Newfooty

Newfooty was a table football game. The Newfooty Limited Company was established in Liverpool by Mr. William Lane Keeling (Born Sept. 1893, died 1976) in 1929, the year when the patent was officially registered at the patent office in Liverpool. The initial Newfooty Patent ran from 1929–1934, followed by a further five year period of 1934–1939.

Newfooty introduced the idea of flicking the figures with a finger towards the ball and was the initial table football (soccer) game, long before Subbuteo Table Soccer (Football). Newfooty can lay claim to being the original finger-flicking table soccer game which many players enjoy today. First manufactured in 1929 by Mr William (Will) Lane Keeling in Liverpool, the original game has recently reached more fame than in the past, due to the internet years and information sharing. The first manufactured figures were flat from card (cardboard, paper), followed later by the plastic (celluloid) version.

After the Second World War, Newfooty had a rival in the market by 1947, when Peter Adolph started his Subbuteo Sports Games Ltd company. The Newfooty set contained 22 playing figures on a plastic base with lead at the bottom, goalkeepers, balls, wire-made goals, fixture card and rule book. Corner kick flags came later. All fitted into cardboard boxes designed to attract the football fan.

Newfooty advertised itself as "the Original Game" in printed media and was a market rival to Subbuteo in the 1950s. Both companies manufactured sets (in cardboard boxes) of games which looked rather similar in respect of the size of the figures and the methods of play.
In 1953, Newfooty brought the first 3D plastic figurines to the market.

The manufactured products are not used in the modern game, but it is loved by many hobby players and collectors.

The 'Newfooty Players Association' (NPA) was founded in 1934 in England and people could become members to participate in leagues and cup competitions. It was the world's first "players association" and organised by Newfooty Ltd. There was also a "Newfooty Player of the Year" trophy. The Newfooty handbook "Libro Oficial" was also available in the Spanish language with "Instrucciones y Reglamentos" for "Futbol de Mesa".

Newfooty Limited company was taken over by its rival Subbuteo Sports Games Ltd from Tunbridge Wells in 1957.

The world governing body FISTF issues the modern Sports table football rules, based on the classic Subbuteo playing rules. Newfooty rules and regulations are not well-known, except the way to flick the figure towards the ball by flicking the finger.

References

* {{cite web, last1=Upton, first1=Peter, title=1929-1953, url=http://www.peter-upton.co.uk/newfooty.htm, website=Newfooty Tribute Website., accessdate=7 August 2017

Genealogy
geni.com
William Lane Keeling (Born around Sept. 1893, died 1976)

British games
Organisations based in Liverpool