"I hope it inspires like it is intended to."

Aw Dan, I fear I have some bad news for you :(

(Excellent job on the LotR Brickheadz though!)

Would be interesting to see the original idea, as I have a feeling that would have been better...

Probably all with the best intentions, but it didn't work out that well this time. Looking at the other sets he worked on, I'd say this is his only real miss so far.

I love the Pinata and some of the brickheadz look cool. This set, not so much.

" It is designed that if you buy two, you have a whole pitch, a red team and a blue team (incl specific goalkeepers) and you can join the stands together to make one long function."

This describes perfectly how much Lego is out of touch with how much money normal families have available.

@sirventricle said:
""I hope it inspires like it is intended to."

Aw Dan, I fear I have some bad news for you :(

(Excellent job on the LotR Brickheadz though!)"

What’s the bad news? A bunch of jaded AFOLs on a Brickset comment section didn’t like the set?

Seems like from the store signing that Sam Kerr did in Australia that there were many young girls and women lining up to meet their hero and get their set signed. If at least one of those girls are inspired, I’d say that’s a win.

I feel really sorry for this guy.

After all, that set is right up there on the "most hated set of all time" scale with the likes of the Insult on Hoth, UCS Hulkbuster, Black Panther Bust, and Football Table.

To think that he honestly hopes to "inspire" with a set like that, or that the average customer would even think of buying several copies of an overpriced set. One can only shake one's head at how out of touch LEGO has become.

And even just from a design perspective, has he ever seen a real football pitch? What's with the weird pattern? No actual pitch looks like that. Or show me one artist with a lawnmower who manages to mow grass that way. (And I don't mean the alternating pattern in itself, but the weird irregularities that make the end result look like a jumbled mess.)

Best perhaps to quote @Huw 's review summary:

"A truly bizarre set that's neither fun to play with nor attractive to display".

Couldn't agree more.
Nuff said.

I guess Dan has never seen a real football pitch.

I don't wanna play the blame game bc I don't know who *really* decides what goes into these sets, as well as their pricing but…

"If you buy two…" is not it, chief. Not for a pyramid, and not for a football pitch.

Yin and Yang.
If we didn’t have a bit of rubbish occasionally, we wouldn’t appreciate the good half as much
;-)

Soon as I saw what set had been chosen, I knew the comments would be interesting... Considering his name, It's a shame Dan didn't work on the Up House.

@chrisaw said:
"What’s the bad news? A bunch of jaded AFOLs on a Brickset comment section didn’t like the set?

Seems like from the store signing that Sam Kerr did in Australia that there were many young girls and women lining up to meet their hero and get their set signed. If at least one of those girls are inspired, I’d say that’s a win. "
The problem with this reasoning is that every set Lego has ever made has likely inspired someone in some way. So basically you're saying every Lego set is a good set.

Also, a store signing by some famous person sounds like a great incentive to make people buy a set they might not really want otherwise. How well is this set selling (and thus inspiring people) without a Sam Kerr being there to sign it?

We Jaded AFOLs compare this set with other sets Lego has ever made, and many of us just don't like what we see here. We think Lego can do better than this. And I don't see what's wrong with that. Wouldn't you think it would get pretty boring here if we would all just praise every set Lego releases?

It's heartwarming to read that this set's design was inspired by the 2000s Sports sets. As someone who grew up in that era, that's nice to hear!

Even so, I'm afraid this just goes to show that for lego's current zealous quest to 1). Make a lego set of every IP under the sun and; 2). Try to make yet another new small 'generic' part for every specific problem they can't solve in their quest to 3). Make exact replicas of everything down to the last curve...

Some things are just far more costly to build with small parts than with prefab parts. The 2000s specialized football field parts and ball shooter minifig stands can't be replicated with regular parts without increasing the scale or removing a great deal of functionality. The result of this set is minifigs being placed on plates you just have to move to kick the ball. You know, instead of just using the minifigs. And not in its wildest design desicions did the 2000s ever think to produce such a parts-intensive and functionally complicated stand for the sole purpose of letting an army of minifigs do the wave.
And mind you, even with bonkers sets like 3430, 3538 and 3432 the over-built functions were at least about playability and were tied to the sport. Here? Not so much. Not to mention those were add-on sets you could choose to buy in addition to the main field, which is not the case here.

