WHAT’S NEW – Glasgow Table Soccer Association

September 27, 2023

Club Night 25/9/23

GTSA Evening Unveils Thrilling Matches and Surprises

Club’s Second Match Night of the New Season

GTSA gathered once again for an evening of precision flicking and nail-biting moments as they embarked on the second match night of the new season. With unfinished business from the previous season lingering in the air, players took to the pitch with gusto and determination.

Handicap Cup Final: WRIGHT Triumphs Over SPOORS

The opponents, separated by referee Willie Fleming

The Handicap Cup final was the highlight of the evening, featuring a showdown between two equally matched contenders, WRIGHT and SPOORS. With both players sporting the same handicap level, a closely contested match was anticipated. As the game unfolded, however, SPOORS found himself making critical errors upon which WRIGHT masterfully capitalised. The final scoreline painted a clear picture of WRIGHT’s dominance, with the match concluding 6-0 in favour of one of the season’s newcomers.

Glasgow Cup Semifinal Upset: SMITH Outpaces HALPIN

In a surprising twist from last season’s Glasgow Cup semifinal, the newcomer SMITH clashed with club veteran HALPIN. The result was a fiercely contested match that ended with SMITH prevailing 2-1. The victory secured SMITH’s place in the Glasgow Cup final, marking a remarkable debut season for the Subbuteo player.

League Matches Unleash Frenzied Action

League matches added to the electric atmosphere of the evening as competitors battled for supremacy. Here are the results from the heated encounters:

SPOORS 1-7 BURNS: A dominant performance by BURNS left SPOORS struggling to keep up.
GLADMAN 2-0 MCKENZIE: GLADMAN secured a comfortable win over MCKENZIE.
SMITH 3-0 GREGORY: SMITH displayed formidable skills, defeating GREGORY.
FLEMING 2-0 WRIGHT: FLEMING’s precise flicking secured him a win against WRIGHT.
HALPIN 1-3 BURNS: BURNS continued his winning streak, overpowering HALPIN.
SMITH 3-2 WRIGHT: SMITH managed to edge past WRIGHT in a thrilling match.
GREGORY 0-2 MCKENZIE: MCKENZIE maintained his composure, sealing a victory against GREGORY.

Glasgow Cup Match Group Stages Heat Up

The Glasgow Cup match group stages also saw intense competition with two exciting fixtures:

GLADMAN 3-0 GREGORY: GLADMAN demonstrated his prowess with a convincing win over GREGORY.
FLEMING 1-4 BURNS: BURNS continued his dominance, securing another win in the group stage.

Friendly Challenge: FLEMING Takes On WRIGHT

In a friendly challenge match, FLEMING faced off against WRIGHT, resulting in a 2-0 victory for FLEMING. This friendly encounter showcased the camaraderie and competitive spirit that makes Subbuteo evenings at the club so enjoyable for all.

As the Club’s season continues to unfold, we can look forward to more thrilling matches, surprises and intense competition on the miniature pitch. Stay tuned for updates as the club’s talented flickers battle for supremacy.

September 19, 2023

New Season Begins

The club’s 50th-anniversary season began with a bang. A bit of unfinished business from last season, however, still had to be completed. With two quarter-finals and two semi-finals yet to be decided from the previous season’s Handicap Cup, anticipation ran high.

In the first quarter-final, JACK and BERRY clashed in a thrilling match. JACK held a one-goal advantage, but BERRY’s resilience prevailed, securing a 5-3 victory. As a result, BERRY advanced to the first semi-final, where he would face SPOORS.

The second quarter-final featured a closely contested showdown between BUTLER and FLEMING. FLEMING started with a one-goal lead, and when regular time ended in a 1-1 draw, the game headed into an exhilarating shootout. FLEMING emerged triumphant with a 3-2 shootout victory, earning him a spot in the second semi-final against WRIGHT.

In the first semi-final, SPOORS, armed with a one-goal advantage, squared off against BERRY. SPOORS showcased his prowess, winning the match 2-0 and securing a coveted spot in the Handicap Cup final.

The second semi-final witnessed WRIGHT, starting with a two goal lead, taking on FLEMING. Although FLEMING managed to score a late goal, he couldn’t find an equaliser, and WRIGHT claimed the match 2-1, earning his spot in the final.

The Handicap Cup final, set for a later date, will be a highly anticipated battle between WRIGHT and SPOORS. With both players having the same handicap we can expect an intense showdown to determine the 2022-23 Handicap Cup champion.

In addition to the Handicap Cup excitement, the season also saw four league games that showcased some thrilling action:

ANDREONI dominated GREGORY with a resounding 5-1 victory.

