RETAIL toy buyers from across the globe are keen to sign up a Dorchester man’s board game.

Businessman Michael Nottley’s football management game Title Chase is set to go into the big league after making its debut at the London Toy Fair.

Games giant Toys R Us plans to stock the game, which is endorsed by Manchester United, in its 73 UK stores. It should be on the website from March.

Michael, 36, said the international fair at the London Olympia was a worthwhile experience.

“We’ve already got a good online presence but we went to the toy fair because we want interest from the retail buyers.

“There’s nothing similar out there in terms of a board game – there are football trivia games like Trivial Pursuit, but nothing in terms of being able to be a football manager.”

The biggest challenge ahead, Michael said, will be keeping up sales between now and the summer.

“We want our product to be in stores by August for when the Christmas market gets back into full swing.”

Next Level Games was set up by Michael in 2004 when he decided to combine his love of football and board games.

The original version of the game was snapped up by online retailers in 2005 and went on to become one of the top 20 best selling board games on Play.com in 2006.

Manchester United became involved last year and requested their own version of the game.

The box cover and contents were designed by Tom Hensman from Dorchester firm AJA Design Ltd.

Michael said: “A lot of the retail buyers and shop owners commented at the show that they really liked the design of the game and said it was colourful with a good use of images.”

Other top clubs are now being courted by Michael’s two-man Dorchester company and he plans to develop an American football or rugby version of the game. Buyers from as far afield as Egypt, Japan, India and Eastern Europe dropped by Michael’s stall to see the game.

“People said they hadn’t seen anything like it before,” he said.

The main delivery of games to the UK from China will take place in March. A limited number of Title Chase Manchester United games are available from www.nextlevelgames.co.uk