MAGAZINE ARCHIVE: WORLD SOCCER – MARCH 1986

UEFA Cup holders Real Madrid are the cover image of this edition of World Soccer, after turning around a 5-1 first leg defect against Borussia Moenchengladbach to go through on away goals.

All three European competitions are at the Quarter-Final stage, with the pairing of Barcelona and Juventus in the European Cup denying people what World Soccer described as the “dream final”

There is a stat filled preview of all 12 games, with a full page profile of Finnish shock European Cup Quarter Finalists Kuusysi Lathi.

There is a double page profile of the African Nations Cup, with World Soccer observing that Morocco and Algeria could be distracted by the summer’s World Cup in Mexico.

Ahead of the World Cup, there are double page previews of Spain, Denmark, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium and Soviet Union.

Brian Glanville uses his column to review Steve Perryman’s autobiography.

In Italy, there is another scandal in the boardroom, this tine at Vicenza.

In Poland, Dariusz Dziekanowski is hailed as the new star of Polish football, while in Spain, Javier Clemente has just been sacked bu Athletic Bilbao.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : WORLD SOCCER – NOVEMBER 2003

This week, we go back to November 2003, a month when Juan Sebastian Veron of Chelsea was the cover star of World Soccer.

Brian Glanville’s column focuses on the “loutish” Behaviour of Arsenal players in their recent match against Manchester United, described as a “contrast” to the behaviour of their manager.

Wenger is also the subject of another columnist, who compares him to Eric Cantona, due to his “underachievement” in European competition.

In Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid’s duopoly at the top of the table is being threatened by Valencia and Deportivo La Coruna.

In Italy, the death of a Napoli fan outside an away ground has created fears that hooliganism is returning to Italian football.

Hooliganism is a theme of this issue, with violence taking place at matches in Argentina.

Staying in Argentina, Juan Sebastian Veron gets a two page profile, after winning over Argentina fans after being a symbol for the national team’s failure at the previous year’s World Cup.

Arsene Wenger gets interviewed, he’s quite prominent in this issue, and talks about Arsenal’s proposed new stadium at Ashburton Grove.

Euro 2004 countdown has a profile of Bulgaria, their first tournament since the 1998 World Cup, and Czech Republic.

There is a look at the bids to host the 2010 World Cup, which will be held in Africa, with Libya, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia hoping to host it.

Holland have been forced to make do with a play-off place in Euro 2004 Qualifying, and with turmoil in the camp, there is serious concern they could miss out on a second successive tournament after missing out on the 2002 World Cup.

In Scotland, the big transfer news is that Fabrizio Ravanelli has signed for Dundee.

Eric Abidal gets profiled after being set to become to first Lille player to play for France since 1979.

There is a review of the Euro 2004 qualifiers, with eleven out of the sixteen teams confirmed, and previewing the play-offs which will determine the other five qualifiers.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : WORLD SOCCER – JULY 1973

Action from a recent international between England and Scotland is the cover image of World Soccer during the summer of 1973.

The editorial focuses on discipline, with Alan Ball getting an indefinite ban from international football after a red card in Poland, debating if players in English club football should be allowed to appeal a red card.

England’s end of season tour gets reviews – a World Cup Qualifier in Poland (defeat) and friendlies in Soviet Union (win) and Italy (defeat), which have provided more questions than answers.

In Czechoslovakia, Spartak Trnava’s title bid as back on track after some disappointing results.

East Germany’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cuop in West Germany are now relying on their qualifier against Romania later in the year.

In Yugoslavia, Red Star Belgrade have stormed through to take the title.

Going back to Germany, this time to West Germany, it is reported that manager Helmut Schon faces a tough task to add the World Cup in 1974 to the European Championship, after a run of disappointing results.

Meanwhile in France, it is reported that the future of football in the country is described as “healthy”

Despite winning a third successive European Cup, all is not well at Ajax, with Spanish clubs eyeing up their stars. One of those clubs is Barcelona, who blew the title in the run-in, finishing second to Atletio Madrid.

