A newspaper has used Subbuteo figures and pitches to illustrate a football match report to get around a ban imposed on photographers.
The Swindon Advertiser used pieces from the tabletop football game to accompany its report of Swindon Town's 3-0 victory over Southampton in the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
"As Swindon thumped the Johnstone's Paint Trophy holders 3-0 on their own patch to progress to the second round of the competition, we were left unable to print images of the match unless we paid Southampton for their own copies," explained reporter Anthony Marshall.
"But, along with almost every paper - regional and national - across the country, we boycotted that idea and decided to come up with something original and innovative instead."
He added: "That was where Subbuteo came in. Several members of the sports desk raided their parents' attics and came up with quite a collection of items from the childhood game.
"And after a quick paint-job we were able to go back to our youths and recreate the key moments from Town's drubbing of the Saints."
Coming soon, to a newspaper near you:
Spoiler:
