Electric Football Timeline 1979 – Even Tudor Goes Electronic

The Toy World Goes Electronic Tudor was still selling Electric Football games and teams…and at this point, they were the only company making Electric Football. But 120 new electronic games were set to debut at Toy Fair. And by the … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1978 – Sold Out For Tudor

An Electric Football Sell Out Tudor was riding high into 1978. They completely sold out their Super Bowl line in previous year, and were going to earned their first Sears Excellence Award since 1974. Part of the reason for that … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1977 – A Tudor Resurgence

A Tudor Resurgence in 1977 After a surprisingly successful 1976, and with competition in the Electric Football marketplace essentially non-existent, Norman Sas consolidated Tudor’s line for 1977. There would only be three games, with the top model being the Super … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1976 – Toy World Goes Electronic

America’s Bicentennial Year The American Bicentennial year started with Coleco launching its Telstar home video game console at Toy Fair. In addition, 1976 started with Munro Games on the way to bankruptcy (July). So neither company was overly concerned about … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1975 – More Toy World Turmoil

Munro Games Is In Trouble Munro Games overextended itself in both Electric Football and table hockey in the early 1970s. So by 1975 the company is in deep financial trouble. Desperately trying to make a go in Air Hockey while … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1974 – A Year of Change

 Oil Crisis Hits the Economy The oil crisis hit the U.S. at the end of 1973. This sent the U.S. economy into free fall and the toy business into turmoil, with toy shortages during the 1973 Christmas season. The toy … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1973 Pt. II – Coleco and Christmas

Too Much Electric Football Part 2 Coleco was also starting to downsize and economize, making smaller Electric Football games and games with more plastic in them – i.e. cheaper games. They were even making several Electric Football models that didn’t … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1973 Pt. I – Too Much EF

Too Much Electric Football Almost 40 different Electric Football games were available in 1972. That was a much different number from a decade earlier, when Tudor and Gotham combined for a grand total of four different models in 1962. And … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1972 Pt. II – Tudor, Coleco, and Gotham

A Battle For Toy Buyers With four different companies making Electric Football games, catalog space and toy store shelf space was becoming scarce. The problem was so serious that by summer there would only be three Electric Football makers left, … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1972 Part I – Munro Games Lights Up

Munro Lights Up Electric Football Munro Games was the one making Electric Football headlines at the 1972 Toy Fair. The company showed up with something that had never been seen before in Electric Football. An Electric Football game with working … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1971 Pt. II – Tudor and Gotham

1971 Part II Tudor and Gotham Tudor continued to bring out new models in 1971, including a College game. Once again they supplied Sears with a Super Bowl, and Ward with a special model. But in Sears they had to … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1971 Pt. 1 – Munro Steps onto the Field

Coleco Command Control Coleco continues to push the competition in Electric Football by bringing “Command Control” to Toy Fair. Command Control consists of two metal rods under the game offering magnetic control of one player on each team. Kids playing … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1970 Pt. 1 – Coleco Steps onto the Field

A New Competitor in Coleco   Tudor’s success with Electric Football enticed a third toy maker onto the vibrating gridiron in 1970. That company was Coleco, who was no stranger to the sports toy market thanks to their successful line … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1969 – Tudor Makes a Super Bowl

Twenty years after creating Electric Football, Tudor secured the game’s status as an all-time “Featured Toy.” They did it with their new Sears-exclusive Super Bowl model, a game that recreated in miniature the most important game in professional football history. … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1968 – An AFL Game

The AFL Gets Electric Football Respect Tudor expanded their Electric Football line to include an Official AFL game in 1968. The AFL No. 520 model came with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets, with the Jets being … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1967 – Tudor Takes the NFL

Tudor Takes the NFL License Electric Football’s place in American culture changed forever in 1967. The year is a dividing line for how the game is viewed, with the event dividing the pre-1967 and post-1967 periods being Tudor unseating Gotham … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1966 – Tudor’s Accordion Game

Tudor’s Answer to the Big Bowl Tudor and Ward took on the Big Bowl challenge. Lee Payne got to work and designed a bowl-like grandstand for a special Ward-exclusive Electric Football game. The game was the 1966 Sports Classic “accordion” … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1965 – Gotham’s Big Bowl

The Gotham Big Bowl  Gotham and Sears unveil the most extravagant Electric Football game ever made – the Gotham NFL Big Bowl. The game has an elaborate double-deck grandstand that stretches 2/3 of the way around the playing field. And … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1964 – Here Comes the Fab 5

The Fab 5 Norman Sas was a Toy Manufacturers Association vice president in 1964. And that year Tudor redesigned their legendary No. 500 model and also their 3-D Electric Football players. The No. 500 became more colorful game, including a … Continue reading

Electric Football Timeline 1963 – A Size War Erupts

Tudor and Gotham War of Words Tudor’s new Sculpt-Action players are so successful that Gotham “borrows” from Tudor and makes their own 3-D Electric Football players. The two companies have a public “War of Words” in the toy trade publication … Continue reading