This year’s event built on previous successes, featuring a record number of tables, seamless organisation, and a lively venue packed with unforgettable goals, tense finales, and a few nail-biting penalty shootouts. From grassroots players reliving childhood memories to first-time competitors eager to make their mark, Subbuteofest 25 had something for everyone.
Tournament Highlights:-
Open Final: Last year’s champion, England and Issy’s Chris Short faced ASH hotshot Geoffrey Marain from Belgium in a tense thriller that went to a 2–1 shootout victory for Geoffrey after a goalless match and extra-time – A truly breathtaking finale.
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Veterans Final: English Legends, Martin Hodds (Yorkshire) and Bob Varney (Murcia) battled it out in a classic contest, with Bob taking a deserved 3-0 win.
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Under-20 Final: ASH teammates, Louis Soret from France and Belgium’s Benjamin Marain delivered a high-quality contest, with Louis coming out on top with a 3-2 victory.
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Under 16/Under12 Finals: An all-England matchup in both finals as Langton Green’s Hadley Chapman victorious over Kent Invicta’s Joel Palmer-Jones with 4-0 (U16) & 3-0 (u12) Final wins showcasing the bright future of Subbuteo.
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Team Event: AS Hennuyer from Belgium clashed with Issy-Les-Molineaux from France in a highly anticipated final as the Issy took the Team title with a 3-1 victory over their Belgian counterparts.
DETAILS
OPEN
Belgium’s Geoffrey Marain (WR 43) (Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) claimed the English Grand Prix, with a 2-1 shots win over England’s Christian Short (71) (FTC Issy‑les‑Moulineaux) after scores were locked 0-0 after extra time.
Final: Marain d. Short 0‑0 (2‑1 shots)
Open winner Marain
Runner Up Short
Marain’s road to the title:
| Stage | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Last 16 | Eric Naszalyi (83) (FRA/FTC Issy) | 6‑0 |
| Semifinal | Jean‑Marie Amberny (77) (FRA/FTC Issy) | 2‑1 |
| Final | Christian Short (71) (ENG/FTC Issy) | 0‑0 (2‑1 shots) |
Upsets of note
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Last 16 – Jean‑Marie Amberny (138) (FRA/FTC Issy‑les‑Moulineaux) def. Chris Bedford (120) (WAL/Yorkshire Phoenix) 4‑1
Last 16 – Kaspar Bennett (139) (ENG/Atlas FTC) def. Spencer Conti (85) (MLT/Subbuteo Club Reggio Calabria) 3‑0
Last 16 – Brandon Lavender (546) (ENG/GCT DLF Gorizia) def. Michele Cerullo (357) (ITA/GCT DLF Gorizia) 3‑2
Last 16 – Michael Stolzenberg (240) (GER/DLF Gorizia) def. Guido Cerullo (49) (ITA/GCT DLF Gorizia) 4‑0
Last 8 – Kaspar Bennett (139) (ENG/Atlas FTC) def. Elliott Bellefontaine (30) (ENG/Messina Table Soccer) 2‑1 SD
Last 8 – Jean‑Marie Amberny (138) (FRA/FTC Issy‑les‑Moulineaux) def. Rémi Soret (22) (FRA/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) 1‑0
VETERANS
Champion: Bob Varney (24) (ENG/CAP Ciudad de Murcia FM)
Runner‑up: Martin Hodds (287) (ENG/Yorkshire Phoenix & Dewsbury Moor TFC)
Final: Varney d. Hodds 3‑0
| Stage | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Last 16 | Jeremy Bradley (133) | 2‑0 |
| Quarter‑final | Marco Ghigliotti (204) | 3‑2 |
| Semifinal | Aaron Skinner (107) | 2‑1 |
| Final | Martin Hodds (287) | 3‑0 |
Veterans Winner Varney
Veterans Runner Up Hodds
UNDER‑20
| Champion | Louis Soret (1) (FRA/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) |
| Runner-up | Benjamin Marain (21) (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) |
| Final | Soret d. Marain 3-2 |
UNDER‑16
Champion: Hadley Chapman (41) (ENG/Langton Green SC)
Runner‑up: Joel Palmer-Jones (109) (ENG/Kent Invicta TFC)
Final: Chapman d.Joel Palmer-Jones 4-0.
UNDER‑12
Champion: Hadley Chapman (41) (ENG/Langton Green SC)
Hadley Chapman – winner U16/12
Joel Palmer-Jones
TEAMS TOURNAMENT
| Knock‑out Stage | Result |
|---|---|
| Quarter‑finals | Avenir Hennuyer 4‑0 Glasgow TSA Wolverhampton TFC 1‑3 GCT DLF Gorizia Langton Green SC 3‑0 Langton Green SC 2 Yorkshire Phoenix & Dewsbury Moor 1‑3 FTC Issy |
| Semi‑finals | Avenir Hennuyer 3‑1 GCT DLF Gorizia Langton Green SC 0‑4 FTC Issy |
| Final | FTC Issy‑les‑Moulineaux 3‑1 Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer |
Final — individual boards
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Eric Naszalyi def. Benjamin Marain 3‑1
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Rémi Soret def. Christian Short 2‑1
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Jean‑Marie Amberny def. Geoffrey Marain 2‑1
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Axel Modeste def. Louis Soret 2‑1