Not to mention that for all its cost the set isn't even a full field. Although in this case I kind of agree on that decision. All too often now we get giant collections of semi-small things as some of the many large sets, even though the components could make for small sets. So in this case I guess the set became more affordable by cutting it in half, which I will always appreciate.

I don't envy the designer here. In fact, more and more I feel designers might have it rougher than the previous decade, what with the enormous quantity of sets being produced, the increased scrutiny of the community, the gigantic part counts and set prices and the stiffling adherence to source material for what now feels like the majority of sets (what with all the licensed stuff). Getting a set like this as an assignment must have been tough.

So, let's hope it indeed inspires!

What a brilliant selection, and my biggest percentage of owned sets so far from a designer's BrickList (12 out of 18, soon to be 14 once I get the LotR Brickheadz).
Even the Spice Girls set is great, quite an irritating bunch at the time, but such an icon of the 90s!
And a special mention to the sunflowers, of which I have multiple copies.
Sadly, good as the football sets are, I do wonder if there's a huge intersection between Lego fans and football fans. Lego fans generally being quite intelligent and thoughtful, and football fans tending to be.... err.... em.... how can I put it politely....

The ability to build a "blue team" by drafting the blue-torsoed spectators from two sets is interesting.

I understand the collectors' frustration with the "buy two" model, but it actually seems like a good fit for children playing socially. Two kids each have their own copy to build and display in their own homes, but they can bring both when they get together and have a proper match.

That said, nobody is going to buy 8 copies just so they can have more bleachers.

@chrisaw said:
" @sirventricle said:
""I hope it inspires like it is intended to."

Aw Dan, I fear I have some bad news for you :(

(Excellent job on the LotR Brickheadz though!)"

What’s the bad news? A bunch of jaded AFOLs on a Brickset comment section didn’t like the set?

Seems like from the store signing that Sam Kerr did in Australia that there were many young girls and women lining up to meet their hero and get their set signed. If at least one of those girls are inspired, I’d say that’s a win. "

Inspired by the actual player, I suspect, aka the only reason to buy the set.

@BrickTeller said:
"The ability to build a "blue team" by drafting the blue-torsoed spectators from two sets is interesting."
It does at least explain why some spectators are wearing wrong shirts, which in real football would be quite a big no-no. If this was done intentional, smart move. Though it begs the question why they didn't split the named players over two teams in the first place.

As for the "buy two"-aspect, I can see that work with small, cheaper sets, up to €25 max or so. But €100 for a toy is a lot. And it's not like Lego doesn't offer any other nice sets in that price range....

And about that social aspect: I don't think many kids (or their parents...) like to get their Lego mixed up with someone else's collection. You bet some parts would disappear....

@chrisaw said:
" @sirventricle said:
""I hope it inspires like it is intended to."

Aw Dan, I fear I have some bad news for you :(

(Excellent job on the LotR Brickheadz though!)"

What’s the bad news? A bunch of jaded AFOLs on a Brickset comment section didn’t like the set?

Seems like from the store signing that Sam Kerr did in Australia that there were many young girls and women lining up to meet their hero and get their set signed. If at least one of those girls are inspired, I’d say that’s a win. "

Judging by the fact that it was on special offer weeks after launch shows that it had disappointing sales.

@MegaBlocks said:
" @chrisaw said:
" @sirventricle said:
""I hope it inspires like it is intended to."

Aw Dan, I fear I have some bad news for you :(

(Excellent job on the LotR Brickheadz though!)"

What’s the bad news? A bunch of jaded AFOLs on a Brickset comment section didn’t like the set?

Seems like from the store signing that Sam Kerr did in Australia that there were many young girls and women lining up to meet their hero and get their set signed. If at least one of those girls are inspired, I’d say that’s a win. "

Judging by the fact that it was on special offer weeks after launch shows that it had disappointing sales."
I just went through this designer's set list.
I've got three sets from that list. And all three were bought directly from LEGO for 40 to 50% off on clearance.
Seems like this designer had some bad luck when it came to which sets he got assigned to doing.
(I'm going to mention too that I only bought these sets for cheap parts since not one of them appealed to me from a design point of view.)

