Frank Worthington is one of the cover stars, as Shoot looks forward to the British Championship, while looking back at he 1977-1978 season.
Shoot did a double page spread previewing all six games in the British Championship, accompanied by facts and figures of all the teams.
England, who didn’t qualify for that year’s World Cup, took the title, winning all three of their games.
In adverts, there was a full page advert for the following week’s edition, which had a free World Cup wallchart.
Ray Clemence uses his column to state that England are desperate to beat Wales, having suffered their first ever Wembley defeat to them in 1977.
England beat Wales 3-1 at Ninian Park in their opening game of the competition.
In news, a thousand fans signed a petition to the IFA for the lifetime bans from international football imposed on Bobby Campbell and Bertie McMinn, for an off-field incident at an underage tournament in 1975.
Bobby Campbell was a non appearing squad member at the 1982 World Cup, so obviously, the petition was successful.
17 year old Craig Johnston has broke into the Middlesbrough team, after borrowing £632 from his dad in order to get to England.
Coventry City are in danger of being known as “The Curly Kids”, with seven players all having perms.
Elton John got a full page feature. Yes, the nephew of 1959 FA Cup Final goalscorer Roy Dwight. In 1979, he was the chairman of Watford, just promoted from Division 4. As ever, he wanted a Number 1 – Watford to be in Division 1.
He was full of praise for the management team of Graham Taylor and Bertie Mee, and stated he was nervous watching games, even more than when he is on stage.
Elton had big plans for Watford, wanting to build a 30-40,000 capacity stadium, and a pitch with synthetic turf.
Elton was looking to other clubs for inspiration “I would like us to achieve the professionalism of Liverpool, the facilities of Aston Villa, and the organisation of Coventry”
There is a further double page spread on the Home Internationals, with a player from each side giving their thoughts ahead of the games.
Andy Gray uses his column to express his disappointment at only being a stand-by player for the World Cup, but he was hoping to make up for it by helping Scotland to a third successive Home Nations title.
Shoot does a double page spread on Birmingham’s two clubs, with new City manager Jim Smith hoping to wake up what he describes as “A sleeping giant”, while Ron Saunders blames injuries for Aston Villa’s failure to build on their 4th place finish and League Cup win in 1977.
There is a poster of John Greig’s Testimonial, where Rangers beat a Scotland XI 5-0.
Trevor Francis poses in an NFL uniform, as he is about to head off on a short-term loan to Detroit Express during the pre-season.
Little did he know it then, Francis would make English football history less than a year later with his next move.
In world news, Sepp Maier has signed an Amnesty International petition for the release of political prisoners in Argentina. Talking of Argentina, Alberto Tarantini is being paid by his country’s FA as he is without a club. That year, he signed for Birmingham City. Spain defender Jose Camacho was ruled out of the World cup through injury, while priests in West Germany have been sent a schedule of World Cup games, in order to avoid clashing services with matches.
Daniel Passarella gets a double page interview ahead of the World Cup. When asked about Peru, he said he wasn’t impressed with them. That didn’t come back to bite them, as Argentina beat Peru 6-0 in the 2nd Round group stage.
In adverts, you could get four World Cup posters (of the four groups) in Wimpy. All you had to do was buy a burger and milkshake.
Martin Peters gets a profile, where he states his favourite band is Bread, and he would most like to meet Miss Piggy.
Shoot dedicates a page to a new trend in football – perms, with a photo collage of footballers who have perms. Meanwhile, John Greig says fans have been telling that Rangers should replace Scotland in the World Cup, after they beat a Scotland XI 5-0 in his Testimonial.
Gordon Hill uses his column to state that, following his departure from Manchester United, if he didn’t rejoin his former United boss Tommy Docherty at Derby County, he would have gone to America to play.
To finish, getting people in the mood for the World Cup, is a double page spread on the club form of Scotland’s squad, as the tournament in Argentina approaches.
Analogue Boy In A Digital World 