The first WASPA tournaments of the new season have delivered an excellent mix of established champions, emerging contenders and healthy participation across England, Australia and Italy.
Jason Christopher Makes the Early Statement
No player enjoyed a stronger start to the regional season than Jason Christopher. The Solent winner backed up his title with a runner-up finish at Pedmore, giving him the best overall regional record of the opening weeks and establishing himself as one of the early favourites for the season rankings.
Richard Badger Captures the Pedmore Crown
Pedmore hosted one of the strongest events of the young season. Richard Badger emerged as champion after overcoming Richard Grimley in the semi-finals before defeating Jason Christopher 4-1 in the final. The event featured several close knockout matches, including drawn semi-final encounters before tie-break procedures determined the finalists.
Open Competition Across England
One of the most striking features of the opening month has been the variety of winners. Nine regional tournaments have produced nine different champions:
- Jason Christopher (Solent)
- Brian Kinrade (Sheffield)
- Luca Lanzani (Morecambe Bay)
- Eliot Kennedy (Melbourne NP)
- Jeff Parsons (North Shields)
- Richard Badger (Pedmore)
- Steve Wonnacott (Bristol)
- Richard Roper (Leicester)
- Hugh Best (Perth)
There is no dominant force yet, suggesting that the 2026/27 season could be one of the most competitive in recent years.
Club Success Stories
Several clubs enjoyed particularly strong starts.
Chesterfield celebrated victory in Sheffield thanks to Brian Kinrade and also placed Andrew Forster-Fake in the top five. Pedmore players were prominent throughout the opening events, with Richard Badger winning Pedmore and Richard Roper claiming the Leicester title. Leicester also demonstrated excellent local participation, fielding six competitors at their home tournament.
Australian Action Underway
The Australian regional season began with victories for Eliot Kennedy in Melbourne and Hugh Best in Perth.
The Melbourne (Northern Phoenix) tournament almost became an afterthought after the previous day's Melbourne International Open, with six players returning for another afternoon of flicking. Played in a fast-paced FAST-20 round-robin format, the event produced several entertaining and unexpected results before Eliot Kennedy of Northern Falcons emerged as a deserving winner. Singapore's Bernard Lim continued his excellent weekend to finish second, while Benny Ng completed the podium. The relaxed atmosphere was a perfect way to round off a busy weekend of Subbuteo, and special thanks were reserved for Singaporean visitors Bernard Lim and Vikas K. Chandiramani for extending their stay and supporting the event.
The Melbourne tournament also highlighted the increasingly international nature of WASPA activity in the Asia-Pacific region, with Australian and Singaporean players sharing the table throughout a thoroughly enjoyable competition. As the local organisers summed it up: "Subbuteo was the real winner."
Meanwhile, in Perth, Hugh Best defeated fellow Western Australian Noel Mani to claim the title, with Des Devine taking third place.
Italian Old Rules Competition
Away from the new-season circuit, Grottaferrata hosted an Old Rules tournament. Independente, represented by Ernesto Poncetta, took first place ahead of San Lorenzo, Argentino and Newell, proving that interest in the traditional version of the game remains strong.
Adam Jackson Dominates Club WASPA
The early Club WASPA story belongs to Adam Jackson, who won both Dagenham events. In each tournament he finished ahead of Mark West, making Jackson the first player to record multiple tournament victories in any WASPA competition this season.
Early Season Highlights
- Jason Christopher: Regional winner at Solent and runner-up at Pedmore.
- Richard Badger: Winner of the prestigious Pedmore Regional.
- Adam Jackson: Two victories from two Club WASPA appearances.
- Nine regional tournaments across England and Australia.
- Nine different regional champions, underlining the competitiveness of the new campaign.
- International participation in Melbourne featuring players from Australia and Singapore.
With no player yet able to establish regional dominance and strong participation across multiple countries, the 2026/27 WASPA season has begun in exciting and highly competitive fashion.
