Swindon Town’s iconic side of the 1960s has been recreated in the form of Subbuteo.
The Robins won the 1969 English League Cup during this period, with a famous 3-1 victory over high-flying Arsenal.
Dylan Dowd, 57, of Alloa has set about recreating several British sides from up and down the country and has given Swindon players the latest makeover.
“During lockdown a lot of us guys went into our lofts and got our old stuff down,” he explained.
“I found my Subbuteo sets but a lot of it was broken and I wanted to put it back together, repaint it and give it a new lease of life so someone else could enjoy it in the future.”
Subbuteo for those unaware is a tabletop football game in which players simulate football by flicking miniature players with their fingers.
The game was created by Peter Adolph of Tunbridge Wells, with sets first available in 1947.
Dylan was one of many children in the last seven decades whose childhood was laced with the football game.
“It will be 50 years ago this Christmas since my parents gave me my first Subbuteo set,” he recalled.
“I was always rubbish at flicking it!”
Dylan’s mother is now 87 years old and is very ill, suffering from Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
“She was often in hospitals during the Covid lockdowns, so my sister and I would take turns to look after her on the nights,” he said.
“I found myself staring at screens often and wished for a different way to spend the time, so I developed my interest in table football again this time.”
Each team is repainted by Dylan in their colours and used to play games each Monday night at the Sunnyside Table Football Club, based in the same kitchen he would play the game in as a child.
“I am currently repainting the Swindon Town team. The players have red socks, white shorts and a red top with a white collar and cuffs, reminiscent of several older Manchester United kits,” he explained.
“Swindon have always been a team I’ve watched out for; I remember latterly Paolo Di Canio managing the club.”
Dylan continues to care for his mother who has been wheelchair bound for several years.
“Looking after my mother is a hard job so sorting out the Subbuteo gives me something to do on the side that’s easy.”
“It’s a nostalgic thing and a replacement for football as I can’t get to the games anymore.”
Despite his fantastic efforts in giving Town a new lease of life in plastic form, Dylan is yet to visit Swindon.
“I have never been to Swindon but I will have to go now,” he laughed.
“If I do, I will have to come by train to avoid the magic roundabout!”
The kits have always been important to Dylan’s passion for football, with Alloa being his chosen team to support from a young age because of this.
“I had liked Celtic but I soon chose Alloa as a youngster after liking the strip they played in,” he said.
Dylan is staying strong despite his mother’s worsening condition and he wanted to mark the end of the year with a positive given it is his 50th Subbuteo anniversary.
“I don’t know what will happen with my mother, it could be our last Christmas,” he admitted.
“It has been a fun distraction being able to do this and revisit the past.”
If you would like to follow Dylan’s progress repainting Town or any of the other teams he has yet to attend to, you can find him on Twitter as @SunnysideTFC.
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