Sunday, August 4, 2024, 10AM
FitDistrict Studio, Bella Vista

A field of 10 players made their way to FitDistrict Gym in Bella Vista for the 2024 edition of the Sydney Open. Ranging from players with 50 years experience to those who had only previously played a handful of games, the field was diverse and enthusiastic. Unlike our usual monthly WASPA tournaments, this one featured full 30 minute games, so the 4 round Swiss System followed by a play-off round was a relative marathon compared to what we are normally accustomed. 

Being in Sydney for a couple of weeks meant that Melbourne TFC's Benji was along for the ride. His most notable achievement of the day was not to make a single inappropriately loud goal celebration across the entire 5 hours of play. He did have the chance, with a great set of results across the day. Winning 3 of his 4 tournament games, he then held on to a 2-2 draw in the play-off over Steve to take the title via their head-to-head record.

Steve had started the day well with a tight 1-0 victory over Adrian and only a loss to Benji in the tournament games blotted his record (a goal busting 4-2 loss no less!) and he came close to turning the tables in the 1st place play-off after Benji handed Steve a stranded traveling 'keeper foot in the door.

The two Adrians had a decent afternoon - their contrasting results against Benji being the differentiating factor. While Benji got on a roll against Adrian G, inflicting a fair bit of damage, he was unable to get past Adrian E's defense (aside from one monster long-distance shot which rocketed into the top corner, following which Benji confessed to a double touch on the shooting figure, but wanted to have a go anyway) and the 0-0 result was enough to keep Adrian E ahead on the table. Their 3rd/4th play-off game was typically tight but with Adrian E finding a solitary goal to split them.

The final tournament table actually had 4 other players joining Adrian G on 6 points, with Power Rankings™ used to differentiate them. Franck had the best results of this bunch, with his power ranking placing him in 5th, just ahead of Louie. The two backed up from their 4th round clash to play out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the play-off, enough to keep Franck ahead. Jonny and Ray had also had a couple of wins and a couple of losses in the tournament matches, leaving them on exactly equal points and power rankings. Their play-off match, then, went exactly to form - a 0-0 deadlock.

The final two players were the least experienced of the group. Melvin is an 1980s veteran of the old style game which he played as a youngster in Singapore, but this is just his second ever tournament since then. Chris, meanwhile, played the game for the first time ever late last year at our introductory newcomers tournament when FitDistrict became our newest venue. He was, therefore, really thrown in the deep end today, but held his head high. Learning much along the way, we (hopefully) haven't scared him off coming back for more! Melvin, meanwhile, showed that he is quickly picking up the modern version of the game with some tight results against the more experienced players.

5 x full 30 minute games in a row is a reasonably draining experience, but all the players loved it. Of course, the friendliness and banter of the whole day lifts the experience even further and the day's competitors gave this in abundance, making a brilliant day out for all. Congratulations to Benji on his win and to all for their efforts.

(post-script update: so, human error on the part of our data entry operator (i.e. Adrian E) has thrown the final results into chaos!!! Franck actually beat Louie 2-1 rather than the other way around. The final tournament table can be updated, but it does mean that a number of the games in the play-offs round were between the wrong players, so will probably have to be written off as 'friendlies', now! Many apologies!!) 

Friday, July 12, 2024, 6:30PM
The Clubhouse, Toongabbie

With the Euro grand-final just a couple of days away, it was fitting that our mid-winter WASPA tournament was, completely coincidently, played as the Spanish themed Tortilla Trophy, following a shared dinner of bocadillos de tortilla.

The tournament featured two new players, though both came with a degree of experience. Zakkhya has spent the last 5 years developing his skills at his school's subbuteo tournaments, while Melvin returned to competitive play for the first time since he played in his native Singapore, alongside a number of our great friends from that country, back in the mid-80s. While it took a brief bit of time for the two to get up to speed, it was not long before they were providing great challenges to our seasoned regulars.

Melvin warmed up with an opening loss to Adrian, but it was clear that has flicking and tactical knowledge  were there ready to burst out. Zakkhya succumbed to Louis by a single goal, though he did get plenty of goalkeeping practise. Meanwhile, Tim went ahead against Steve, only for Steve to claw back an equaliser. imojjen scored a spectacular long range effort to open her account against Franck, but then began a remarkable run by allowing Franck back in with a later equaliser.

A solitary goal was all that was scored in the entire second round - by Melvin against Zakkhya in a very close battle of the new guys. It wasn't as close as all the others, though, with Adrian v Louis, Imojjen v Steve and Tim v Franck all ending as goalless draws.

Adrian took a lead halfway through his match against Franck, only for Franck to equalise within 30 seconds. Adrian did find a winner late in the game, much to Franck's annoyance. Tim and Imojjen's game was full of highlights, none of which involved the ball hitting the back of the net, though. Some spectacular close misses at each end were heard by all the competitors! Melvin was really finding his groove now, with an entertaining 2-2 draw against front runner Louis. Zakkhya, meanwhile, pulled off the upset of the evening with a 1-0 victory over Steve.

The final set of games saw Adrian finish with just a nose ahead of Tim, after Tim responded to going a goal down early on with some excellent attacking play and one shot, in particular, which hit the inside of the far post, rolled along the goal line, bobbled on Adrian's 'keeper's rod and came to rest a couple of centimetres inside the field of play. Steve and Melvin fought out a 0-0 draw to close out their respective accounts while Franck slotted 3 goals past Zakkhya. And, to round out an evening which reinforces, Imojjen's reputation, she played out her fourth consecutive draw of the evening, this time a 1-1 with Louis. No player in Australia has as higher ratio of drawn games as Imojjen and this evening merely extended that record further.

All up, a great evening. Some new lighting meant more space in The Clubhouse as extra pitches could be set up outdoors which, in spite of the crispness of the mid-winter air, was enjoyed by all. Every player picked up at least one positive result across the evening, keeping the points table very tight, highlighted by the record of 9 draws from the 16 matches played. And the community built around the dinner before the tournament was, as ever, enjoyed by all.

