4708 Euro 2008 Footballer

[Martin Milner]

While not a huge football fan myself, I decided to get these sets (there's 13 different team strips) so I could display them at work where there are plenty of football fans.



What I hadn't realised from the catalogue pictures is that the shirt number is changeable, obvious really but not to me!



You get a full sheet of 22 numbers on clear backing, missing 1 which is always a goalkeeper. There don't appear to be any goalie figures though, so you could construct a whole nation's team, except the goalie.

This leaves 21 spare numbers in each set (either black or white depending on the team strip) which will be handy for numbering fire engines, police cars etc.



Apply the number front and back, and you have a recognisable figure. I tried this on a colleague, not with the figure in these pictures...

Portugese strip, shirt 17 "That's Ronaldo...............it doesn't look anything like him"

I haven't tried disasssembly yet. I would have to use the shoestring round the neck method because of the special legs, but hair is easy enough to change, and when I get a chance I'll try a head too.



The figures each have a "flick" lever on the right leg, which locks back in place to allow a football to be placed ready to kick.



The pack includes a target goal with holes at three different heights, providing a mini-game




GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!

[playmofire]

Thanks for an excellent review, Martin.  That bit about alternative uses for the numbers is interesting.

Like you, I'm not a football fan but I do keep eyeing up 4701, Soccer Shoot Out, as an interesting and fun addition to my collection.  I think, now, action might be taken.

[sbblabotw]

Great review, Martin - I was wondering how those legs worked.  Photo snagged to illustrate 30 00 2492 - Soccer player, Germany.

...missing 1 which is always a goalkeeper. There don't appear to be any goalie figures though, so you could construct a whole nation's team, except the goalie.

The goalie is 4704.  He has a plain grey uniform (with the number 1, and now I know why) but a choice of neckerchiefs - is that how they're really dressed?  I guess they don't have to be quite as identifiable if they're not running around the field.  He doesn't have a leg-kicker, either.

To see them all, take a look at the Sports theme.  I wonder what's with the identical hair - is that regulation too? 

[Martin Milner]

Ah, I wonder if I can get a few goalies on DS? At a push the linemen or referee figure could be pushed into service, if a number was added to their shirt.

Usually each nation's goalie would have their own special national uniform, and each nation would have at least one reserve goalie in the squad in case of injury. Shirt numbers 1-11 used to be reserved for the likely starters, but these days players have a favourite number and tend to stick to it.

As the goalie stands still a lot more than the rest of the players he usually has a thicker shirt, and often long sleeves, to stay warm. I used to play goalie at school sometimes (reserved for the fat & slow boys) and it gets pretty chilly standing still on the field in December!  The scarf is a nod in this direction, but I don't think all goalies wear scarves.

My colleague was disappointed with the hair too - footballers have lots of different hairstyles, so there's no reason thay all had to have the same, though I think this mid-length style is the most versatile of the "no hat" hair choices, and of course looks particularly fetching on Little Jo.

[playmofire]

Shirt numbers 1-11 used to be reserved for the likely starters, but these days players have a favourite number and tend to stick to it.

I was listening to a very interesting and amusing programme called "The Museum of Oddities" on Radio 4 on Wednesdays at 1830 (last part 26th March) and one of the guests was a Professor of Mathematics.  Inevitably the discussion got round to prime numbers, i.e. a number that can only be divided evenly by 1 and by itself (but 1 is not a prime number).  Special powers were attached to prime numbers in the past and the professor wa saying that there might be something in this as when a football team he was involved with switched from the usual 1-11 numbering and adopted prime numbers (using 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41 and 43, for the squad) they were promoted at the end of the season having been bottom or near the bottom at the start!