south_tyne

Cheers David, I hadn't thought of that. I have been fascinated by the League of Ireland since I was a kid, I like to follow it closely, and I always played it on Football Manager as a youngster (I've always been very strange!! ). It's always been one of my aims to do all the LOI grounds and tick them off my list...... one day!

You're right there. As a result of this chatter I dug my old Subbuteo stuff out of the lift at my parent's house. Hasn't been touched for 20 years but there were a couple of boxes of stuff, dating from the 1980s (which were passed down to me) and the '90s. I've decided to donate it to the youth club that me mam runs at her church - you never know they might give it a go once they tire of the more fun toys! I had never thought of that. Mind, it still smacks of a club without a plan even if that is the case. The rise and domination of Dundalk is interesting. Do you know whether they have a lot of financial backing behind them? They've obviously stepped ahead of the traditional Dublin heavyweights - Bohemians, St Pats, Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers etc - and teams like Cork City who have done well in recent times.

Interesting! I have no evidence for saying this, but I do wonder if the buyers now are older collectors and 40+ year old enthusiasts, who played it in their youth, rather than today's kids? Fits a trend of 21st Century 'big boys toys', em just like model railways..........

So Jan Siewert has been sacked already. He's got a terrible record, 1 win in 19, but to give a manager the boot after 3 games of a new season smacks of a club without a plan. Why give Siewert a pre-season and a transfer window and then sack him straight away? Seems completely bizarre. They must have been thinking of making this decision since the end of last season, so why not do the deed in May and give a new man a fair crack of the whip? It is surprising because Dean Hoyle has always seemed a steady hand with a long-term vision but this appointment and subsequent sacking just hasn't worked. It was clearly an attempt to find 'Wagner mark II' but it just didn't have the impact. Interesting to see where they turn next; will it be another similar appointment or will they panic and turn to the merry-go-round of washed-up dinosaurs? Elsewhere Sol Campbell has walked out of Macclesfield. I must admit I never particularly warmed to him, I used to think he had such an ego and inflated sense of self esteem, but I will have to eat humble pie on this one. After years of complaining that he wasn't given the Man Utd/Chelsea/Spurs etc job, he finally bit the bullet and took a job in League 2. He performed a minor miracle in keeping Macclesfield up last year in extremely difficult circumstances and really showed his managerial potential. He hasn't been paid for 8 months and the way he has kept himself and everyone at the club motivated during this period is remarkable and something he deserves massive credit for. No matter how wealthy you are, not being paid for doing a job must be soul destroying and Campbell has clearly reached the end of his tether. I'm sure he will now get a chance elsewhere on the back of this but it's the club and the Macclesfield fans who I feel sorry for and worry for their future. They have maybe fine a little under the radar given what is going on at Bury and Bolton but they are yet another club in trouble.

I have had some thoughts but it is a job for this weekend. I'll get my pencils and doodling pad out! Some creativity is necessary

Simpler times. I wonder what kids of today with their Xbox and PlayStation would think of these type of games. I can't imagine Subbuteo holds much appeal for the girls and boys of 2019.

Ha ha great and nice and healthy too. I will convert all these folk yet!

That is a great start. Pleased to hear that those devious diesels have been chugging backwards and forwards already. I think that's a fantastic idea with the interchangeable buildings for 4mm and then 7mm scale narrow gauge. I have always been fascinated with multi-era and multi-location layouts with the clever use of different structures, vehicles and other scenic items, it can be a really good idea. It can hugely increase the flexibility and operational potential of even the smallest layout and I think it works best for micro-layouts where you could model multiple eras/settings using minimal stock. Your idea takes this concept one step further and it will be fascinating to see how you approach the idea! Really looking forward to following your progress. Dave

Thanks Rob, you're right there. I just wish I could be as productive as yourself! Ah you see, that is the power of the BCC's subliminal advertising!!

Thanks Jim, that's fascinating. If I recall correctly, in the '70s the NASL also changed the offside rule to counter sides playing an offside trap. I think the 'line' was moved from half-way to about mid-way in the defending teams half. I don't know what kind of impact it that. They also utilised the better known ice hockey penalties (rather than a dead ball from 12 yards) and decided drawn games with a penalty shootout. Edit: double-checked and the offside line was moved to 35 yards. FIFA evidently put a stop to it in 1982!

That's triggered my memory.... we had a similar one, there were magnets on the player bases but to pass the ball you pushed the head of the player down to squeeze the base and fire the ball. It was great fun and far better than Subbuteo! Similarly I think the goalies were on a stick. Cannot remember the name of that one though.

To be honest, I never really 'got' Subbuteo. I liked the concept and idea more than the reality. It might be sacrilege to say but I found it incredible boring! Maybe I just didn't have the attention span

I know the Brighton fans were somewhat upset to lose Hughton, or at least we're disappointed by the manner of his departure, but I think Potter is a positive appointment. I know people will say it is only Sweden, but he did miraculous things in the Allsvenskan in competing with the traditional heavyweights of Malmö, AIK, IFK etc, who have relatively such massive resources compared to Östersunds. He also did relatively well at Swansea in very difficult circumstances. Judging by the first weekend, I think a number of clubs potentially at the bottom will have a go. Norwich, Villa, Sheff Utd, Brighton will all play football for better or for worse. I was pleased to see Dan Burn play as part of a back three. I always keep an eye on him as he started at Darlo and I saw him play a few times there before he moved on to bigger and better things.

Thanks! You're right, getting track down feels like a real positive and I always think that getting a little bit of greenery planted and some buildings mocked up quickly starts to bring a scene to life.