Saturday, June 15, 2024, 2PM
Fitdistrict Studio, Bella Vista

"Sorry we're a bit late, but have a look at this photo I got of Louie as we walked here". And so Steve, of Northern Falcons TFC, begins what will, no doubt, become a regular photo at our Bella Vista HQ. Life size Subbuteo. The day finished with all 9 competitors finding a spot on each of the various original flats, heavyweight and lightweight bases for a final photoshoot.

And, in between the photo ops, a tournament took place. Young player, Josiah, made his debut, having spent the last 18 months learning the game at school. He was thrown right in the deep end, drawn against NTFC's Adrian G in the opening match. A 4-0 loss was no disgrace, but taught him lots that he would build on throughout the day. Steve scored a goal in the opening 30 seconds against Franck before Franck got back in to the game with a later equaliser. It was Steve, though, who obviously had an extra eye for the dramatic in operation today, who stole a winner with the final flick of the match, a goal with 5 seconds left on the clock. Remarkably, it was to be a common theme throughout the tournament. Adrian E was drawn to play Tim and a very tight game ensued. Both players had their chances, but neither able to make the incisive moment until Adrian found a goal with about 5 minutes to go. He held on for an opening victory. Host, Ray, came up against Eliot and, in spite of some good resistance from Ray, Eliot saw the game go to plan, easing to a 2-0 victory.

The father-son derby saw a goal-fest, in which Steve came out on top, 3-2, over Louie. Josiah put his new experience to action and made it a tough job for Ray to emerge with just a 1-0 victory. Franck took out his frustrations from his close call in the opening round to storm to a 3-0 victory over Tim. The real drama was saved for the Adrian G v Eliot match up. Eliot took an early lead and dominated play, putting Adrian under great pressure throughout. But Adrian, and his goalkeeper, were up to the task, continually repelling Eliot's attacks. Then, again, with the final flick of the match, Adrian slotted a counterattacking shot into the net to pick up a famous draw.

Adrian G followed this up with his second draw of the day, this time against Steve in a tight tussle. Another loud celebration from Adrian after another late equaliser was quickly earning him the nickname of 'The Sydney Benji'. After a number of months of being his bogey-man, Louie succumbed 3-1 to Adrian E, the opening goal one where Adrian had to react to his own mistake, slotting an overhit goal kick into the back of Louie's net with a quick shot on the run. Louie scored a late consolation from an impossible angle but it was too late to save the game by then. Josiah and Tim brought their school rivalry to tournament play but cancelled each other out, the 0-0 draw being Josiah's first ever competitive points. Eliot eased to another win, this time against Franck, with a 2-0 victory.

Eliot and Steve then played to see who would go to the top of the table. In a suitably tight, top the table tussle, Eliot managed to find the winning goal to keep him at the head of the pack. The Adrian derby was even tighter still. Both players made some half chances, but neither had a clear cut chance to win and the game ended in a stalemate. Ray found a way to get a victory against Tim following their draw last month, this time Ray coming out 1-0 to the good. A large amount of coaching from Louie helped Josiah in his final game, but with Josiah having had more experience than, perhaps, Louie had anticipated and, also, learning quickly, Josiah took full advantage, scoring two unanswered goals to pick up both his first competitive goals and win.

The final round saw all the players who had previously had byes face each other. Franck finished off his afternoon consigning Louie to a tournament without points, taking the victory 2-0. Adrian E dominated Ray and peppered his goal all game, but Ray's 'keeper was impervious. Save after save frustrated Adrian. At one point, the 'keeper even managed a save off a certain goal on the run while laying completely unattended by Ray. Then, with exactly 6 seconds left on the clock, the day's theme was underlined with Adrian finally finding a winner, his volume of his celebration having only been exceeded by Adrian G with his earlier exclamations.

So, Eliot and Adrian E finished level on 10 points and, without a head-to-head match to split them, it was Eliot's superior Power Ranking score that got him over the line. After what had been an afternoon of tight and exciting games, the players then headed off to the, now famous, photo shoot.

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 2PM
The Clubhouse, Toongabbie

It was an all Western Sydney line-up for our May WASPA tournament at the clubhouse. With 5 players set to go, a full league was used to decide the final standings.

The first round saw an orgy of netbusting. Tim and Franck went goal for goal in a pulsating match which ended with Tim's first ever victory over Franck - 3-2. Adrian slotted 2 unanswered goals past Ray, while John sat out with the bye.

An always improving John had a great start to his afternoon - a hard working goalkeeper keeping Ray's attacks at bay and earning a 0-0 draw. Franck took a lead midway through his game against Adrian and it took a late equaliser to tie up the final result.

Adrian faced up to Tim next and, in spite of dominating field position, failed to find the decisive shot that might win the game, a 0-0 draw resulting. Franck took his built up frustrations out on John, scoring 5, though John wasn't letting Franck have it all his own way and did pull one back late in the game.

Ray took an early lead against Tim and looked to be heading for his first victory of the afternoon before Tim got a late equaliser to keep his title hopes alive. John succumbed 2-0 to Adrian which put Adrian in an unassailable position at the top before his final round bye, though Tim could still draw level with a win over his dad.

With Adrian cheering loudly for John to spring an upset, Tim held his nerve to go to 8 points, equal with Adrian at the top of the table. Their earlier head-to-head draw meant the title was split - Tim earning his first senior tournament victory. In the clash for the minor places, Franck ended the afternoon on a high, slotting 2 goals past Ray's 'keeper.

Another excellent afternoon of Subbuteo, with a strong local flavour and some excellent results from some quickly improving players.

Thursday, April 25, 2024, 2PM
The Clubhouse, Toongabbie

A glorious autumn afternoon saw 9 players line up for the 2024 ANZAC Cup at The Clubhouse. The random draw for the opening round saw Imojjen take on Franck, where Franck was able to ease to a 2-0 victory. Eliot opened his scoring account within the first 30 seconds against Tim and then went on to record a 3-1 victory. Adrian had a tough time getting past John's stubborn defense but finally got the single, decisive goal, about 3/4 of the way through the game.

