What the press say:

Stuff Magazine wrote:
Get balddered! It's official, chess is the new football. First you have to fight your rival for control of the bladder from the centre-square. Then you must keep possession, pass it around the field and ultimately score that illusive goal. While you're planning tactical manoeuvres and positioning players, your opponent will no doubt be tackling and laming your pieces like mad, forcing them off the pitch and turning the battle into a five-a-side match. And for less than a match at Chelsea.
To see the review page please click here.

PS Magazine wrote:
Playtime is here! Do you know someone fascinated by football? This could be the ideal game for soccer-holics. Hours of family fun are guaranteed with this challenging strategy board game, Bladder. Based on the historical root of all football the object of this absorbing game is to capture the football-like bladder and force it into your opponent's goal while taking and tackling his pieces. A simple game to learn with long lasting appeal.
To see the review page please click here.

BBC Match of the Day wrote:
Bladdered: I'm just bursting to tell you about this new Bladder Game I got hold of the other day. I tell you what when it comes to game strategy I could show that Kasparov a thing or two. Bladder's a cross between football and chess and not recommended for the likes of Tony Adams - it's addictive.
To see the review page please click here.

New Woman wrote:
We reckon this fab board game should be called Football: The Root of All ruined Saturday Afternoons.
To see the review page please click here.

The Daily Star wrote:
Footie fellas may like the new table-top game Bladder. It's available from Hamleys or call 020 7490 5593 for your nearest stockist.
To see the review page please click here.

The Games Gazette wrote:
Bladder-the root of all football is a 2-player boardgame from Purkess Brittain Games created around the strategies of chess and the niceties of a combined English soccer and Games Workshop's BloodBowl. So much of Bladder points to an amusing comical game- the falvour text, the artwork, the squat little Bladderite villagers, the way the Bladder is carried, the "spot the ancestors" competition and the way the rules allow for players to be "lamed" and tackled. But underneath all of this frivolity lies a deeply thoughtful game. The board is an 8 x 8 square with the two central horizontal lines extended by one square (like ears) and the two end central squares criss-crossed as goals. In turns, starting with the dark side, players move their team pieces one square at a time in accordance to the rules (horizontally, diagonally and vertically forward - never backwards and never through, past, onto or over other pieces)…
To read the full review click here.

In the Candis Christmas issue they wrote:
Crazy name, crazy game. A hybrid variation of chess and football (two teams of players move across the board as with chess, but with a ball), this strategy game has consistently outsold all-comers all over Europe and has just been introduced to the UK. Better than the name would suggest.
To see the review page please click here.

The Evening Standard wrote:
If you do one thing… While David Beckham will never be the next Gary Kasparov, and Nigel Short, I fear is unlikely ever to achieve notoriety for his banana free-kicks, neither should despair: there is a game both can enjoy together- Bladder, named after the ancient medieval version of soccer, and nothing to do with Paul Gascoigne. Played on a chess style board the pieces compromise two teams of 14 ugly-mugged figurines with strange haircuts (imagine an England team made up entirely of Peter Beardsley's relatives). Like chess the pieces move in turn around the square board. Unlike chess, a ball- the Bladder is past between them. To pass it, your piece transfers it from his head to that of another player. Strategy is everything. Tackling involves surrounding an opponent's piece with your own team-members: to cripple a rival piece, you can 'lame' him (your opponent may wish to cry and/or throw a tantrum at this stage). You then attempt to transport the bladder to the goal. Simple but addictive. The drawback? No terrace chants, not even "who's the b****** in the white and/or black". Bladder costs £21.99 and is available from Hamleys (www.bladdergame.com).
To see the review page please click here.

Bizarre Magazine
"If you love football and chess then this should be your game of choice. Highly competitive as you plan your opponent's downfall. Fantastically brilliant!"
To see the review page please click here.

Fun & Games, David Pritchard
Bladder
From the title of this piece you might be forgiven for thinking that I'm about to embark on a dissertation on a genito-urinary tract. Not so: Bladder is a two-player boardgame themed on football.
To see the review page please click here.

Mike Siggins' 'Gamers Notebook' (About Olympia)
"When you come across an interesting game, with an enthusiastic designer and a decent marketing angle, you cheer up instantly and all is right with the world. This year the game was Bladder - and even if it is an abstract, it has that elusive instant appeal."

'Games Games Games' (G3 Buyer's Guide)
"To win you need to get the ball into your opponent's goal. The easiest way to accomplish this is by eliminating most of his men!" (ST) - 4/5 'stars'

"Clever chess variant with excellent pieces. The moves capture the feel of the medieval football theme well. Recommended." (CJ) - 4/5 'stars' (with pic)
To see the review from December 2000 please click here.