🌍 News from Ireland, Romania, and Finland

 We are always pleased to see great tournaments taking place across the world. This time, the latest results come from Ireland, Romania, and Finland.

🇮🇪 Irish Circuit in Tralee

The Tralee TFC WASPA – Irish Circuit Round 4 was held on 13 June 2026. The organisers moved the venue to the village of Castlemaine, just outside Tralee, and successfully attracted 19 players.

David Elton reported:
"What was especially satisfying was seeing a good number of novice players who had not played many tournaments before. Great news as well: the Plate competition was won by the youngest player, who is also female, Roisin. She beat me in the final, fully deserving her victory with two excellent goals. A competition like this gives us great energy as we aim to strengthen and grow both the club and the game in our area of Ireland."

Results:

• Semi-finals:
  • Kenny Beggs bt John Moore 3–0
  • Andy Fitzpatrick bt Mario Frittelli 1–0
• Final:
  • Kenny Beggs drew with Andy Fitzpatrick 1–1*
• Plate final:
  • Roisin Hogan bt David Elton 2–1
• Junior final:
  • Eliott Fitzpatrick bt Liam O’Sullivan 1–0

🇷🇴 Romania: Back to Normal Life

Following a busy weekend featuring a successful FISTF Satellite, Romanian players returned to action on Monday with a smaller WASPA event in Bucharest. Although it is a quieter period, activity continues steadily.

Final standings:

1. Massimo DalPrà
2. Cezar Stoilescu
3. Bogdan Panait
4. Ciprian Necula

🇫🇮 Finland: An International Gathering

While Finland may not be the most active Subbuteo nation, every tournament is a true celebration. Earlier this week in Helsinki, local players welcomed international visitors Bob Green and Eliot Kennedy from Australia for a small WASPA tournament played under FISTF rules.

Eliot Kennedy took top honours, but most importantly, the event highlighted the joy of friends coming together around the green tables.

Final standings:

1. Eliot Kennedy (Northern Falcons TFC)
2. Teemu Sihvola (SISU TFC)
3. Robert Green (Northern Falcons TFC)
4. Kari Hakkarainen (Hesu PJK)
5. Vesa Kouvonkorpi (Hesu PJK)

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Don’t hesitate to send in more WASPA results — we are always happy to share news from players around the world!

🌍 International Table Football Results Round‑Up

This week featured tournament results from Northern Ireland, England, Australia, and Italy, highlighting strong participation across multiple competitions.

🇬🇧 Northern Ireland – Jimmy Watson Memorial Cup

Fred Elesbao

• Held in Derry as part of the FISTF Grand Prix plate competition.
• Included 8 players from 6 countries, all finishing third in their groups.
• 🏆 Winner: Fred Elesbao (Germany/Hannover)
• 🥈 Runner-up: Jos Ceulemans (Belgium/SC Flanders)

Jos Ceulemans (left), runner-up

🇬🇧 England – Pedmore Satellite WASPA Events

• 32 players entered; 16 moved to the “Plate” competition.
• 🏆 Plate Winner: Richard Grimley (Godica) defeated Jeremy Bradley (TSPA)
• 🏆 Shield Winner: Jamie Warren (Stanway) defeated Steve Wonnacott (Bristol)

🇦🇺 Australia – Northern Phoenix WASPA (7 June 2026)

• Hosted at East Ivanhoe Bowling Club with Fast‑15 matches.
• 🏆 Winner: Adrian Connolly (4 wins from 5 matches)
• Special mention: Anthony Madiona celebrated a milestone birthday.
• A well‑attended and enjoyable event, with July details coming soon.

🇮🇹 Italy – Rome Club Opening Tournament

• 🏆 Winner: Giuseppe Cascioli
• Marked the opening of SC Tufello Roma 2026, with hopes for future growth and events.

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📣 The organizers encourage players worldwide to continue submitting WASPA results to share global table football action.

🇬🇧 Action in England!

 Two WASPA events took place this week with great participation and competitive games 👏

🏆 Steve Race claimed victory at the Norfolk Subbuteo Club old rules tournament, edging Adam Nekrews 1–0 in the final.

🏆 In Yorkshire, Craig Heward delivered a dominant performance to win the latest Phoenix club night, dropping points in just one match against runner‑up Luca Lanzani.