Round 2 saw the arrival of the Ridger family to fill up the pitches. Michael took on Adrian but Adrian's experience helped him to a 1-0 victory. Youngest son, Alex, played his first ever competitive match and came away with a very admirable 1-0 loss to John. His older brother, Samuel, faced John's son, Tim, in a match where Time came away with two goals and the points. In the top of the (swiss) table clash, Eliot was too good for Franck, also claiming a 2-0 victory.

Those results pitted Eliot against Adrian. Both players created multiple chances in an open game, but a late goal was enough to win it for Eliot, though a shot on the run at an unguarded goal with 5 seconds left on the clock had Eliot's heart in his mouth. The ball slid centimetres wide and Eliot held on. Michael gave his youngest son, Alex, a bit of a lesson with a 3-0 win. Samuel used some good defensive flicking to hold on for a goalless draw against Imojjen. Meanwhile, Franck eased to a 2-0 victory over John.

Eliot's final match came against Michael, and a 2-0 victory gave him an unassailable lead at the top of the table. Adrian's frustrations at his goal misses in the previous game were taken out on Franck where, in place of the usually close fought contests between the two, Adrian ran out a decisive 3-0 winner. Tim and Imojjen renewed their rivalry and neither could get on top in a 0-0 draw, while the Ridger brothers went head-to-head competitively for the first time, older brother Samuel emerging victorious 1-0.

The final round mopped up all the games for players who had sat out for byes during the afternoon. Imojjen put 2 goals past Alex, but Alex' on-the-run commentary throughout the game kept all spectators (and, indeed, opponents) highly amused. John picked up his second victory of the afternoon with a 1-0 win over Samuel. Tim finished his final game, against Michael, with the same result.

That win pushed Tim up into third place on the final table, behind Eliot and Adrian in 1st and 2nd, respectively. Franck snuck ahead of John, courtesy of his head-to-head victory in their game, while Imojjen was close behind the two. In the quest for Ridger family bragging rights, Samuel came out on top of the three. Great to have yet another new member of the Western Sydney clan in the shape of Alex, and some promising signs for a second wave of junior players for our club.

Well done to all for an excellent afternoon and congratulations to Eliot on his victory.

Saturday, March 16, 2024
FitDistrict Training Studio, Bella Vista

The Falcons came, they saw, they conquered. On what was, results wise, not to be a great day for Western Sydney Subbuteo, it was the three visitors from Northern Falcons - Adrian G, Louie and Steve - who would take the honours, though nothing was quite straightforward with no player being able to completely dominate.

There was much excitement as Phil joined for his first ever tournament, bringing along his old lightweight Bradford City team for their first run out since a curry and beer evening back in his homeland in 1989. He was given a quick brush up on 21st century rule developments and thrown in at the deep end against Louie, suffering a 2-0 defeat but making a great fist of it for his first game in 35 years. Ray went ahead with a superb goal on the run against Adrian E, but was pegged back by a reciprocal, on the run, goal. Neither could find a winner, though Ray's 'keeper was named figure of the match. Adrian G used his experience to ease to a 2-0 victory over Tim, while Steve finished with the same result against Hipfingerz' Geoff.

In a very tight set of Round 2 fixtures, Louis beat Adrian E for the second time in succession, winning with a goal that was so surprising to both players that neither could quite figure out what had happened, except that the ball was in the back of the net! Geoff led for much of his game against Ray, only for Ray to find an equaliser with another goal on the run with the final flick of the match. Tim took a 1-0 win against Phil, which Phil was counting as a moral victory, the first of many moral victories he will win as a 'new' player! Adrian G continued his march to the top of the table with a 1-0 victory over Steve.

The Round 3 top-of-the-table clash between Adrian G and Louie lived up to expectations, with both players cancelling each other out and unable to bother the scoreboard attendants. Adrian E took an early lead over Geoff and game managed the rest of the match to finish with the win. But the action was all happening in the Ray vs Phil clash. Within 30 seconds there was uproar as Phil felt he had scored his first goal of the day, only to be denied by Ray and his controversial insistence on correctly applying the rules of the game. Ray then went ahead and was looking to ease to a comfortable victory, only for Phil to keep coming back at him, scoring an equalising 2nd goal in the final minute of play to record both his first competitive goals and his first competitive points.

Adrian E needed a victory over Adrian G in the final round to have any hope of winning the tournament, but could not find a way through in a very even, end to end match in which both players had their chances but in which neither could stamp their authority. Likewise, Steve could leapfrog his Louie with a victory over his son but, in the end, had to settle for a 1-1 draw, Louie holding on to his place at the top of the table. Geoff picked up his first win of the day with a victory over Phil, while Ray finished the day with his undefeated record in tact, courtesy of his fourth successive draw, this time against Tim. Talk about an accommodating host!!

With Louie and Adrian G finishing level on 8 points, and, having drawn their game against each other, it came down to Power Ranking points to determine the winner. Adrian G came out on top courtesy of having picked up his results against stronger opponents, overall, across the afternoon. The 1-2 Falcons finish was then reinforced by Steve's 3rd place finish, leaving the Western Sydney Subbuteo players, along with Geoff from Hipfingerz, to fill out the rest of the final table.

Another hugely enjoyable few hours of Subbuteo, highlighted by an excited new player keen to return again. Huge congratulations to Adrian G on his victory. It will now be up to the Western Sydney players to lift their game and reclaim their homeground advantage in next month's tournament! 

Friday, February 23, 2024
The Clubhouse, Toongabbie

While there was a tournament planned for the evening, firstly, more important matters needed to be dealt with. Eating! A collection of gourmet accompaniments were lavished atop humble hotdogs, washed down with ciders and white wine, and the crew were primed to get on with the flicking.

