A six-month labour of love has resulted in one avid football supporter fulfilling his tangerine dreams.
Lifelong Dundee United fan Jason Ferrier has spent dozens of hours painting every home strip his favourite team have worn in its 105-year history.
The former Duncan of Jordanstone student has put together a presentation box of 99 Subbuteo players, replete with sponsors and full colours where available.
Mr Ferrier, 41, told The Courier: “I was just looking for a project to exercise my creative side.
“A friend of mine got me one of the ‘87 strips [from the fateful Uefa Cup Final against Gothenburg] that are just gold dust, so I made him a couple of Subbuteo versions from men I found lying about, with the VG sponsorship.
“It was from there I got the inspiration to paint the full set.
“It’s still a work in progress as a lot of the source material is misleading and I’d love to hear from anyone who can help out with strip colours before 1950.”
A west coast boy growing up in Aberdeen, Mr Ferrier’s love of United passed on by his uncle made him stand out before he started art school in Dundee.
“I still support anyone who’s playing against Aberdeen to this day,” he joked.
Since Subbuteo first appeared in the 1940s, teams from across Courier Country have taken to the tiny pitch.
United’s neighbours Dundee FC, St Johnstone, Raith Rovers, Montrose, East Fife and many others have been represented in miniature form over the years.
One paint scheme would often be used to represent two or three teams Forfar Athletic shared a strip with Malmo, Napoli and San Marino, for example.
Flat celluloid sets from the 1950s and 1960s can fetch more than £1,000 and even modern sets of popular British teams such as Celtic and Manchester United can set back collectors around £100.
The finger-flicking sport is still going strong, with many aficionados across the country Tayside Kickers of Arbroath still represent Scotland alongside Glasgow Table Soccer, Hot Club d’Ecosse from Edinburgh, and Cairneyhill from Fife.
The game, though, has taken on a more mythical status since its heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
In 1987, 16-year-old Justin Finch, then ranked Subbuteo world no 5, insured his right hand for £160,000.
Punk band Half Man Half Biscuit paid tribute to the game in its biggest hit, All I Want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit, with the protagonist losing 4-0 and “each and every goal a hotly disputed penalty”.
The game was invented by English birdwatcher Peter Adolph in 1946 and bested many similar games, such as Striker, to sell millions of units in more than 50 countries.
Waddingtons boughttherights in1966after acertainWorld Cupwinand produced the game until Hasbro bought itoverforsome £50millionin 1994.
To mark the millennium, an all-star Subbuteo squad, chosen by Hasbro and the Players Football Association, wasreleased featuring GordonBanks, DaveMackay, GeorgeBest, DenisLawand Kenny Dalglish.
A spokesman for the firm said: “I am impressed by the dedication shown by Jason in doing this. Fans have spent decades customising figures and adding their own mark to iconic kits.”
Do you have an idea about strips Jason is missing? Visit www.facebook.com/mixudesign or email mixudesign@lycos.com with suggestions.