| Alejandro Finisterre | |
| Birth Name: | Alejandro Campos Ramírez |
| Birth Date: | 1919 5, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Fisterra, Galicia, Spain |
| Death Place: | Zamora, Castile and León, Spain |
| Other Names: | Alexandre de Fisterra |
| Known For: | Inventor of the futbolín, a Spanish variant of table football |
Alejandro Finisterre or Alexandre de Fisterra (born Alejandro Campos Ramírez;[1] 6 May 1919 – 9 February 2007) is known as the inventor of futbolín, a Spanish variant of table football (aka foosball). He was also a poet, publisher and anarchist.[2] [3] [4] [5]
He was born Alejandro Campos Ramírez in 1919 to the radio-telegraphist at the lighthouse in Fisterra. He was injured when Franco's fascist forces bombed Madrid in November 1936 and had the idea for a football game while in Barcelona recovering.[6] While convalescing in Montserrat, Barcelona he realized that he and his fellow wounded Republicans would never play football again and he had the idea for the table game.[7] He patented his invention in Barcelona in 1937 and he also patented a foot-pedal that lets musicians turn the pages of their scores.[8]