| "The Soccamatic" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Release date | 2002 |
| Running time | 1 minute and 52 seconds |
| Previous episode | "The Snoozatron" |
The Soccamatic is a short film in the Cracking Contraptions series. The film features the invention of the Soccamatic, a device that shoots footballs into the goal.
Plot[]
Wallace and Gromit head to the local football field for a bit of practice, with Wallace playing the field and Gromit playing the goalie. Wallace takes shots while shouting out the names of famous footballers from Preston North End and other teams. Realizing how skillful Gromit is at blocking shots, Wallace activates his Soccamatic - a machine that repeatedly launches balls towards the goal, previously owned by Preston North End in 1938 (The year the contraption was made even on the machine). Gromit ducks as the balls fly past. The machine runs out of balls, but Wallace reloads it via an overhead mechanism that dumps the balls in. Meanwhile, Gromit has pulled on his gloves and pilot gear. Pulling a cord, he inflates his goalkeeper vest and gloves. This completely blocks the goal, enabling the balls to bounce off and promptly Wallace suggests playing tennis instead. After the credits, Wallace in the end hits a ball onto Gromit's inflated vest, attempting to burst it, but instead it did nothing and Wallace yells, "15-love!".
Trivia[]
- Throughout the whole episode, music from A Grand Day Out is used, albeit being low-pitched.
- The number, "1938" on the Soccamatic's plate is also a reference to the last year that Preston North End Football Club had won the FA Cup Final, which was against Huddersfield Town A.F.C. at the old Wembley Stadium, London on the 30th April 1938.
- Every time Wallace attempted to score a goal, he shouts the names of some of the well-known British football players:
- Nobby Stiles - Played in Midfield position for Manchester United F.C., first as a youth player from 1957 to 1960 and then as a senior player until 1971, before playing for Middlesborough F.C. from 1971 to 1973, and then finally playing for Preston North End from 1973 to 1975. It was during his career with Manchester United that Stiles had also played for the England National Football Team from 1965 to 1970 during which, he played in the 1966 World Cup Final.
- After retiring from playing, Stiles took over as manager of Preston North End from 1977 to 1981, before taking over as manager of the Canadian football club, Vancouver Whitecaps from 1981 to 1984, and then finally taking over as manager of West Bromwich Albion F.C. from 1985 to 1986.
- Tom Finney - Played in Midfield and Centre positions for Preston North End from 1946 to 1960, before playing for the Canadian football club, Toronto City F.C. from 1962 to 1963, and then finally playing for the Northern Irish football club, Lisburn Distillery F.C. in 1963. During his career with Preston North End, Finney had played for the England National Football Team from 1946 to 1958 in which he also played for the secondary England National Football B Team in 1948.
- Geoff Hurst - Played in Striker position for West Ham United F.C., first as a youth player from 1957 to 1959, in which, he began playing at senior level in 1958 until 1972, before playing for Stoke City F.C. from 1972. During his career with Stoke City, Hurst was briefly loaned out to the South African football club, Cape Town City F.C. in 1973, before playing for West Bromwich Albion F.C. from 1975 to 1976. After leaving West Bromwich Albion, Hurst began playing for both the Irish football club, Cork Celtic F.C. and the American football (soccer) club, Seattle Sounders F.C. in 1976, before returning to the United Kingdom and playing for Telford United F.C. from 1976 to 1979. During his career with West Ham, Geoff Hurst had played for the England Youth National Team in 1959, before playing for the England Under 23 National Team and then later both the English Football League XI and the England National Football Club from 1966 to 1972, in which he played in the 1966 World Cup Final with Nobby Stiles and scored the winning goal that prompted the famous quote from BBC commentator, Kenneth Wolstenholme, "They thinks it's all over, it is now".
- During his career of playing with Telford United, Hurst took over as manager until he retired from playing in 1979, before taking over as manager of Chelsea F.C. from 1979 to 1981 and then finally taking over as manager of the Kuwaiti football club, the Kuwait S.C. from 1982 to 1984.
- Bill Shankly - Played in Midfield position, first as a youth player for Cronberry Eglinton F.C. from 1931 to 1932, and then playing as a senior player, first for Carlisle United F.C. from 1932 to 1933, and then Preston North End from 1933 to 1949. During his career with Preston North End, Shankly had also played for the Scotland National Football Team from 1938 to 1939.
- After retiring as a player, Shankly took over as manager for Carlisle United from 1949 to 1951, before becoming manager of Grimsby Town F.C. from 1951 to 1954 and then later becoming manager of Workington A.F.C. from 1954 to 1955. After leaving Workington A.F.C., Shankly became manager of Huddersfield Town from 1956 to 1959, and then later as manager of Liverpool F.C. from 1959 to 1974.
- Tom "Pongo" Waring - Played in Centre Forward position for the Tranmere Rovers F.C. first from 1926 to 1928, and then again from 1936 to 1938 before playing for Aston Villa F.C. from 1928 to 1935, and then playing for Barnsley F.C. from 1935 to 1936, before playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. briefly in 1936, (before his return to Tranmere Rovers), and then briefly playing for Accrington Stanley in 1938 and then later playing for Bath City F.C. from 1938 to 1939 before playing for Ellesmere Port Town F.C., Graysons F.C., Birkenhead Docks F.C,, and Harrowby F.C. in 1939, and then later playing for New Brighton A.F.C. from 1939 to 1940, before returning to Ellesmere Port Town after the Second World War in 1946. It was during his career with Aston Villa, Waring had played for the England National Football Team from 1931 to 1932.
- Stanley Matthews - Played in the Forward position for Stoke City first as a youth player from 1930 to 1932, then as a senior player until 1947. After leaving Stoke City, Matthews played for Blackpool F.C. from 1947 to 1961, before being loaned briefly to Toronto City in 1961 and then returned to Stoke City from 1961 to 1965, before being loaned back out to Toronto City in 1965. Before playing for Stoke City as a youth player, Matthews played briefly for the England Schoolboys Football Team in 1929. During his first stint with Stoke City and his career with Blackpool, Matthews played for both the English Football League XI from 1934 to 1956 and the England National Football Team until 1957 and then the United Kingdom National Football Team from 1947 to 1955.
- After returning from Canada in July 1965 Matthews retired from playing and became joint manager of Stoke City's rival team, Port Vale F.C. along with his friend, former Scottish football player, John "Jackie" Mudie. Following Mudie's resignation, Matthews took over as a full manager from 1967 until he resigned in 1968. In 1975, Matthews travelled to South Africa and despite South Africa's Apartheid laws, established an all-black football team in Soweto known as "Stan's Men".
- Nobby Stiles - Played in Midfield position for Manchester United F.C., first as a youth player from 1957 to 1960 and then as a senior player until 1971, before playing for Middlesborough F.C. from 1971 to 1973, and then finally playing for Preston North End from 1973 to 1975. It was during his career with Manchester United that Stiles had also played for the England National Football Team from 1965 to 1970 during which, he played in the 1966 World Cup Final.
Video[]
Gallery[]
The Soccamatic's model as owned by the National Football Museum in Manchester
Trivia[]
- Due to the references made about British footballers, we can assume that the events of A Grand Day Out and succeeding pictures happened sometime around or after 1947.