Far from the usual sticky floors and game-changing drink spillages, Shanghai expat Fred Gower recently returned from France, where he represented Canada at the Table Football World Cup. The tabletop Pelé spoke to TALK about the surprising world of foosball. Hey, no spinning! 

We’ve all been there. That moment when, after a few beers, some lucky spins and a round of overzealous high-fives, the thought crosses our mind that we could probably take on anyone in the world at foosball. Whereas most of us would be wrong, Fred Gower (pictured right) was right on the money.

Having recently returned to Shanghai with the impressive title of ‘37th best table football player in the world’, Fred has proven that he can mix it up with the best of them: “I was able to take the current world champion to 7-5 in the game that I played against him. I’m pretty happy about that since I’m about twice his age and just consider this my hobby.”

Gower acknowledges that the sport is yet to break into the mainstream: “Many people know table soccer as a recreational game for the basement or the bar, but they may be surprised to learn that it is a sport with leagues, ranked players and hundreds of websites.”

He’s not exaggerating – the World Cup played host to teams from more than 20 different countries, with supporters numbering in the thousands and media such as Eurosport TV taking notice. It may be Fred’s pastime, but the World Cup, organised by foosball’s governing body ITSF (International Table Soccer Federation), is no Sunday afternoon kick-about. “The matches were played in a large sports hall with bleachers for the bigger matches. The atmosphere was friendly but at times very intense as well,” he says.

In addition to his international efforts, Gower is also heavily involved in developing grassroots foosball in China. “We have regular events here in Shanghai. The Shanghai Open was held in December and drew about 30 players, including some of the best Chinese players.”

Having coached the Chinese national team for five years, Gower is optimistic about the future of Chinese foosball, but explains that if they are to compete on the international stage, they will need more support. “Team China didn’t make it to the World Cup because most of the players aren’t wealthy enough to go without sponsorship. If we can find a few more sponsors, then we will be sending a team next year,” he says.

Gower believes that foosball’s image as a ‘fun event’ could help it gain financial support. He hopes that corporate Shanghai will see the opportunity to spread the fun even further by contacting him about sponsorship.

Whilst he knows that some may doubt the legitimacy of table football as a serious sport, he argues that the level of skill and excitement involved make it worthy of a place on the international stage. With a laugh, he issues a friendly challenge: “Maybe they want to play for a little money?”

We’re game. To the pub!

For more info or to buy an export-quality table at a made-in-China price, visit www.shanghaifoosball.com

 - Alex Taggart