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The National Football Museum is to play host to the ‘English International Subbuteo Table Football Championship.
The much loved board game, played by generations of soccer enthusiasts over the years, is to launch the competition to coincide with the World Cup qualifying weekend when England take on Northern Ireland at Old Trafford.
And the talent on show will be just as well respected, in the world of Subbuteo, as the likes of Beckham, Gerrard and Rooney.
Museum Spokesman, Mark Bushell said:
“These players have all the passion of top professional sportsmen and women. Phil Redman, the England Captain from Southport , will be playing and he is the master of technique. The way he uses his index and middle finger to get swerve and direction on his passes and shots is something to behold. As you would expect at this level the matches are highly competitive and many of the players travel two or three times a season to play against top level opponents in the USA .”
Chris Wrigley one of the events organisers said:
“A lot of hard sweat and tears has been shed in the build up to this tournament by the players. A gruelling fixture list, alongside endless hours of training and travelling have been undertaken to get these players where they are in the sport. They don't want to disappoint friends, family and fans at this stage. They want to win this tournament as the Champion will secure their place in the England squad that will compete in the Subbuteo World Cup in Belgium in August.”
The competition kicks off on at 9.30am on Saturday 26th March and concludes at 5pm
The top ranked players on show are aiming to show the Preston Public how to ‘flick to kick' and will also be utilising the new Subbuteo collectables, a series of players who have the features and names of the world's top soccer stars including the likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
Bushell concluded:
“This is top class entertainment. Once a game gets underway it's hard to take your eyes of it unless, of course, there's a serious injury. At a recent match I watched as one of the players fell from the table and another competitor trod on him. I simply had to look away.”