A Busy Weekend on the WASPA Circuit

The WASPA circuit enjoyed another highly successful weekend, with tournaments and events taking place across Europe. From France to Romania, Malta, Italy, and England, players once again proved the dynamism and growth of subbuteo at both local and international levels.

Wattrelos FISTF Satellite: Competition and Collaboration

Some of the players of the Friday tournament

The FISTF Satellite hosted in Wattrelos, in the North of France, was a major highlight of the weekend. With more than 40 players competing, the event welcomed participants from France, Belgium, and Germany, confirming its strong international appeal.

Alongside the Open and U16 official competitions, several additional tournaments were organised under the WASPA banner. The Friday evening WASPA tournament went far beyond a simple warm‑up session for the nine players involved, with Sébastien Rochez emerging victorious. Due to his high ranking in the Veterans category, however, he was unable to take part in the Satellite on Saturday.

With table availability limited on Saturday, the 14 players involved in the consolation competitions were divided into two separate tournaments of seven players each. Didier Van Renterghem and Vincent Coppenolle claimed victory in their respective events, while the host club of Wattrelos celebrated having two finalists: Jean‑Michel Cordier and Jean‑Jacques Trichot.

Finalists of both events on Saturday: JJ Trichot, V. Coppenolle, D. Van Renterghem, JM Cordier

Reflecting on the event, Vincent Coppenolle underlined the importance of such initiatives:
“These events prove that FISTF and WASPA can work together. The feedback from the players was amazing, and everyone was happy to play more than just friendly games after the group stage of the Satellite.”

A Welcome Revival in Romania

In Romania, the subbuteo scene returned to action after a challenging period marked by several weeks without competition. The Bucharest players took the opportunity to welcome Paul Andreas, a Cypriot player based in London, by organising a special WASPA tournament in his honour.

Paul Andreas claimed the win, but one of the standout moments of the tournament was the noticeable improvement shown by Bogdan Panait, who delivered excellent performances throughout the day. Looking ahead, Bucharest is now preparing to host its first-ever FISTF Satellite — an important milestone for the development of the game in Romania.

Monthly Action in Malta

In Malta, the H’Attard players ran their regular monthly WASPA event. Robert Farrugia delivered a flawless performance, finishing the tournament undefeated and claiming the title as the undisputed winner of the day.

Old Rules Tournaments in Italy and England

Two Old Rules tournaments also featured in this busy weekend.

In Italy, SC Alba Roma organised a league-format tournament in Grottaferrata, with six players competing against one another. Marco Perotti, from Terni, took the top spot after consistent performances throughout the competition.

In England, the fifth stage of the English Championship was held at the home of Surrey Saracens. The event once again highlighted the strong organisation and hospitality of the host club. Victor Jones claimed victory in the main event, while Richard Myers won the Plate competition.

Adam Wells paid tribute to those involved in making the event a success:
“Big thanks to Charles Lee Fenton for being the hostess with the mostest, and to the Surrey crew for setting up and taking down. Congratulations as well to Simon Goodman and Richard Myers for winning the main and plate events respectively.”

A Circuit That Keeps Growing

From large international Satellites to intimate local tournaments, this weekend once again demonstrated the strength and diversity of the WASPA circuit. High participation, competitive spirit beyond main events, and cooperation with FISTF continue to provide players with meaningful playing opportunities across Europe.

The momentum is clearly there — and the weeks ahead promise even more exciting developments.

April Tournaments in Greece, Australia, Italy and England

We have just published the WASPA standings at the end of March, but we have since received results from several events held in different countries. Special thanks go to all the organizers who took the time to send in results and reports.

Achaioi (Greece)

After a long hiatus, we are delighted to see the Greek club Achaioi TSC back in action on the WASPA circuit. On April 1st, the club hosted a WASPA tournament featuring six players from four different clubs: Achaioi, Athinaikos, Reggio Calabria and Piraeus Lions.

Following the group stage, local player Manolis Sotiropoulos emerged victorious, defeating Reggio Calabria’s Ektoras Bartzis in the final.

---

Melbourne – Northern Phoenix Tournament (Australia)

Northern Phoenix WASPA – Saturday 4th April 2026

What a fantastic afternoon of table football at the East Ivanhoe Bowling Club. The event attracted nine competitors, with representatives from all four of Victoria’s active teams taking part.

The Northern Phoenix theme was clearly yellow, but this took on a deeper meaning as all participants also wore a yellow Norwich City shirt for a group photo, commemorating the passing of Subbuteo colleague and long‑time Canaries supporter Mike Newton.

