Although this is a new game, it’s ancestor, a game called 4-2-4 was given the ultimate test in the late 60’s by none other than England’s World Cup Champions at their Roehampton Headquarters, prior to the match against the USSR at Wembley the following day.

This event was arranged through the good offices of the late Sir Alan Hardaker, a famous and respected name in the history of English Football (and a great 4-2-4 fan). Not too many ‘football nuts’ get to teach the World Cup Champions how to play football, but this one did!

Sir Alf said we could have ‘The Lads’ for 30 minutes, but splitting into groups, on four tables, they played a proper ‘tournament’ from 2.30 ‘till 5.45pm, culminating in a ‘Cup Final’ between Jimmy Greaves and Gordon Banks (don’t ask me who won…. I still haven’t come down off my cloud!!).

A similarly successful scenario took place in Munich a few months later, with the great Franz Beckenbauer and his Bayern squad. Another long story, but when players of that calibre show such enthusiasm for it, realistically it cannot go any higher than that. However, believe me when I say that this game is far superior to the game played by those famous footballers, I speak the truth.

Tom Waterman, Inventor.