A 9 player Swiss tournament necessitated 4 pitches - 3 crammed into the air-conditioned clubhouse proper with a 4th out on the back verandah. While the temperature had, thankfully, cooled from the high-30s of earlier in the day, there was still plenty of humidity about, along with the ubiquitous mosquitos, so players were really stretched by the conditions. Louis and Dave were the first to put themselves to this test, with Louis making a fine start and a 2-0 victory. In the air-conditioning, Adrian and Gabriel played their first ever competitive match against each other, Gabriel holding out for a significant part of the game before Adrian scored 2 late goals. Imojjen came from behind to take a 1-1 draw with Franck, while Steve and Tim played out the exact same scoreline.

Steve was unimpressed with the two mediocre goals Franck put past him in their match up, especially as Steve could only find 1 of his own in reply. Louis stayed on the humidity pitch but this time fell 1-0 to Adrian. Imojjen and John failed to bother each other's goal while Dave took a narrow 1-0 win over Gabriel. 

The third round was one that could have been done without, in retrospect. Across the four fixtures, not a single goal was scored, which probably validates the benefits of a Swiss system but really didn't do much to excite spectators!

Round Four pitted John against a son for the second game running, with him going down 1-0 to Tim on this occasion. The humidity finally caught up with a wilting Louis with Franck hammering him 4-1. Steve was in clear control in his game against Gabriel and so began to give pointers to Gabriel. Gabriel listened carefully and then proceeded to score his first of the evening based on this advice! Meanwhile, for the first time ever, Dave picked up a competitive point against Adrian. Having gone behind following a fatal traveling goalkeeper error, Dave managed to eke out a small piece of space behind Adrian's defense and slip an equaliser with a few minutes remaining.

A final round of catchup games for all of those who had sat out for a bye had the potential to determine the final standings significantly. John was no match for Steve who won 3-0. Imojjen was clearly fading as the evening wore on and Tim took full advantage, claiming a 2-0 victory and slotting himself right amongst the top of the table.

That table was congested! 3 players ended the evening tied at the top on 8 points, so Power Rankings (where the relative strength of each opponent is factored in) were used to determine the winner, with Franck coming out on top, followed closely by Tim then Adrian. With every player picking up at least one positive result across the evening, placings then counted down with a single point between each successive player on the table.

Congratulations to Franck on the win and thanks to all those who came along to make another successful, well contested, and well fed, tournament.

Saturday, January 27, 2024 - 2PM
FitDistrict Training Centre

via txt:
Adrian: just double checking you're heading in.
Paul: Trying to navigate Bella Vista. 8th ring of hell.

After trialing the gym as a venue last year, 2024 sees FitDistrict Training Centre in Bella Vista become an official regular Western Sydney Subbuteo tournament venue, though Paul, unfortunately, missed the instructions for car parking in the area! We kicked off with a healthy field of 10 players, ranging from genuine title contenders for next weekend's Australian Grand Prix looking for some warm up matches, through to those playing in their first ever tournament. The searing, high 30ºs heat of the previous few days had, thankfully, backed off a bit for the, but the heavy humidity was still present, though FitDistrict's big fans did a good job of keeping things bearable.

The usual Swiss system was undertaken, with four rounds scheduled. Once he found his way into the building, Paul opened his account with a 0-0 draw against our host, Ray. Some of the new players were drawn in difficult first up encounters - John, Brad & Michael facing much more experienced opponents. While there were no upsets, the experienced players, in keeping with the spirit of WSS tournaments,  all used the games to give expert teaching to the new players. Franck drew the short straw of a first round encounter against the favourite, Rob, and went down a gallant 0-2.

As the Swiss rankings kicked in, Subbuteo Brisbane's Gareth, who was in town for the weekend, found himself facing Rob. Rob eased to a win to take him to the top of the table. Meanwhile, Eliot took the lead halfway through his game against Adrian, only for Adrian to find an equaliser on the run before the final whistle. Paul put a solitary goal past Franck, a coda to his recent Spring League title where he pipped Franck on the points table in spite of their draw during the League. Ray scored two against John, who was picking up the game very quickly, while Michael and Brad played out a scoreless draw to each earn their first competitive points.

In the Northern Falcons derby, neither Eliot nor Rob could crack the other's defence, ending in a stalemate. The same happened with WSS teammates Adrian and Ray, where Ray's 'keeper had a blinder and then Adrian began to wilt in the heat. Paul scored a 2-0 victory over Gareth, where more of the action revolved around heckling each other's NRL teams of choice rather than the table football. Michael scored his first goal against Franck, but Franck was too strong replying with 3 of his own. Brad also scored his first competitive goal, against John, holding on to take his first win in the process. 

The final round saw a handful of players still in with a shot of finishing on top of the table. Gareth moved himself to a very respectable mid table position with a win over Brad, and John recorded his first competitive victory, against Michael. A goalless draw between Franck and Adrian saw them both cancel out each other's slim chances of the title. Eliot put 4 unanswered goals past Ray, killing off Ray's chances and boosting his own considerably. Either Paul or Rob could take the title with a victory in their fixture. Unfortunately, no epic battle ensued, Rob running away with a 3-0 win.

A great opening tournament at our new venue. Many thanks to Ray and everyone at FitDistrict for letting us use their excellent space. And, with a bunch of excited new players, via Ray's excellent recruitment drives, not to mention a healthy cohort of keen spectators, the future is looking very positive.

Saturday, January 27, 2024 - 2PM
Fitdistrict Training Centre
South Concourse Bella Vista Metro Station
2 Mawson Ave, Bella Vista

Having trialed the venue with a new players' tournament in late 2023, Western Sydney Subbuteo is now very proud to partner with Fitdistrict to use their Bella Vista training centre as a tournament venue moving forward.

The inaugural tournament is a WASPA tournament open to all players of all abilities and experience. Equipment supplied if needed. Entry is FREE.

Fitdistrict is located in the building that houses the Bella Vista metro station, making the venue ideal to access via public transport. There is no on site parking, but plenty of parking is available across the road in the industrial area on the corner of Lexington Dr and Celebration Dr.

https://www.facebook.com/events/804617344808018

Friday, December 29, 2023
The Clubhouse in the Carport

11 Players arrived to work off the Christmas kilojoules around the Subbuteo pitches in the carport. While not too hot a day, the humidity was high as the action kicked off. 