The defending league champion, BUTLER, maintained his strong performance, defeating Handicap Cup finalist SPOORS 5-0.

ANDREONI faced a challenging match against club stalwart GLADMAN, resulting in a 0-3 loss.

HALPIN delivered an impressive performance with a 3-0 victory over JACK.

As the season’s early fixtures unfolded, BUTLER finds himself back in familiar territory, occupying the top spot on the league table, building on his success from last season.

Last night also saw the introduction of the inaugural Friendly Challenge competition. In an exciting debut match, WRIGHT faced GREGORY. In a surprising turn of events, GREGORY emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline, beating the higher-ranked player and earning three points. This new addition of a competitive edge to friendly matches promises to add an extra layer of excitement to the club’s fixtures.

As the 50th-anniversary season unfolds, the club eagerly anticipate more exciting matches and memorable moments. Stay tuned for updates on the Handicap Cup final, Association Cup Final, Glasgow Cup Final and the league standings as the season progresses. Here’s to another remarkable season of table football!

February 19, 2023

Glasgow IO Plate

Final: Martin Bellefontaine v Andy Beskaby

Barrage

M Bevilacqua	3	0	B Ashley
G Harrington	1	3	B Bari
C Wright	0	3	M Bellefontaine
G Badger	0	1	F Skinner
O Mac Eό	0	0	A Fitzpatrick	0-2 sh
D Kaliszewski	3	2	C Thom
F McKenzie	3	0	L Watson

Last 16

M Bevilacqua	5	0	B Spoors
B Bari	0	1	J Halpin
M Bellefontaine	w/o		K Smith
F Skinner	1	1	J Harrington	1-2 sh
A Fitzpatrick	1	1	C Tarry	1-3 sh
D Kaliszewski	0	4	A Beskaby
F McKenzie	0	0	C Matthews	0-3 sh
O Micheletti	2	0	D Gregory

Last 8

M Bevilacqua	1	1	J Halpin	2-1 sh
M Bellefontaine	2	0	J Harrington
C Tarry	0	0	A Beskaby	1-3 sh
C Matthews	2	1	O Micheletti

Semi-Finals

M Bevilacqua	0	1	M Bellefontaine
A Beskaby	1	1	C Matthews	3-1 sh

Final

M Bellefontaine

A Beskaby

3-1 sh

February 17, 2023

Glasgow IO: a personal perspective

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!!!’

February 17, 2023

GTSA Cup Draws

The draws have been made for the Association and Handicap Cups

Association Cup

Bye: R McKenzie

Fleming	v	G McKenzie
Jack	v	Butler
S McKenzie	v	Spoors
Smith	v	Burns
Gregory	v	Houston
Berry	v	Gladman
Wright	v	Halpin

Handicap Cup

Bye: Gregory

R McKenzie	v	Smith
Burns	v	Wright
Houston	v	Berry
Halpin	v	Butler
Spoors	v	Gladman
S McKenzie	v	Jack
Fleming	v	G McKenzie

October 4, 2022

Club Night 3/10/22

A good turnout of 10 players saw 11 league matches played. Two wins apiece for Tom Burns and Dave Butler consolidated their positions at the top of the league. Both have the same goal difference but Burns has scored two more goals. Butler, however, has a game in hand. Butler almost had a fright against the quickly improving Kevin Smith but but just managed to edge out the newcomer by 3-2. Burns too had to work hard to overcome Ronnie McKenzie, the latter playing his season opener.

Elsewhere Dave Gladman moved up to third with two victories and Danny Gregory recorded his first points by defeating David Jack.

Check out the scores and league table here.

August 24, 2022August 24, 2022

New Season Begins

The new season kicked off on the 22nd August with 10 players attending. It was a busy night with 10 league matches played.

A random draw of fixtures resulted in last year’s title contenders, Tom Burns and Dave Butler pitched against one another. It was Butler who came out on top and with a second victory over Brian Spoors he moves to the top of the table. Also on six points but behind on goal difference is Malcolm Lees who returns to the league after a six year gap.

It was a good night for newcomers Kevin Smith and Chad Wright who both won their first match and then played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against each other.

Gladman	0	2	Lees
Gregory	1	4	Smith
Burns	1	3	Butler
Spoors	0	1	Wright
Jack	0	3	Halpin
Lees	3	0	Halpin
Spoors	0	5	Butler
Jack	0	5	Burns
Wright	3	3	Smith
Gregory	0	4	Gladman

Check out the league table here.

August 8, 2022August 24, 2022

Haverhill Subbuteofest 22

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.