There was plenty of action throughout the 35 matches contested, all played in a FAST‑15 format. Despite having been missing in action for quite some time, Benny Ng showed he had lost none of his flicking skills, recording multiple wins to take the Easter Cup.

He was closely followed by Nathan Urbaniak (MTFC), with Christos Garagounis completing the podium.

All players put in strong performances, with a special mention for Beth Eveleigh, the only competitor to take points off the eventual champion. It was also great to see Anthony Madiona back at the tables, while Paul Mercer, Kevin Grant, Benjamin Ng and Nathan Heard helped keep things running smoothly throughout the afternoon.

It was also announced that the Easter Cup marked the official start of the Melbourne Subbuteo League (MSL) 2026. Further details on the structure and format of the league will be released shortly.

Another enjoyable evening — needless to say!

---

Solent (England)

“Our fabulous David Hunter was unaware at the time of his sad passing that he was actually sitting top of our league, ahead of Gary Birch by just one point, with only four games left to play.

At last night’s club meeting, I proposed that we end the league as it stood, as a tribute and thank‑you for all that David had done and shared in the all too short time we had known him.

Every player was in unanimous agreement. I am therefore delighted to announce that Dave is our League Champion for the 2025–26 season.

This also means that Dave has earned his very first WASPA win, and his name will now be added to the official World Amateur Subbuteo Players Association list of winners. His name will also be engraved on the final shield of our League Championship Trophy.”

---

Terni (Italy)

Our friends in Italy continue to run regular small events. In the latest tournament in Terni, Marco Perotti finished top of a four‑player group.

---

Don’t hesitate to send in your results, reports and stories. The doors of the WASPA circuit remain open to everyone!

Results section

Achaioi tournament, April 1: Final: Emmanouil Sotiropoulos - Ektoras Bartzis 4-3

Melbourne tournament (hosted by the Northern Phoenix club), April 6: 1. Benny Ng (Western Flickers) ; 2. Nathan Urbaniak (Melbourne TFC) ; 3. Christos Garagounis (Northern Phoenix) ; 4. Paul Mercer (Northern Phoenix) ; 5. Nathan Heard (Northern Phoenix) ; 6. Anthony Madiona (Northern Phoenix) ; 7. Beth Eveleigh (Northern Phoenix) ; 8. Benjamin Ng (Western Flickers) ; 9. Kevin Grant (Central Victoria).

Terni tournament, April 8: 1. Marco Perotti ; 2. Moreno Margheriti ; 3. Simone Perotti ; 4. Leonardo Ascani.

Solent Club WASPA tournament - League table: 1. Dave Hunter ; 2. Gary Birch ; 3. Rob Piggott ; 4. Simon Hawley ; 5. Steve Smith ; 6. Andy McGovern ; 7. Nigel Morgan ; 8. Jason Christopher ; 9. Jerry Lovegrove ; 10. Paul Izard ; 11. Russell Cramer ; 12. Paul Pearson ; 13. Tim Hill ; 14. Roger Duckworth ; 15. Chris Burford.

WASPA Rankings – March 2026

The WASPA March 2026 rankings are finally out!

After a very busy March, WASPA recorded results from 44 tournaments worldwide (40 regional tournaments, 1 “Club WASPA” tournament and 3 old-rules competitions), confirming the circuit’s continued growth and international reach.

Links

Excel file (rankings and statistics)

PDF file (results)

Tournaments on five continents

Young players in action in Kent, England

Events took place in Australia, Austria, Belgium, England, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore and the United States—covering five continents.

• 26 players took part in their first-ever WASPA tournament in March.
• Australia hosted its 600th WASPA regional tournament in March 2026.
• 55 players attended the old rules tournament held in Brescia, Italy.

  

  Hipfingerz tournament in Sydney, Australia

Top of the rankings

• Open ranking: Malcolm Jamieson (Scotland) remains firmly in the lead.
• Season ranking: Jason Christopher is currently on top.
• Junior ranking: Samuele Bignardi (Italy) keeps the No. 1 spot.

New clubs in the Conference League

• Maryland SC (USA)
• Singapore Lions (Singapore)
• TSC Phoenix (Austria) — newly eligible after holding its third WASPA tournament.

The first WASPA tournament in the USA this season took place in Maryland

Looking ahead: in May, the WASPA circuit will celebrate its 15th anniversary. We are very happy to see such positive developments in many countries.

Any questions about the circuit? We remain at your disposal.

Want to join the WASPA circuit? It is open to all groups of Subbuteo players.

Vincent Coppenolle
WASPA organizer
vincentcoppenolle@gmail.com