The Elmer siblings played out their traditional 0-0 draw, drawing the ire of the FISTF President, accusing them of laughing too much to get any actual Subbuteo played. Tom joined for his first ever club tournament, having not played since his school days 3 years ago. He faced a tough challenge in first up opponent, Paul, and, unfortunately, shipped 4 goals in a baptism of fire. Eliot put 2 past Adrian G in the Falcons derby while Adrian slipped one past Tim in a close encounter.

3 more rounds, plus a 5th between each of the players that had had a bye, followed in quick succession. Æowyn went through the tournament undefeated, registering 4 straight draws, Katelyn picked up her first Opens competitive victory, as well as another two draws. The vagaries of the Swiss system meant that Paul played the the eventual top 3, losing narrowly to all 3, while David was able to register multiple wins and draws. Tim had a solid afternoon with a notable draw against Adrian G his highlight. Steve, Eliot and Adrian all played out draws against each other, leaving them difficult to separate on the power rankings system.

All up, a great afternoon to close out a very successful year for Western Sydney Subbuteo, with great growth in the club. It was also a great opportunity to catch up with some of our friends from the wider Sydney region. With some exciting new projects in the pipeline for 2024, things are looking very positive.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
The Clubhouse

The President of the Table Football Association of Ireland had contacted the club a week before this event, seeing if there was any Subbuteo action to be had as he visited for a week in his role as an official at the Power Chair World Cup being held at Olympic Park. There had originally been some League fixtures programmed for Wednesday evening, but some late unavailabilities meant the night was now free for a small WASPA tournament to be held in John's honour. John was joined by David R and Adrian from Western Sydney Subbuteo, and Steve and Eliot for Northern Falcons TFC for the occasion. 

After meeting, greeting and chatting for a little while, a straight 5 player league was settled upon as the format. John had clearly come to play and etched out tight but deserved 1-0 victories against both Steve and Adrian in the opening rounds. Steve caused a minor upset with a 2-1 victory over Eliot which really opened the filed up. Dave was, by far, the least experienced player in the field but was putting up a great show. At one stage he even led 1-0 over John until John's experience helped him take control of the match. All Dave's fixtures ended with just the odd goal here and there in each match being the difference. In the biggest win of the evening, Eliot dispatched Adrian 3-0, though Adrian was able to retain some respectability with a scoreless draw against Steve.

Results meant that the final round match-up between John and Eliot would determine the winner of the tournament. Eliot needed a win to go ahead based on the head-to-head result, while John just needed the draw to guarantee him the points to stand alone at the summit. An intriguing match ensued in which both players had chances, both players hit the woodwork, both players made saves...and neither player could score. A real arm wrestle of a game which was completely in keeping with the occasion. He came, he saw, he conquered - John had sealed his status as the winner of the tournament convened in his honour.

A great evening of Subbuteo with close fought games all around, an excellent camaraderie and a chance for connections to be made around the globe. One of the greatest beauties of the game is this opportunity to pull into places on the other side of the world, send out a call and get to meet and make new friends. This was certainly what happened this evening. Many thanks to John for joining us!

Sunday, October 15, 2023
Fit District Bella Vista

The premises of Fit District gym in Bella Vista were transformed into a table football hothouse on a glorious Spring Sunday morning as club member (and Fit District's head honcho), Ray ran an introductory session and tournament for a bunch of new players. 6 turned out to be coached by Ray and Adrian for an hour or so before those who were able to hang around pitted their new skills against each other in a tournament.

The early session featured lots of coaching, the game played slightly slo-mo with a wait for blocking flicks following every attacking flick. But the players quickly picked up the basics and were enjoying themselves greatly, with lots of "Why have I never seen this game before?!!" comments. Once everyone had a degree of comfort in what they were doing (and a couple of players had to head off for work), the remaining four new players - Nik, Xander, Chris & Jack,  progressed into a tournament. With the wait for blocking flicks removed, the speed of the games picked up noticeably, the four becoming more comfortable with their flicking techniques.

General table football play is one thing. Scoring a goal in table football is another! The first two rounds of games saw some great build up, even a shot or two hitting the woodwork, but all four games ended in goalless draws. In the final round game, Nik finally threw down the gauntlet, claiming the first competitive goal, against Chris. This was enough to fire him to the top of the table and a place in the grand final. With the other game between Xander and Jack finishing goalless, a shootout was required to find the other finalist. While the shots were quite accurate, neither player could get past their opposing 'keepers during the first 5 shots, sending the shootout to sudden death. 

Just before Xander's 7th shot of the shootout (!) a vital piece of information was casually discovered. While all the players had been carefully spending the morning keeping their hands still while flicking, as required by the laws of the game, all had struggled to get any power in their shots. It was then pointed out that using the pitch as a spring, allows a shot to have far more power. This meant that Xander was able to blast his shot into the goal and take the victory, with Jack rightfully feeling hard done by at this advice not being made earlier!

The final between Xander and Nik showed that the players had quickly picked up how to play, considering they'd never even seen a Subbuteo figure a couple of hours earlier! While half chances were created at either end, neither player could create the decisive moment and so the final itself finished in need of another shootout. With both players now in possession of the vital flicking information, it was Nik who was able to harness it best in a much improved shootout. Leading 2-0 at one stage, Xander gave himself a hope with a sneaky low shot into the near side of the goal for his 4th shot, then saving Nik's 5th. However, Nik was able to cut out the angles and save Xander's 5th, to take the game, and the tournament, with a 2-1 shots victory.

Ray and Adrian then played a quickfire demonstration game at the request of the new players, to give them an idea of what to aim for (though, hopefully, they can aim higher than that!!). Ray scored a goal midway through after a stranded traveling 'keeper error from Adrian and, while Adrian spent the rest of the game peppering Ray's goal, nothing was getting past his brand new 'keeper, giving Ray the victory.

A most excellent morning of Subbuteo table football and, hopefully, the beginning of some more regular fixtures at Fit District and the continued growth of Western Sydney Subbuteo.