👉 Another great example of regular club activity keeping the WASPA spirit alive!

WASPA Update – Recent International Results (May/June 2026)

Here is a quick look at recent results collected from WASPA events held in England, the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy.

🇦🇹 Austria – TSC Phoenix

Our Austrian friends from TSC Phoenix held their monthly tournament, with a special international guest: Brian Spoors (Glasgow).

The tournament attracted 9 players and was played using the Swiss system.

Final standings:

1. Erich Hinkelmann
2. Jürgen Lizar
3. Manfred Pawlica
4. Alfred Strommer
5. Christian Haas
6. Igor Ljubisavljevic
7. Alexander Scheller
8. Brian Spoors
9. Louis Haas

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🏴 England – Stourbridge

The latest event in Stourbridge saw a smaller turnout than expected, but the players still enjoyed a great evening of table football.

Final table (league format):

1. Richard Roper
2. Arthur Collins
3. Andy Pountney
4. Kirk Harrison

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🏴 England – Chesterfield

Chesterfield continues to be one of the key hubs of the WASPA circuit. The latest tournament confirmed this reputation, with 16 players from multiple clubs taking part.

Congratulations to Ian Aggett, who finished top of the Swiss table.

Final standings:

1. Ian Aggett
2. Colin Tarry
3. Brian Kinrade
4. Mark Green
5. Nick Pearson
6. Ian Sharp
7. Colin Fletcher
8. Andrew Forster‑Fake
9. Alex Turpin
10. Paul Gildersleve
11. Adrian Hawcroft
12. Andy Henly
13. Paul Taylor
14. Jeremy Boothman
15. Trevor Allen
16. Harry Staszewski

Note: Five players were tied for 3rd place; for WASPA records, Brian Kinrade is listed 3rd and Mark Green 4th.

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🏴 England – Solent (World Cup Theme Event)

The Solent monthly tournament was played in a World Cup format, producing some exciting matches.

After an impressive group stage in which USA (Rob Piggott) conceded no goals, the knockout rounds delivered high‑level drama:

• Semi-final 1
  USA 3–0 Saudi Arabia

• Semi-final 2
  Mexico 2–2 Colombia
  (Mexico won 2–1 on shots)

• Third place play-off
  Saudi Arabia 1–0 Colombia

🏆 Final
USA 2–0 Mexico

👉 Rob Piggott (USA) claimed the title with a dominant and disciplined performance throughout the tournament.

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🇳🇱 Netherlands – MVV Rijnmond

The club of MVV Rijnmond continues to be very active this season. Their latest WASPA event was played as a 7‑player league.

Congratulations to Fabrizio Cavazza (DLF Gorizia) for his victory.

Final standings:

1. Fabrizio Cavazza
2. Casey van Os
3. Marco de Bruin
4. Rinaldo van Dijk
5. Xavier Aret
6. Martijn Bom
7. Martijn de Jong

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🏴 England – Leicester

A smaller club night in Leicester featured 4 players.

Congratulations to Henry Baker for taking the win.

Final table:

1. Henry Baker
2. Alex Ashcroft
3. Nigel Edwards
4. Sean Wenlock

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🇮🇹 Italy – Virtus Calabria (Youth Development)

The club of Virtus Calabria continues its development work, with a promotional junior tournament featuring many close games.

Francesco Pujia claimed victory on goal difference.

Final standings:

1. Francesco Pujia
2. Gianpaolo Pulici
3. Bernardo Guan Bai
4. Domenico Gigliotti

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🇮🇹 Italy – SC Terni 2014

Two very small WASPA gatherings were also organised by SC Terni 2014. These events were closer to training sessions than full tournaments, with only three players taking part in each meeting—but they perfectly reflect the grassroots spirit of WASPA.

• First meeting winner: Simone Perotti
• Second meeting winner: Marco Perotti

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🇳🇴 Norway – Development Initiative

Finally, some very encouraging news from Norway. Although no official tournament was held, our friend Terje Ellefsen is organising a “World Cup Week” in a school, where Subbuteo is one of the activities offered to up to 300 children.

“20 kids attended the first day and they really like the game,” commented Terje, who introduced the basic rules of the game.
Those who show more interest will be taught more advanced rules, along with small skills challenges such as chipping the ball or curling the figures.

