Stubby

Six-year-old kid gets to play for the local league team, moves on to the Swedish side one game later, and scores a string of Roy of the Rovers goals in the World Cup qualifying games, usually after the opposition has gone ahead, culminating in the defeat of the USSR at Dynamo Stadium. But he gives it all up to learn how to read and write. As a fantasy, Stubby is reasonably engaging, if somewhat unimaginative; but as a satire on fame and exploitation, it's barely even sketchy. Writer/director Widerberg doesn't develop his ideas much beyond the comic strip stage. The film was shot on the fringes of the World Cup, and offers the novelty of various national sides taking on a six-year-old, except that it looks like action replay, because they have to slow down to make him look fast.