IT was a Glasgow derby like no other, and although passions ran high, the teams certainly weren't.
Instead of a kick-off the crowd got a flick-off, while the clicking of plastic replaced the thud of leather as the first heats of the Subbuteo Challenge Cup got under way yesterday in Glasgow.
The table football game where teams of inch-high plastic men stand in for their real-life counterparts is making a comeback and clubs of aficionados from all over Scotland descended on the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery yesterday for an admittedly small slice of the action.
Hasbro, the company which has resumed production of Subbuteo after it was shelved 12 years ago, has just released its first licensed Rangers and Celtic teams. And while the Glasgow giants are experiencing vastly different fortunes of late, at board game level things were different.
A tensely fought affair between Rangers fan David Kerr, 30, and Celtic man Kevin Perkins ended one-nil in favour of the Light Blues. And although feelings can boil over on such occasions, there were hand shakes all round when the final whistle was blown.
Fresh from triumphantly flicking Rangers to victory via a Jon Daly goal, David admitted he was a recent convert to the game.
He said: "My friend got me a lot of retro games and things for my 30th birthday and among them was a Subbuteo set and the Rangers team. I played it when I was a wee boy, but I'd forgotten about it since then as I'd moved on to computer games when I got older. But I heard about this competition and thought I'd give it a go – it's been amazing."
Subbuteo attempts to replicate the rules of football with players shuffling their miniature teams around the pitch using their fingers as they try to get the ball in the net. Opponents move the pieces at the same time as they jockey for position, and possession of the ball only swaps when it strikes the opposite team.
Aside from the competition, tables were set up for the public and the organisers estimate around 1300 people had a go during the day. Former Scottish junior champion Gareth Christie, 34, of the Tayside Kickers club, helped the novices get a grip of the game. He said: "The social aspect to Subbuteo is huge – you don't get this with a PlayStation."
The competition continues today and winners from the Scottish tournament and England qualifiers will take part in the UK final on October 19 at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
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