The September Cup normally heralds the change of season with some mild weather. Not so this year! Originally planned for the 'Clubhouse In The Carport', the venue was hastily changed back to the Clubhouse itself with just a couple of pitches left outside and temporary shading set up with temperatures pushing for the mid-30s predicted. At least, this way, 3 of the 5 pitches would be in airconditioned comfort.

The usual array of Subbuteo memorabilia was brought out for the day, with everything from original 1950s flats to 1990s Hasbro bases getting a good flick. Add to that the nylon pitches with their direction-altering fluff, the cotton pitches with their thicker profile and the truly weird 2000s Subbuteo pitch with its puffed lines and muddy pitch (lack of) speed, the little old goalkeepers, plastic goals and an array of 80s Tango balls and it was a veritable Subbuteo museum come to life. 

A random draw saw the opening fixtures created for the Swiss System tournament. Returning after a long-term hiatus, Æowyn was welcomed with an opening fixture against title favourite, Eliot. The handicap system (the more experienced the player, the older the base they had to use) meant that things weren't so straight forward, though. Æowyn's remark that "I could tell the bases made it harder because Eliot wasn't just being nice, he was actually missing the ball sometimes!" summed things up beautifully. In the end, Eliot managed a solitary, unanswered goal to take the match. Steve and Jonny bunkered down on the quagmire pitch and spent the entire game letting everyone know how frustrating they were finding it. A good thing they had something to do because scoring goals certainly wasn't on either of their agendas! Ethan managed a goal halfway through his opening fixture against Imojjen, herself returning to competitive play for the first time in 6 months. Likewise, Franck scored 1 in his game against Costa, also playing his first match since April. A delayed kick-off in the final game between Adrian and Paul did nothing to dampen Paul's celebrated table talk. Another of the features of traditional Subbuteo equipment is the need to hold the goals in place with the non-'keeping hand. Paul pushed his technique somewhat, but not quite enough to stop Adrian scoring a single goal to win the game.

Round 2 saw the Swiss rankings kick in, pitting Ethan against Eliot. In what was to become the theme for the entire tournament, a single goal from Eliot was all that separated the pair, Steve managing the exact same scoreline in his game against Paul. The rest ended in draws, some, such as Franck v Adrian (0-0) and Imojjen v Jonny (0-0), rather dour as players struggled with pitches and figures, while others were much more exciting - Æowyn scoring her comeback goal to much excitement, only for Costa to pin her back and finally score an equaliser after a significant period of dominance.

A brief lunch break was then taken, with the newly opened Bad Boy Café, 20 metres across the road, the chosen outlet for most players. On returning to action, Eliot became the only player to score multiple goals in a single game for the entire tournament, recording a 2-0 win over Franck, whose goalkeeper was on fire, much to Eliot's loud frustrations. Steve's 1950s flats were doing amazing things, sometimes leaning at 45º, sometimes magically 'heading' the ball fractionally before committing a foul, but weren't able to ward off Adrian's single goal. In yet another 1-0 scoreline, Jonny used his experience to beat Ethan. While both Imojjen v Costa and Æowyn v Paul ended 0-0, the amount of delirious noise and laughter coming from their games suggested that the heat was clearly getting to those on the outside pitches. 

A place in the Grand Final was up for grabs in the fourth and final round. Adrian had worked his way up to second place, but this meant he faced Eliot, and a loss would open up the gate for any of a handful of players to slip ahead of him. A tight tussle ensued with a few chances at each end but, ultimately, another lone goal, this time one on the run to Adrian three quarters of the way through the game, was enough for him to take the win, in spite of Eliot spending the final 5 minutes throwing everything at Adrian. Stalemates ensued in the other upper table clashes, Franck & Jonny at 0-0, Steve and Ethan at 1-1. In the sibling showdown, even FISTF President, Steve Dettre, on the next table, was shocked with the trash talk taking place. Imojjen insulted Æowyn into submission and came out triumphant, 1-0. On the last table, Paul scored his first goal of the tournament, one which allowed him a famous victory over Costa.

Adrian's victory pushed him to the top of the table and he argued vociferously against the need for a grand final (quietly reasoning that he wasn't going to beat Eliot twice in one day!). But the masses insisted and so the two went at it again, Adrian looking to claim his first September Cup since 2017, Eliot his first ever. It was clear the two had somewhat come to terms with the unpredictable conditions but there were still phases of play where the ball remained stationary for almost a minute at a time! There were few clear chances for either player but Eliot's renowned curling skills opened up a half chance for midway through the game, after some fine, patient, close flicking build up play. He delicately placed the ball into the goal to take a lead, Adrian's fears of not being able to beat Eliot twice beginning to come true. The game continued as a largely midfield battle until a long ball into a good space gave Adrian a slim chance. With another shot on the run, Adrian found a dramatic equaliser. With enough time left for a winner, neither player could really carve out a clear chance, both wary of leaving themselves exposed if they took too big a risk. And so the game finished at 1-1, going directly to shots. Adrian took the lead from the second shot. Eliot replied with a goal from the centre, but Adrian edged back ahead from the same. Eliot's fourth shot was saved by Adrian's 'keeper's fingertips, all Eliot's shots having been on target. With Adrian's fourth shot, he was able to steer the ball inside the near post to take the game, and the title. Eliot declared he had a sinking feeling as soon as Adrian had equalised in the regular game, Eliot's record in shoot-outs having become something of a psychological nightmare.

And so the official engraver was brought out to record the name of the 20 year anniversary September Cup winner. Every player went home having enjoyed the day, and the museum pieces were packed away for another year.

A perfect autumn afternoon was the backdrop to Western Sydney Subbuteo's inaugural ANZAC Cup. 5 WSS players were joined by Northern Falcons' Eliot and Hipfingerz' Geoff for a Swiss system tournament. Imojjen started with a 0-0 draw against Geoff which seemed a little against the form guide beforehand but came to make more sense as the afternoon wore on. Tim had a 1-0 win against David, who was playing his first ever competitive game. Meanwhile, Eliot had to wade through a few cobwebs for all of about 10 minutes before he then blew Adrian away 3-0.