@sjr60 said:
"Sadly, good as the football sets are, I do wonder if there's a huge intersection between Lego fans and football fans. Lego fans generally being quite intelligent and thoughtful, and football fans tending to be.... err.... em.... how can I put it politely.... "

This intellectual shortcut doesn't seem super... thoughtful. :p

There are good and bad fans of everything, and LEGO is not different in that regard (with its fair share of toxicity sometimes witnessed on brickset). And there are a few sports fans among the Lego fan community, from kids to adults, so it does intersect.

The soccer set is just… weird. The choice of characters completely set aside- you put in the tribute to the old function… but without the function… and a weirdly proportioned kinda half field that even if you got two you couldn’t complete it. Then not having any form of netting… it just seems like a concept thrown together, and then not finished

Yeah sure, why not buy two at £90 each to make a full pitch. I think not. Why not design a full pitch to start with.

@AustinPowers said:
"And even just from a design perspective, has he ever seen a real football pitch? What's with the weird pattern? No actual pitch looks like that.
"

It resembles the sort of council pitch I used to play on on a Sunday morning. Patchy with varying length of grass and weeds. Just add a few brown tiles for the bald spots and a brown cup cake to represent the dog s**t near the corner flag and it would be spot on.

@IgelCampus said:
"" It is designed that if you buy two, you have a whole pitch, a red team and a blue team (incl specific goalkeepers) and you can join the stands together to make one long function.""

Who the heck wants to buy two of these?!? It’s obvious this was inspired by the original football/soccer sets but nostalgia doesn’t compensate for a lacking set that is overpriced.

Whilst obviously he'd never admit it, it looks like Lego needed a free designer to chuck something together as quick as possible and he landed it.

It didn't really matter how well it reflected real football as long as it was ready in time to catch the women's football bandwagon and be on the shelf during the World Cup.

I think a better idea would have been a collectable mini-figure set along the lines of the 2012 Olympic one, although the complete lack of actual real life kits or official logos would suggest licensing was never a option.

@AustinPowers said:
" I just went through this designer's set list.
I've got three sets from that list. And all three were bought directly from LEGO for 40 to 50% off on clearance.
Seems like this designer had some bad luck when it came to which sets he got assigned to doing.
(I'm going to mention too that I only bought these sets for cheap parts since not one of them appealed to me from a design point of view.)"

Yes, it's not a reflection on the designer, but the luck in assignment of tasks.

I've had it myself with stuff I've been assigned onto, knowing that it's not a good idea, but you have to get on and do your best anyway.

@Ridgeheart said:
"I am 100% convinced that not a single one of us would go to Lego Masters to throw bottles"
Unless it's at Will Arnett of course. Then it should be obligatory.

Considering Lego is one of the most popular toys in the world and football is one of the most popular sports in the world, I'd think the overlap will be pretty significant. Especially here in Europe.

Also, keep in mind that not all football fans are hooligans, and many fans actually hate those "mouth-breathing morons who don't have two braincells to rub together" (gotta remember that description!). I've been going to TOP Oss for over two decades (I guess that disqualifies me as a football fan?), there's a reason that there's only a handful of people for security for the two main grandstands, and a whole lot more for the smaller one behind the goal. Guess where all of the troublemakers flock together?

As for why they flock at football? Simple: the most popular sport, so by far the biggest crowds. You can become a checkers hooligan (Heideroosjes anyone?), but chances are you're rioting all alone. Without a group behind them. most hooligans are wussies.

@Ridgeheart
My reply was was deleted when I attempted to edit, so here's a quick version (because that's not worth delving too deep):

I did misinterpret the original comment as generalizing sports fans as mostly brutes. The fact that North American soccer fans are usually milder and that I don't follow that sport much might have influenced my perception, so that one's on me.

I still feel generalizing soccer fans as awful because of a vocal/violent portion while aggrandizing Lego fans as some kind of elevated intellectuals seems a bit pretentious, but it must be me assuming things and not the result of disingenuous comment.

@sjr60 said:
"And, of course, you're assuming what I was implying about football fans. I might have meant that they're more musical... or artistic..."

Sure. My bad then.

Poor Dan, so ambitious with this one but it ultimately didn’t pay off. Looking at their Bricklist, I think Dan’s talent lies the most in Brickheadz and other sets not designed for a large-scale and/or play features. I respect the effort and the intention behind this.

Keep at it, Dan. Even if one set might not hit the mark, you’ve still done plenty of fantastic work. Looking forward to whatever you design next!