Hasta La Ideas

Photographer Tom Groves has been following the world of competitive table football since 2010 and his forthcoming book, In the Box, offers a glimpse of this little known, but passionately played, sport…

According to Groves, who has worked on the book with designers Thomas + Thomas, Subbuteo competitions are thriving in Europe. The photographer visited the World Masters in Bristol in 2010, World Cup competitions in Palermo (2011) and Manchester (2012), alongside the Italian Championships in Tuscany and the Cardiff Grand Prix in 2011, and the 2012 European Major in Mons, Belgium.

“This book aims to open up a wonderful, humorous and engaging world,” writes Groves on his site, intheboxbook.co.uk. “Many don’t even know it exists, yet it has bubbled away under the surface for years.”

The photographer is aiming to self-publish the book via a Kickstarter campaign, with special editions of the book are to feature a signed copy, a hand-painted World All-Star Subbuteo figurine, a Team Edition of the Subbuteo game, and an editioned pigment print, all of which will be housed in a bespoke clamshell box. More details at the book’s page at kickstarter.com (where the headline for this post comes from).

“The book itself is hardback, case-bound in a flock to mimic the feel of a pitch, 80 pages and 50 plates and will be printed by EBS in Italy,” adds Thomas Coombes, one half of Thomas + Thomas with designer Tom Austin.

The following images show how the book will look when the three Toms have the funding to begin production.

Groves has worked in the production department at Magnum Photos and, more recently, at Martin Parr’s studio, before becoming a freelance photographer. See intheboxbook.co.uk.

In the Box introduction written by Joshua Learner. Design by Thomas + Thomas. In the Box website build by James Homer.