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Chad Wright gives his impressions of his first FISTF tournament:

My first experience playing in an International Open came at the Glasgow IO in mid February. Having only started playing in the Glasgow Club the previous summer it was an event I had been really looking forward to and it didn’t fail to excite and entertain.

I was impressed with how well the event was organised and run and even more impressed with the level of skill in the players present: watching guys like Chris Thomas and Chris Short who make the game look so easy and up and coming stars like under 16’s Ruby Matthews who left a trail of very good players in her wake as she progressed to the team finals with Wobbly Hobby A team.

My own personal highlight, however, was playing in my first game on the Saturday in the individuals against Lawrence Watson from Derry City. For those who don’t know, Lawrence has a youtube channel (Watsies Subbuteo Art) promoting entertaining off-the-cuff videos on our beautiful miniature game and the players involved.  

I came off the better in the game managing to keep a clean sheet in the process. But Lawrence was full of anticipation for the coming matches and was excited for the rest of the event. Our paths met again, however, as I was drawn to referee his last match in the Sunday team event Derry City V Edinburgh’s Golazzo. He was a near broken man, exclaiming he had played so badly and hadn’t even managed to score a single goal. Things weren’t getting any better! By half time he was 4-0 down to Marco Bevilacqua. His mood dropped further, intimating that he was going to give up the game as he was so bad (Obviously Lawrence’s words were a bit more colourful!). I said in passing to just keep trying, get a goal before he goes, a highlight to take away!! His team were shouting over encouragement too.

10 minutes into the second half Lawrence was now 6-0 down. It was looking like he was leaving Glasgow goalless! But a missed flick by Marco with 3 minutes to go gave Lawrence possession just on the halfway line. He worked it up the pitch and passed the ball through Marco’s defence to the 18-yard line. Marco got a great blocking flick from a wide player, goal side of the ball. Lawrence measured the shot and executed the flick… The ball hit the defender and lifted into the air, over the keeper and under the crossbar…. YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!! Even as the referee I let out a cheer, Marco too, high fives all round. Just that one goal is all it takes to keep you coming back!!!’

This Subbuteo extravaganza took place over the weekend of 30/31 July. On the Saturday there was a FISTF International Open for individuals as well as a Flats tournament. On the Sunday it was the FISTF Team event and a traditional Advanced Rules tournament. In addition there were a number of stalls selling all kinds of table soccer equipment.

Five Glasgow players made the almost 400 mile trip south: Tom Burns, Dave Gladman, John Halpin, Malcolm Lees and Brian Spoors. They were joined by Galazzo’s Gareth Christie. Burns, Lees and Spoors managed to qualify out of their groups into the Barrage. Unfortunately they were to progress no further. Halpin, along with Gladman and Christie in the Flats tournament did not qualify from the groups.

In the Team Event Glasgow were drawn with Glide, Slide, Chip and Dip as well as White Star. A 4-0 defeat against GSCD was expected but in the crucial match against White Star they lost 3-1. This meant that Glasgow would compete in the Plate which they won defeating Wobbly Hobby B and Haverhill, each by 3-0.

Meanwhile Gareth Christie was victorious in the Advanced Rules tournament beating former Scottish International Simon Goodman in the final.

Nineteen players contested the Plate over 5 rounds. The competition winner was Richard Badger of Wolves who defeated Glasgow’s Baver Bari in the final.