No matter what anyone says, table football is first and foremost a great excuse to get together with friends! It's a social activity where good humour and camaraderie are the order of the day.
Miniature football is a game that many French people are proud of, and can be found in bars, cafés and even homes. But do you know where this game comes from and how it has evolved over time? In this article, we take a look at the history of table football, from its creation to the present day.
Is table football a sport?
Considered a sport in its own right by its most avid practitioners, table football is currently at the heart of negotiations between the International Table Soccer Federation and the International Olympic Committee for recognition. And so... We'll have to wait and see whether it's a fully-fledged sport or not!
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The fabulous story of table footballThe history of table football is rather nebulous. It's hard to pin its invention on just one person! In this section, you'll find information on the "possible origins" of the game, as well as a couple of anecdotes that will make you shine at parties and surprise everyone, even your most knowledgeable friends!
The beginnings of table football - the game's hazy beginnings with several tracksIt is thought that the very first patented table football came from the United States (1901). However, it is generally accepted that it was a European invention. During the same period, many countries tried to make table football their own, constantly evolving the concept and claiming to be the originators of this magnificent invention. |
What is the origin of the word table football?Another possible scenario is that table football was invented by a Swiss called Knicker. This name will no doubt be familiar to you, as it is a brand name that is still used today in Eastern Europe. After designing his 1st table football, Mr Knicker set up his own company and launched production. His foosball tables went on to enjoy great success in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In Belgium, the invention is attributed to a man called G. Staav, although no proof is given. Even the English are getting in on the act! They believe that babyfoot or ‘kicker’ came from the creative mind of E.J. Lawrence, who even filed a patent in 1913.Finally, the last possibility is that babyfoot was invented in the United States. Its primary purpose would have been to re-educate soldiers whose hands had been injured on the battlefield. The Americans quickly developed a craze for the game, which then began to reach a wider audience. The game then developed into a veritable fashion phenomenon. Bonzini and Suplie table football: the stars of miniature football in France
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Table football around the worldIn the United States, we don't play table football but foosball (the players are called foosers), a name borrowed from German to designate real football. Why this Germanic name? Quite simply because the 1st table football tables in the United States came from Germany. It was Larry Patterson who first brought table football to the United States with a table he had built in Germany in 1962. He named the game Foosball. However, it wasn't a great success... Real football" was not at all popular in the United States at the time, not being manly enough in the eyes of Americans who were used to games and sports with more strength, such as American football... During the 1960s, the popularity of table football grew little by little. It wasn't until the end of that decade that the sport was really taken seriously and a real market was created, with American servicemen sent to bases in Germany helping to introduce the sport on their return home. 250,000 babyfoot-loving soldiers returned home with their new hobby... Successful introduction in 1969! More than 2 million Americans play table football at least once a week. And with ten or so major manufacturers offering all kinds of models, the trend is set to continue!
The French golden age of table footballIn France, the first tablefootball competition took place in 1948. It was from this date onwards that tablefoot became a real success and numerous competitions were organised throughout the country. Today, table football is a very popular game and there are many table football clubs and leagues.
One last anecdote about table football... Who is the world table football champion in competition?One last essential anecdote: the best table football player in the world is Frédéric Collignon, who is considered to be the Zinedine Zidane of table football. The 38-year-old Belgian has won practically every international championship since 1999, in every corner of the globe (in singles and doubles). He is also the only player in the world to have won on every table recognised by the International Table Soccer Federation. |