In the second round, Imojjen nabbed another 0-0 draw, this one against Costa. Eliot carried on with a 2-0 win over Tim while Geoff aided David's subbuteo education, putting 4 past him.

Imojjen then added a new element to her game, adding goalscoring to her great defense. The victim was Tim with the game ending 1-0. The same score was mirrored in Eliot's continued march, this time over Geoff, and in Adrian's narrow victory over Costa in a game that was in the balance until late on.

Imojjen and Eliot, the only two players who were, so far, undefeated and yet to concede a goal, went head-to-head in the final round. Eliot finally broke Imojjen's defenses in the second half of the game, his solitary goal enough to clinch both a perfect record for the afternoon and the title. Adrian eased to a 3-0 win over Tim while Costa found a goal to take the win over David.

The four players who had byes during the regular rounds then faced off for a final catch-up round. Adrian was able to beat David 2-0. The final game was a real, mid-table grudge match between Costa and Geoff, which Eliot was roped into refereeing, a job he performed with nit-picking relish. Geoff took the honours 2-0 but both players learned a great deal about the fine print of table football laws of the game.

With the results pushed through Subbuteo Player Power Rankings™ calculator (which factors in the relative quality of each opponent as well as raw results), Eliot came out the clear winner. The group behind him were closely packed, with Adrian just getting his nose in front of Imojjen and Geoff respectively. Costa and Tim followed with David rounding out the table with very promising performances, putting up an excellent show in his first tournament and learning quickly throughout the afternoon. As ever, the camaraderie was excellent and the event proving a fine way to spend a glorious afternoon in the sunshine. 

With perfect summer weather being thrown up in the middle of autumn (temperatures tipping 37° in Toongabbie), the initial plans of using the Clubhouse in the Carport were abandoned and a bumper crowd squashed into the airconditioned confines of the Clubhouse proper. 11 competitors battled it out around the three pitches in a 4 round Swiss System tournament.

Highlights of round one included Hannah playing her first ever game of Subbuteo, ably coached by opponent, Tim. Hannah put up an excellent showing and Tim was unable to score a decisive goal until 7 seconds from full-time. Big Steve, the afternoon's only reprasentative from outside the Western Sydney Subbuteo club, also picked up a win against David G, playing in just his second tournament. Imojjen and Trevor played out a loud 0-0 draw, the same result as the game between Ben and John. A further 0-0 draw came in David R's game against Adrian, which was all one-way traffic, David's goalkeeper being pretty much his only figure to touch the ball all match, yet doing so effectively.

Round two and Trevor struggled against Adrian, though he did fashion one shot on goal. Steve made it 2 from 2 in his game against Tim. The two Davids picked up their first wins of the afternoon, with respective 1-0 wins over John and Hannah. Imojjen ground out another 0-0 draw, this time against Ethan. 

Steve's games were getting tougher, the third round seeing him up against Ethan. Ethan put on a good show, but Steve was able to score the decisive goal to keep up his 100% record. Adrian struggled to break down Tim's defenses and, in the end, required a late penalty for hand ball to take a slim 1-0 victory. David R continued his winning trajectory with a 2-0 win over Ben's Scottish team. Imojjen continued true to form with yet another 0-0 draw, this time against David G. The same result was played out in the game between Trevor and John, tough Trevor had his best chance to score - 'doing a Gordy' and butchering an open goal shot when John's traveling 'keeper had been stranded.

After constant heckling of the gracious hosts for the entire afternoon, Trevor and Hannah decided they'd had enough and stormed out before the group photo, leaving just 4 games to be played in the final round. There was finally a goal in a game featuring Imojjen though, unfortunately for her, it was one conceded against David R, the result of which decided their final standings in 3rd and 4th places. Tim came home with a wet sail against Ben scoring 2 unanswered goals. The father-son derby between the Gallardos was a 0-0 stalemate at full-time, so they continued the game on a free table during the final half-round. Neither was good enough to score (or maybe both were brilliant defensively) and so neither could go home with bragging rights. In the decisive game for first place, Adrian knew he needed a win, Steve a draw to take the title. A tight tussle saw both players create, and butcher, opportunities to score. In the end, a 0-0 draw was enough for Steve - he came, he saw, he conquered! Final rankings were determined by putting all the afternoon's results into the patented Australian Subbuteo Player Power Rankings system, helping to differentiate the awkward mid-table placings that a traditional Swiss System throws up.

Special mention to a third David, who traveled all the way from Lithgow to observe, and then play a few friendly games, having recently discovered the Sydney Subbuteo scene via the internet.

It's looking like we might need to find some new club premises with The Clubhouse bursting at the seams trying to accommodate everybody. Another great afternoon of Subbuteo between a large, vociferous and very friendly crowd and congratulations to our one traveling guest, Steve, on his victory.

With the Australian Grand Prix being held in Melbourne on this weekend, and a few of our players really wishing they could have been there, the club decided on a hastily organised WASPA tournament, our first for the year.

The initial starting line up of six players had shrunk to four by the start of play, with illness and the speed of life taking their toll. So, a four player league with a grand final was decided on. Playing in just his second tournament, Greg brought along his new Brazil team and pitted them against Adrian. Still learning the ropes, he succumbed 2-0, but learning was definitely the main factor for all Greg's games this evening, and he was able to do a lot of this. On the other pitch, Dave brought out the shooting skills he had been practising at home over the summer, and was able to pull off a great 1-1 draw against Franck, who had been favoured to win the match. 

Franck was stung into action. He took an early lead in his next game, against Adrian, with a move on the run seeing the ball in the back of the open goal and Adrian still at the other end of the pitch. Adrian managed to pull back an equaliser but, Franck, not to be denied, received a yellow card for his over-the-top celebrations after a deft chip put him back in front a few minutes before full time. He was able to hold, in spite of renewed pressure from Adrian, for his first ever win against that opponent. Meanwhile, Dave rode a wave of shooting, putting three past Greg to go to the top of the table, alongside Franck.

