I agree mate...In my experience I've seen people wanting to play Subbuteo again, they've seen their old set from the 70/80's or on ebay and it's rekindled a fond memory and a renewed interest.I can't disagree with any of the above comments and ideally it would be best to play to the strict rules from the start. But Subbuteo is a game and its very easy to turn somebody off at an early stage.
They start playing with their kids or have mates round to play and have a few beers. This happens a lot from my experience.
It's when they want to play with 'others' that it seems to go wrong and they lose interest.
A simple game of Subbuteo with equipment and rules they are used to, turns into a very different beast. Different rules, different equipment etc,etc,etc.... It's at this point I've seen many people walk away from any lingering interest.
Which is a shame imo.
Many people still play Subbuteo in their homes...but when it comes to anything outside of that, the world of Subbuteo becomes a confusing mess.