In 2020, Hasbro announced a new “Global Partner” for its Subbuteo products: Longshore Limited, a Hong Kong-based company. Much like the earlier Netcam era, Longshore followed a similar approach by using different distributors for each country. As a result, each market receives a unique range of products, leading to a fragmented collection experience. Collectors are once again faced with the frustrating task of importing items from various markets just to complete the full set. This lack of a unified range is a headache for collectors and a challenge for cataloging the products.

One notable difference under Longshore’s leadership is the design of the players. While they still feature the “flexible” rubbery players from the Netcam years, the new figures have a noticeably different, more muscular look, which Longshore describes as a “modern design”. In my opinion, however, this is an exaggerated claim. The figures look unrealistic, almost cartoonish, and Look further away from being “realistic than the original Rubber Figures… to me, they’re among the worst Subbuteo figures ever produced (yes, I’m even including the infamous zombie figures here). The England Team box even boasts, “This team features stronger, more detailed and better quality players than ever before,” but it’s hard to take that seriously. Are they really suggesting these figures are superior to the classic Heavyweight (HW) or Lightweight (LW) versions? The reality is, the design had already begun shifting in the later years of the Eleven Force products before Longshore Completed the Evolution…

Speaking of Evolution The Pro base that Eleven Force brought out is gone with the Spanish as well as all other markets that moved to the flat base reverting back to traditional looking base the Uk never moved from… A real shame because the Flat base was closer to what the Pro’s use and a good entry point like the Zeugo base to the pro game but alas thats now just a part of the History of Subbuteo…

Another significant issue I’ve noticed is the decline in the quality of kit details. When compared to the precision and care taken with some of the Netcam Licensed kits, Longshore’s efforts are a far cry from what collectors had come to expect. A prime example is the Liverpool kit, which wasn’t even based on a real kit and featured the Standard Chartered sponsor logo on the wrong side of the Wording! It’s truly shocking how much quality has deteriorated under Longshore, especially when considering the relatively better standards during the Netcam era. But at least Liverpool have a sponsor sadly the Spanish sides is just a badge on an generic kit deal which is even more a shame to the point you think what is the point of Official Licensed Products when you doing so little with it…

That being said at least Subbuteo is still being made which is great and Longshore have brought out some decent Accessories of which is one thing they have in the favour… but in Terms of the teams.. boy! I miss the Original Paul Lamond Team range and its Quality!

Again like the Netcam/ElevenForce range THIS MODERN RANGE IS SO HARD TO PIN DOWN… so some anything missing an or in the wrong section let me know!! also some teams may overlap)

For More Info and the Accessory Ranges from Longshore Visit Peter Upton’s Site http://www.peter-upton.co.uk/longsh01.htm