While Franck was already assured a place in the final, Dave just needed a draw against Adrian to join him. The mind games started early as Adrian encouraged Dave to park the bus. Adrian got an early goal to settle his nerves but took until late in the game to score the second and put the result beyond doubt. Meanwhile, Franck was giving Greg a range of tactical pointers as Greg's Subbuteo education continued.

Adrian changed his glasses in preparation for the Grand Final rematch against Franck, but this didn't have much positive effect as the game got going. Within eight minutes, Franck was up by two goals and could have had a third following a stranded 'keeper from Adrian, though messed up his first flick to let Adrian off the hook. However, within a minute of Franck's second, Adrian jagged one back to give a breath of life to his challenge by the half way mark. The game became tense from there, but Adrian was gaining the upper hand, scoring an equaliser with 5 minutes to go. Referee Dave then began heckling Franck - "I can't believe you've given up a 2 goal lead!". Franck was holding out, though, forcing Adrian into a 'Magee Swarm' from a goalkick in the final 30 seconds. With the clock ticking down, desperate defending was blocking gaps, but also giving up free-flicks which Adrian was taking rapidly. Then, with literally 2 seconds on the clock, Adrian found the slight gap he needed to trickle the ball past Franck's diving 'keeper and take the win.

An epic struggle to conclude a great night of Subbuteo fun. Every player learned new things, every player built on their skills and knowledge. 

Report to come...

The September Cup has returned after two years of COVID cancellations! 6 players came along for dinner before the big event, with a 7th joining them in time for flick-off. The September Cup is famous for its 'Subbuteo only' policy - all games played on cotton and nylon pitches, all bases original Subbuteo, plastic goals and tiny little Subbuteo goalkeepers! With different base styles used as a handicap, and the unfamiliarity of how to use them, kept things open across the tournament.

2 unseeded groups were drawn, with Western Sydney Subbuteo's Franck and Adrian drawn with Steve Dettre from Northern Falcons and Antonio Credentino from Sydney TFC, while the other group was an all Western Sydney Subbuteo affair featuring Ben Vickers, Costa and Imojjen.

In Group 1, Franck and Steve battled out an excited 1-1 draw while Adrian managed a solitary goal past Antonio. The second round saw Adrian put two into Franck's plastic goal, while Antonio pipped Steve 2-1. In the final round's battle for places, Antonio eased to a 3-0 victory of Franck while Adrian had another close 1-0 win over Steve to top the group.

In the other half of the draw, draws were the order of the day! As the players battled with the ball changing directions on hitting nylon fluff, Imojjen drew 0-0 with both Costa and Ben, while a solitary goal to Costa in his game against Ben shot him to the top of the table.

In the consolation rounds, Ben struggled against both Franck and Steve, conceding two goals in each game but maintaining his position as using one of the tournaments most attractive teams in their Scottish red socks.

The semi-finals saw Antonio ease past Costa, thanks in no small part to Steve Dettre's unfortunately timed bad dad joke, distracting Costa just as Antonio pulled the trigger for his first goal. On the cotton pitch, Adrian took an early lead against Imojjen and seemed to be cruising until he left a big whole in his defense with 3 minutes to go, Imojjen obliging by marching through it and scoring for the second consecutive competitive match against her father. This time, however, she held on for the draw, forcing the game into shots. Adrian made a complete hash of trying to save Imojjen's first shot and, though tying the scores up midway through the shootout, choked when it counted, with Imojjen burying a crack for her 4th shot, and Adrian following this up with a miss in his final shot to see Imojjen through to her first ever tournament Grand Final.

In the 3rd/4th play-off, Adrian dominated possession but struggled to make any meaningful attempts on goal until late in the game, where he finally found a way past Costa's defense to take a victory.

In the Grand Final, Antonio scored an early goal which gave the impression he would cruise to the title. Imojjen, however, had other ideas and put on a fine display for the rest of the relatively even game. She couldn't, however, fashion any clear chances and Antonio was able to see the game out, reclaiming the title which he last won in 2018.

An excellent evening of Subbuteo, with tight tussles, upset results and frustrations with old equipment being the features of the evening. We now look forward to next year's 20th Anniversary edition of the September Cup.

Before COVID, a tradition of 'sausage tournaments' grew around Sydney, with German, Hungarian and Polish editions taking place - dinner and drinks, with lots of stories, and a bit of Subbuteo thrown in for good measure. Western Sydney Subbuteo was never able to host one at the time but, in these new times, jumped on the bandwagon with the first ever Spanish edition - The Chorizo Challenge. After consuming their chorizo, patatas bravas and tortilla, with lashings of cider, beer and red wine, the 6 players dragged themselves out to the clubhouse for the tournament itself.

A full league was decided on, with rapid-fire 15 minute games. New players Keiran started off with a lesson (in the nicest possible sense) against Eliot, while the relatively inexperienced Bay remembered his way around the pitch against Adrian. Steve had a torrid time trying to break down Imojjen's dogged defense but finally scored 1 to take the win in their first round match-up.

Flying through the rounds, Imojjen scored the goal of the game against her father, Adrian, to make it 1-1 part way through. Imojjen's response meant that everyone in the room know what was going on. Bay offered up his obligatory 2-0 loss in a running theme for the evening, this time to Eliot, followed by Steve and Imojjen. Keiran was finding his feet quickly and, in spite of losing, was picking up skills with ease. He finally took a victory in the last game of the evening, a 1-0 win over Bay, though it probably wouldn't have stood had VAR been used on the night! Steve and Eliot had as epic a battle as can be had in 15 minutes, Eliot coming out on top 2-1. Eliot then blasted Adrian 2-0, barely giving Adrian a sniff. Imojjen picked up a win over Bay and a draw with Keiran, while Steve finished on a high with a win over Adrian to confirm second place on the ladder.

Of course, Subbuteo really was just a minor distraction for the evening, with food, drink and stories being the real focus. Another excellent evening's fun.