Mike Trebilcock. Small world.

[@spaztekwarrior]

Bonus video!

[@TableTopYears]

Something for the Holidays sir!

[@1989worms1]

Hi, Keith! Can you do me a favor, please?

[@TableTopYears]

Fire away...:)

[@1989worms1]

@@TableTopYears Can you be the chairman or president of my CAW League: NWN (Nonstop Wrestling Network), please?

[@helencheyanne3715]

Very nice 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️