Terje hopes this initiative will spark interest among both young players and the wider community—and is already dreaming of seeing a Norwegian U12 or U16 team in a future World Cup.

👉 Good luck with this fantastic project! 👏

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🌍 Conclusion
The WASPA circuit remains truly global, with both large and small events taking place across different countries—but always driven by the same passion for the game.

We now look forward to seeing even more activity during the FIFA World Cup period! ⚽

WASPA rankings of May 2026

WASPA rankings of May 2026 are finally available!

Links:
Excel file with rankings and statistics
PDF file with results

We had another impressive period with 42 tournaments added in the records and we are happy to see WASPA events held in many different countries.
Players in Australia, England, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Wales, Malta, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand had the chance to attend tournaments.
Specials hugs to our friends from Hungary and Switzerland who held their first events for a long while!
Congratulations to the clubs of Aberaeron SC (Wales), Finchampstead Subbuteo Club and Norfolk Subbuteo Club (England) for hosting their first WASPA event!
Finally, congratulations to the clubs of SMAFC (Hungary) and Virtus Calabria (Italy) for entering the junior ranking of clubs!
If you have any questions about the circuit, please do not hesitate to contact us – we are always happy to help.

Thinking about joining the WASPA circuit?
The circuit is open to all Subbuteo groups, whether you are an established club or a new initiative. We are welcoming returning clubs, new clubs, and several ambitious projects already in development.

Here is a structured analysis of the main trends and insights from the latest rankings generated by AI. 

1. Strong global expansion of WASPA

Evidence

• 42 tournaments added
• Events in multiple continents (Europe, Australia, Africa)
• New activity in:
  • Hungary
  • Switzerland
  • Wales
  • England

This clearly shows growth + geographic diversification

Link with rankings

• Many countries appear in the rankings (30+ nations)
• New or returning nations (Hungary, Switzerland) are still low in points but present in the ecosystem

Trend:
WASPA is moving from a “core European circuit” → to a truly global grassroots network

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2. Growth is driven by local initiatives (clubs)

From your announcement

• New clubs hosting first events:
  • Aberaeron SC (Wales)
  • Finchampstead SC (England)
  • Norfolk SC (England)

This is crucial: growth is decentralised

From the data

• Club rankings depend on:
  • organising events
  • number of players
• English clubs dominate because they host many events:
  • Solent (#1)
  • Worthing (#2)
  • Yorkshire, Pedmore, etc. 

Key insight:
WASPA growth is club-driven, not federation-driven

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3. England still massively dominates (but ecosystem is spreading)

Data confirmation

• #1 nation with huge margin:
  • England: 2281 pts
  • Belgium: 1008 pts 
• Most top clubs are English 

But your text shows:

• more countries organising events
• new nations becoming active

Trend:

• England = mature ecosystem
• Others = emerging ecosystems

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4. Youth development is becoming a major pillar

From your text

• SMAFC (Hungary) and Virtus Calabria (Italy) enter the junior club ranking

This is very important structurally

From rankings

• Junior ranking dominated by Italian players
• Club Rebels Genova clearly #1 junior club 

Interpretation:

• Italy is building the next generation
• New countries (Hungary) are starting youth development

Trend:
WASPA is evolving from a senior competition → to a long-term development system

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5. Dynamic and active circuit

From your text

• “Impressive period”
• many new events
• returning countries

From rankings

• The season ranking ≠ overall ranking
  • Jason Christopher = #1 season
  • Malcolm Jamieson = #1 overall 

Meaning:

• rankings are activity-based
• players must stay active to remain competitive

Trend:
WASPA is not static → it rewards participation + consistency

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6. Inclusivity and openness as core identity

Explicitly in your message

• “open to all Subbuteo groups”
• welcoming:
  • new clubs
  • returning clubs
  • new projects

This is not just communication — it matches the data:

• many low-ranked players → broad participation
• many countries with small representation

Trend:
WASPA is:

• not elitist
• built as a community-driven circuit

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7. Multi-level structure is clearly working

From the tables:

• Top Clubs
• Development League
• Conference League
• Junior rankings

This creates:

• clear progression paths
• incentives for:
  • organising events
  • growing membership
  • developing juniors

Trend:
WASPA is becoming a structured “ecosystem” rather than just rankings

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8. Key strategic insights

Putting everything together:

