Balyna Magnetic Super Soccer

Soccer game produced by Balyna (Toogood and Jones of Whitstable in Kent) in the United Kingdom during the 1950s.

Game consists of:

- playing board

- four adjustable metal legs to be inserted at each corner of the board

- two plastic goals

- two plastic playing rods with a magnet at the end, one each of red and blue

- four plastic players with magnets on their bases, usually 2 red and 2 blue players

- a small plastic ball

- rules

Each player has a magnet on the bottom of its base, which was manipulated by a rod (with a magnet on the end of it) which went under the table. The magnets of each team are polarised in reverse, so you cannot move your opponents players with your rod. The rod is used to drag your players across the board, thus allowing you to push the ball around.

The game board is a smooth hardboard surface, marked out with a football pitch, and a basic raised surround to stop the ball going out of play.

Magnetic football is excellent fun - a splendid ice breaker at parties and games evenings - and requires a surprising amount of skill. If you move the players too fast, or use too much power, then it is very easy to leave either the player or the ball behind! Although you cannot control your opponent's players, your reversed magnet can be used to flip them over.