Tournament Results
Solent Regional (England)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Christopher |
| 2 | Chris Burford |
| 3 | Jerry Lovegrove |
| 4 | Andy McGovern |
| 5 | Gary Birch |
| 6 | Simon Hawley |
| 7 | Rob Piggott |
| 8 | Nigel Morgan |
| 9 | Corey Martin |
| 10 | Steve Smith |
Sheffield Regional (England)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Kinrade (Chesterfield) |
| 2 | Brett Price (Sheffield) |
| 3= | Simon Bryan (Godiva) |
| 3= | Carl Drabble (Doncaster) |
| 5 | Andrew Forster-Fake (Chesterfield) |
| 6 | Andy Payne (Sheffield) |
| 7 | Ian John (Sheffield) |
| 8 | Adrian Hawcroft (Yorkshire) |
Morecambe Bay Regional (England)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Luca Lanzani |
| 2 | Lee Hatfield |
| 3 | Keith Carman |
| 4 | Perry Sinacola |
| 5 | Rob Wilkinson |
| 6 | Henry Eddington |
| 7 | Max Brookes |
| 8 | Tom Eddington |
| 9 | Steven Dobinson |
Melbourne NP Regional (Australia)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eliot Kennedy (Northern Falcons) |
| 2 | Bernard Lim (Singapore / Jurong Central) |
| 3 | Benny Ng (Western Flickers) |
| 4 | Vikas K. Chandiramani (Singapore / Jurong Central) |
| 5 | Christos Garagounis (Northern Phoenix) |
| 6 | Kevin Grant (Central Victoria) |
North Shields Regional (England)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Parsons |
| 2 | Nigel Lamond |
| 3 | Tom Heslop |
Pedmore Regional (England)
Quarter-finals
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Michael Mayes vs Richard Badger | 0-1 |
| Richard Grimley vs Gage Badger | 4*-4 |
| Steve Wonnacott vs Jason Christopher | 0-2 |
| Nick Pearson vs Justin Scott | 1-3 |
Semi-finals
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Richard Badger vs Richard Grimley | 2-0 |
| Jason Christopher vs Justin Scott | 2*-2 |
Final
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Richard Badger vs Jason Christopher | 4-1 |
Plate Final
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Simon Bryan vs Richard Roper | 1-3 |
Bristol Regional (England)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Wonnacott |
| 2 | David Samuel (Wales/Cardiff) |
| 3 | Stuart Briffett |
| 4 | Malcolm Jarvis |
| 5 | Andy Jarvis |
Leicester Regional (England)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Roper (Pedmore) |
| 2 | Damian Mayes (Godiva) |
| 3 | Mark Weaver (Pedmore) |
| 4 | Henry Barker (Leicester) |
| 5 | Alex Ashcroft (Leicester) |
| 6 | Jay Williams (Leicester) |
| 7 | David Everitt (Kettering) |
| 8 | Dave Tressler (Kettering) |
| 9 | Andy Henly (Leicester) |
| 10 | Paul Taylor (Leicester) |
| 11 | Nigel Edwards (Leicester) |
| 12 | Gary Ironman (Leicester) |
Perth Regional (Australia)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hugh Best |
| 2 | Noel Mani |
| 3 | Des Devine |
Old Rules Event
Grottaferrata (Italy)
| Pos | Team (Manager) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Independente (Ernesto Poncetta) |
| 2 | San Lorenzo (Luca Di Lullo) |
| 3 | Argentino (Riccardo Galieti) |
| 4 | Newell (Andrea Alfonsi) |
Club WASPA Events
Dagenham - 26 August
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Jackson |
| 2 | Mark West |
| 3 | Gary Gladwell |
| 4 | Martin Colwell |
| 5 | Michele Claydon |
Dagenham - 2 September
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Jackson |
| 2 | Mark West |
| 3 | Jonathan Beales |
| 4 | Michele Claydon |
| 5 | Joe Parody |
| 6 | Paul Bailey |
| 7 | Gary Gladwell |
Roll of Honour
Regional Winners
- Jason Christopher (Solent)
- Brian Kinrade (Sheffield)
- Luca Lanzani (Morecambe Bay)
- Eliot Kennedy (Melbourne NP)
- Jeff Parsons (North Shields)
- Richard Badger (Pedmore)
- Steve Wonnacott (Bristol)
- Richard Roper (Leicester)
- Hugh Best (Perth)
Old Rules Winner
- Independente (Ernesto Poncetta)
Club WASPA Winners
- Adam Jackson (Dagenham, 26 Aug)
- Adam Jackson (Dagenham, 2 Sep)
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