Peter Adolph

Peter Adolph (1916 - 1994) was an English game designer and former Royal Air Force veteran who invented the popular game Subbuteo which was invented and manufactured in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. He always had an interest in football (soccer) and ornithology. He once sold birds eggs to make extra money. He originally wanted to call the game The Hobby, but the Patents Office said that that was too general a term, so he named it "Subbuteo" which he knew was the Latin word for "hobby" as the Hobby Hawk was his favorite bird. He patented his sports game in 1948. By 1950, it was such a success that he was able to give up his full-time job. Around 1970, he could no longer keep up with demand and sold the game to Waddingtons Games where he stayed on as a managing director, but he decided to leave the company as he didn't fit in with the corporate culture.