England and Italy Keep the WASPA Momentum Rolling

The opening weeks of October produced another excellent series of WASPA tournaments across England and Italy, with established champions, emerging talents and new clubs all contributing to the continued growth of the circuit.

Bellefontaine Triumphs in Leicester

Elliott Bellefontaine (left)

The biggest event of the period was undoubtedly the Leicester Foxes Autumn WASPA Open, which attracted an impressive field of 24 players.

After several hard-fought knockout rounds, Elliott Bellefontaine emerged as champion. He defeated Nick Pearson 5-1 in the Last 16, overcame Graham Harwood 4-1 in the quarter-finals and then beat Richard Roper 3-0 in the semi-finals before edging Ian Aggett 3-2 in a thrilling final.

Aggett had reached the title match with victories over Paul Gildersleve, Simon Bryan and Michael Mayes.

Runner-up Ian Aggett (left)

The day also saw another success for the Bellefontaine family as Martin Bellefontaine lifted the Plate trophy, defeating Ian Sharp on shots. In the junior event, Jacob Hodds overcame George Donaldson after a closely contested two-legged final that was only decided on shots, highlighting two exciting young prospects for the future.

Consolation Success in Worthing

During the FISTF Satellite weekend in Worthing, two WASPA consolation events ensured every participant had further competitive opportunities.

In the Plate competition, Dutch player Rinaldo van Dijk impressed throughout the knockout rounds, defeating Adam Jackson 4-3 and Gary Gladwell 5-0 before beating Joe Parody 4-0 in the final.

The Shield event belonged to Andy McGovern. He defeated Tim Hill 3-0 in the quarter-finals, Nathan Holley 3-0 in the semi-finals and Joel Palmer-Jones 4-1 in the final to secure the trophy.

Sheffield Launches with Strong Attendance

A new WASPA venue was added to the calendar as Sheffield Flickers hosted its first WASPA evening.

Twelve players competed in a Swiss-format tournament and produced an entertaining night of action. Luca Lanzani made a flying start, scoring ten goals in his first two games before continuing his excellent form all evening to secure first place.

Simon Bryan finished second, ahead of Trevor Allen in third, with Gary Leitch and Andy Henly completing the top five.

The successful launch promises well for the future of competitive Subbuteo in Sheffield.

Craig Heward Dominates in Yorkshire

At the latest Yorkshire WASPA club night in Dewsbury, Craig Heward produced a commanding performance.

Winning every one of his matches, Heward finished five points clear of the field to take a convincing victory. The battle behind him was much closer, with only four points separating second place from eighth.

Luca Lanzani continued his excellent fortnight by finishing runner-up, followed by Kevin Adderley, Andy Boyer and Ian Sharp.

Gladwell Shines in Dagenham

Dagenham's October Club WASPA saw organiser Gary Gladwell claim both the tournament title and Player of the Week honours.

Gladwell defeated Joe Parody in a tense final decided on shots after a scoreless match. Adam Jackson secured third place with a 1-0 victory over Martin Colwell, while Mark West and Jonathan Beales won the fifth-place and seventh-place matches respectively.

Busy Weekend in Italy

Italian players were equally active with three WASPA events taking place.

In Genova, Samuele Bignardi emerged victorious after defeating Tommaso Sani in a final settled on shots. Alberto Capoferri secured third place by overcoming Luca Bignardi, while Samuele Corrias and Davide Balito claimed victories in the remaining placing matches.

Catanzaro saw Vittorio Giummo take first place ahead of Angelo De Santis, Antonio Di Lieto and Domenico Gigliotti.

Earlier in the week, a promotional event in Lamezia helped introduce more players to the WASPA scene, with Francesco Pujia claiming victory ahead of Gianpaolo Pulici and Domenico Gigliotti.

The WASPA Family Continues to Grow

From large regional tournaments such as Leicester to new initiatives in Sheffield and promotional events in southern Italy, the recent schedule once again demonstrated the strength and diversity of the WASPA network.

Congratulations to all organisers, hosts and competitors who continue to make these events possible and help the worldwide WASPA community grow week after week.

Results

Leicester Foxes Autumn WASPA Open (England) - 4 October 2026

Winner: Elliott Bellefontaine
Runner-up: Ian Aggett
Plate Winner: Martin Bellefontaine
Junior Winner: Jacob Hodds

Semi-finals

• Elliott Bellefontaine bt Richard Roper 3-0
• Ian Aggett bt Michael Mayes 1-0

Final

• Elliott Bellefontaine bt Ian Aggett 3-2

Worthing Plate (England) - 20 September 2026

Winner: Rinaldo van Dijk
Runner-up: Joe Parody

Final

• Rinaldo van Dijk bt Joe Parody 4-0

Worthing Shield (England) - 20 September 2026

Winner: Andy McGovern
Runner-up: Joel Palmer-Jones

Final

• Andy McGovern bt Joel Palmer-Jones 4-1

Genova (Italy) - 3 October 2026

1. Samuele Bignardi
2. Tommaso Sani
3. Alberto Capoferri
4. Luca Bignardi

Catanzaro (Italy) - 3 October 2026

1. Vittorio Giummo
2. Angelo De Santis
3. Antonio Di Lieto
4. Domenico Gigliotti

Lamezia (Italy) - 29 September 2026

1. Francesco Pujia
2. Gianpaolo Pulici
3. Domenico Gigliotti

Dagenham Club WASPA (England) - 15 October 2026

1. Gary Gladwell
2. Joe Parody
3. Adam Jackson
4. Martin Colwell

Sheffield Flickers WASPA (England) - 14 October 2026

1. Luca Lanzani
2. Simon Bryan
3. Trevor Allen

Yorkshire WASPA (England) - 15 October 2026

1. Craig Heward
2. Luca Lanzani
3. Kevin Adderley