Football world at his fingertips

This week the 11-year-old from Huddersfield became the world’s number one ranked Subbuteo player in the under-12 category.

He climbed to the top of the rankings after having an exceptional year at the tables, winning seven international ranking tournaments so far.

Coen, a member of the Kent Invicta Table Football Team, which has players in the North and South, also moved up to world number eight in the under- 15 category.

His father Philip, also a big Subbuteo fan, said his son had risen to the top in a very competitive field of young players from many countries, including Subbuteo-crazy Italy.

“He started playing in 2009 and was playing in his first tournaments in 2010. Quite soon after that he started winning and was representing England.

“This season has been particularly good with him winning seven international ranking tournaments.

“Coen is very pleased as this is something he has been working towards for a long time. We knew he had a fighting chance. I am probably more pleased than he is.”

Coen also captained England, earning bronze in the team event which saw 22 nations competing at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

And next year Coen and his father are hopeful he can become the under-12 world champion at the World Cup event in Greece.

It will be his last chance before he becomes too old for that age category. “He will then go into the under-15 category,” said his father.

Mr Townsend, a bar manager in Bradford, said preparation and plenty of practice were key to winning big tournaments.

He does his own research on the venue to predict whether the humidity will affect the “speed” of the table.

A sports hall without air-conditioning could mean a “sticky” table and so Coen ensure he plays in a warm room at home.

Coen’s first game abroad, in Germany, almost ended in disaster because he wasn’t used to playing on such a slow pitch.

At the moment Coen practises for around three to four hours a week but this is expected to rise as the World Cup looms.

His biggest asset on the Subbuteo table, according to his father, is his natural aptitude for the game and for tactics.

“He has a natural understanding of the game. It comes very naturally to him. He really loves playing adults too and he will be preparing soon for open competitions with adults,” Mr Townsend added.

“The game is played at frightening levels of speed at the top end.”

Although a Liverpool supporter, Coen is not a huge fan of real-life football, according to his father.

“He’s a quiet lad but when he scores (in Subbuteo) he does go over the top. He shouts ‘come on’ very, very loudly and does a massive fist pump into the air. And when we get out into the car park he has a good shout.”

Coen’s talent has impressed the top players in the English Subbuteo Association.

Association chairman Justin Finch said: “Coen is a fantastic talent and his recent No 1 FISTF (Federation of International Sports Table Football) ranking is reward for his commitment to the game of Subbuteo.”

He said Coen was among a new crop of young and talented players.

“Subbuteo in England is not as popular today as it was in the 1970s and 1980s but we are starting to see the emergence of many young players and the recent relaunch of Subbuteo has certainly helped promote the game in this country.

“Hamleys recently announced that Subbuteo is in their top 10 most wanted games of 2012.

“In terms of participants, the English Subbuteo Association has more than 1,000 registered members but there are hundreds of thousands of people who still continue to play the game either at home or at tournaments throughout the world.”

Mr Finch said Subbuteo players found table football more rewarding than playing soccer on consoles such as an Xbox or PlayStation.

“Despite the emergence of console games like Fifa and Pro Evolution Soccer, many people realise that playing competitively with your own physical ability is still more rewarding than relying on a computer controller to perfect your next move,” he added.

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