The final match – Christie wins Advanced Rules title

May 27, 2022August 24, 2022

Scottish Cup

The Scottish Cup took place in Letham on 22 May. Thirteen players competed in four groups with the winners of each group qualifying for the semi-finals. Meanwhile eight players who did not qualify competed for the League Cup. Group winners were Gareth Christie, Tom Burns, John Halpin and Steve Bennett.

Round 1	A1	A4	F McKenzie	0	3	S Fleming
	A2	A3	Christie	2	1	Micheletti

	B2	B3	Burns	4	0	Minty

Round 2	C1	C3	Halpin	3	0	Nicol
	D1	D3	Gladman	0	4	Bennett
	A1	A3	F McKenzie	0	2	Micheletti
	A2	A4	Christie	3	0	S Fleming

Round 3	B1	B3	Baxter	4	1	Minty
	C2	C3	Spoors	3	0	Nicol
	D2	D3	Bevilacqua	1	1	Bennett


Round 4	A1	A2	F McKenzie	1	1	Christie
	A3	A4	Micheletti	2	0	S Fleming
	C1	C2	Halpin	4	0	Spoors


Round 5	B1	B2	Baxter	1	2	Burns
	D1	D2	Gladman	0	0	Bevilacqua


Scottish Cup

Semi 1			Bennett	3	2	Burns

Semi 2			Christie	2	2	Halpin
			Christie wins on shots 1-0

Final			Bennett	3	0	Christie



League Cup

QF 1			F McKenzie	3	0	Nicol

QF 2			Spoors	0	4	Bevilacqua

QF 3			Minty	0	1	Gladman

QF 4			Micheletti	0	2	Baxter


Semi 1			Gladman	2	0	F McKenzie

Semi 2			Bevilacqua	3	1	Baxter


Final			Gladman	0	0	Bevilacqua
						Bevilacqua wins shots 1-0

Congratulations to Steve Bennett who beat Gareth Christie in the Scottish Cup final and to Marco Bevilacqua who won on shots against Dave Gladman in the League Cup final.

March 24, 2022August 24, 2022

Scottish Championship Event 4

The fourth and final Championship event took place in Glasgow on Sunday 20 March. Only 11 players took part and although Steve Bennett dropped points for the first time in the four events, he still came top of the table. In fact Tom Burns led Bennett 4-1 with only 6 minutes remaining but a remarkable come-back saw Bennett draw 4-4. Gareth Christie missed out on the event and so fell back to 5th spot. Tom Burns had missed Event 3 and so had to settle for 7th. Top GTSA player was Malcolm Lees who finished 2nd whilst Baver Bari was 4th. Final placings will determine who can take part in the World Cup in Rome in September.

The final Championship table looks like this:

		F	A	Pts
1	Bennett	78	19	46
2	Lees	42	25	29
3	Beskaby	36	31	28
4	Bari	32	36	25
5	Christie	36	16	24
6	Baxter	33	22	20
7	Burns	33	21	19
8	Gladman	19	21	19
9	Spoors	13	44	19
10	Bevilacqua	28	22	18
11	Halpin	13	14	15
12	Stewart	18	42	14
13	R McKenzie	15	21	12
14	S Fleming	15	20	11
15	Thom	6	14	5
16	Nicol	4	54	4
17	Minty	4	7	3

All the results:

Round 1	1	R McKenzie	2	0	Lees
	2	Nicol	0	7	Bennett
	3	Beskaby	1	2	Minty
	4	Stewart	1	0	Spoors
	5	Bari	2	5	Burns
	6	Gladman

Round 2	1	Bennett	4	4	Burns
	2	R McKenzie	2	1	Minty
	3	Stewart	2	2	Gladman
	4	Gladman	0	2	Beskaby
	5	Spoors	0	8	Lees
	6	Bari	6	0	Nicol

Round 3	1	R McKenzie	0	7	Bennett
	2	Burns	5	1	Stewart
	3	Lees	6	1	Bari
	4	Beskaby	5	0	Nicol
	5	Minty	0	2	Gladman
	6	Spoors

Round 4	1	Bennett	7	1	Lees
	2	Burns	1	2	Beskaby
	3	Minty	1	2	Spoors
	4	Spoors	2	0	Nicol
	5	R McKenzie	2	2	Gladman
	6	Stewart	0	1	Bari

Event 4 Table:

		F	A	Pts
1	Bennett	25	5	10
2	Beskaby	10	3	9
3	Burns	15	9	7
4	R McKenzie	6	10	7
5	Lees	15	10	6
6	Bari	10	11	6
7	Spoors	4	10	6
8	Gladman	6	6	5
9	Stewart	4	8	4
10	Minty	4	7	3
11	Nicol	0	20	0