1. Growth model = bottom-up

• new clubs → new events → new players → rankings growth

2. Geography is expanding

• especially Eastern/Central Europe (Hungary, Romania)
• plus continued strength in UK, Italy, Australia

3. Youth = future competitive shift

• Italy currently ahead
• new countries entering (Hungary)

4. Activity is the main driver of success

• best players and clubs = most active ones

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Final synthesis (very concise)

The May 2026 WASPA rankings show:

• Rapid global expansion (more countries, more events)
• Club-driven growth model
• Continued English dominance
• Strong rise of youth development (especially Italy)
• A dynamic, activity-based ranking system
• Increasing inclusiveness and accessibility
• A structured multi-tier competitive ecosystem

1. Dominance patterns (players, clubs, nations)

England remains overwhelmingly dominant

• In the individual ranking, a very large share of top 20 players are English.
• In the nation ranking (by points), England is clearly #1 with 2281.93 points, more than double Belgium (#2).
• In the clubs ranking, almost all top clubs are English (Solent, Worthing, Yorkshire, Pedmore, Bristol…).

Key takeaway:
England is the central hub of competitive WASPA activity, both in depth (many players) and in structure (clubs, events).

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A single world leader stands out

• Malcolm Jamieson is clearly #1 with 643.98 points, far ahead of #2 (~590 pts).
  This gap suggests:

• sustained consistency,
• or heavy participation in high-value events.

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Strong “secondary nations”

After England:

• Belgium (#2)
• Australia (#3)
• Netherlands (#4)
• Italy (#5)

These countries show:

• strong local ecosystems (clubs + events),
• a smaller but competitive elite group.

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2. Differences between “overall ranking” and “season ranking”

This is one of the most interesting insights.

Example:

• Overall #1: Malcolm Jamieson
• Season #1: Jason Christopher

Interpretation:

• The overall ranking rewards long-term consistency
• The season ranking reflects current form/activity

Key trends:

• Some players are “in form” (season ranking high) but lower overall
• Others are “established elites” (overall ranking high) but less active recently

This creates:

• a dynamic competition
• potential upcoming changes at the top

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3. Youth (Junior ranking): a major Italian wave

Italy dominates the junior scene

Top juniors:

• Samuele Bignardi
• Tommaso Sani
• many players from Club Rebels Genova

And:

• Club Rebels Genova #1 junior club (479 pts)

Key trend:

• Italy is investing strongly in youth development
• Future top rankings may shift toward Italy

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4. Club structure = key performance driver

Top clubs are highly structured

Example:

• Solent Subbuteo Club (#1 with 806 pts)

Requirements (from the sheet):

• event organisation
• regular activity
• a minimum number of players

Insight: Performance is not individual only → it is club-driven:

• more events = more points
• strong communities produce top players

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Multi-tier club ecosystem

There are 3 levels:

1. Top Clubs
2. Development League
3. Conference League

This indicates:

• a pyramid system
• clear pathways from local → elite level

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5. Global spread vs concentration

Wide international participation

• Players from Europe, Australia, Asia, USA, Africa
• 1000+ ranked players

WASPA is clearly global.

But still concentrated

Top levels are dominated by:

• UK (especially England)
• Western Europe
• Australia

Emerging countries exist but are not yet competitive at top level.

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6. Nation rankings — two perspectives

By points

• Measures top elite strength
• Example: Scotland high because of one superstar

By places

• Measures depth of participation
• Example: Netherlands #2 and Belgium #3

Insight:

• Some countries = strong elite only
• Others = strong base + depth

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7. Key structural trends

Increasing professionalisation

• Clear rules for clubs
• League tiers
• ranking systems (overall, season, junior)

Activity-driven performance

• Players/clubs that organise events perform better

Youth pipelines emerging

• Especially visible in Italy and some English clubs

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8. What we can conclude overall

1. England = dominant ecosystem

• best players depth
• best clubs
• most events

2. Italy = rising power (especially youth)

• strong junior dominance
• clubs like Club Rebels Genova shaping the future

3. Rankings show two dimensions:

• long-term excellence (overall)
• current momentum (season)

4. Clubs are the key unit

• performance strongly linked to club structure and activity

5. WASPA is global but uneven

• many countries involved
• only a few dominate elite performance