Sunderland’s recent shock FA Cup win, beating the two previous winners en route, has instigated a debate if the difference in standard between England’s first and second tiers is as large as is made out.

In Wales, it is expected that their away game in Poland will decide if they have a chance of going to next year’s World Cup, while Cardiff City are hoping to arrange a special friendly to commemorate the opening of their £250,000 grandstand extension.

There is article on Dave Clements, who has recently emerged as Northern Ireland’s star player.

There is a tribute to John Connelly, a World Cup winner in 1966, who has just retired.

In Spain, clubs are now allowed to play two foreign players, with the writer describing it as a “black day” for Spanish football, as it will attract money grabbing mercenaries rather than improving the standard of Spanish football.

There is a review of the European Cup Final, which focuses more on Juventus poor performance than Ajax’s win.

Juventus were not involved in this season’s Anglo-Italian Cup, with Brian Glanville spending two pages writing about why the competition should be scrapped.

There is a review of the final weeks of the Irish League season, where Glentoran beat Linfield 3-2 in the Irish Cup Final, despite losing goalkeeper Alan Patterson to injury.

There is also a focus on World Cup Qualifying, with the big headline in Europe being the elimination of Hungary.

Scotland’s hopes of reaching West Germany will decided in their crunch encounter against Czechoslovakia in September.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : WORLD SOCCER – JULY 1986

This week, we look back at World Soccer reviewing the 1986 World Cup, which bizarrely has the group game between Brazil and Spain as it’s cover image.

After a double page spread of the final, FIFA President Joao Havelange gets a page to write his review of Mexico 86, and looks forward to Italia 90.

World Soccer continues it’s World Cup review by giving double page spreads to each group, before moving on to the knockout stages.

There was also a full list of all the squads.

Brian Glanville uses his column to comment that Glenn Hoddle is just the latest skillful English footballer in history to be denied the chance to show of his skills for the national team because of tactics.

Meanwhile, in Romania, European Champions Steaua Bucharest are running away with the league title.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : WORLD SOCCER – NOVEMBER 1998

An expensively assembled team in Sky Blue are featured on the cover of this edition of World Soccer, but it’s not Manchester City, it’s Lazio.

In Jersey, there is an experiment taking place where a referee can move a free-kick forward ten yards if a defending player shows dissent or engages in unsporting behaviour.

In this edition, World Soccer has an article on satellite channels and receivers that can pick up football from around the world. One of those clubs you could watch, is Anderlecht, who get a page feature about their recent downturn in form.

Drugs were a major issue this month, with rumours of failed tests in Serie A being covered up, and one journalist suggesting that referees should be subject to random testing like players.

There is an article based on a quote from Ray Clemence that there are too many foreign goalkeepers in England, looking at the shotstoppers of the twenty Premier League clubs, noting that the two most promising English prospects, Steve Simonsen and Richard Wright, are playing outside the top flight.

Lazio get a four page profile, having spent £70m to try and win the Serie A title. They did manage it in 2000, but not since. One of those player in the expensively assembled sky blue outfit ……. was Roberto Mancini.

Two of those pages are used for an interview with Christian Vieri, who left Lazio the following summer in a big money move, becoming the world’s most expensive player when he signed for Inter Milan.

German football is in crisis with the departure of Berti Vogts as national team manager, and the DFB being rebuffed, for various reasons, in their attempts to appoint Otto Rehhagel, Christoph Daum, Jupp Heynckes, Franz Beckenbauer, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Roy Hodgson and Paul Breitner, before eventually settling on Erich Ribbeck.

Davor Suker, top scorer at the summer’s World Cup gets a double page profile, while Croatia’s Euro 2000 Qualifying opponents, Yugoslavia, get a double page spread.

It’s not just Germany who had a change in manager, the departure of Spain manager Javier Clemente after a 3-2 defeat to Cyprus in their opening Euro 2000 Qualifier got a double page spread. He was immediately replaced by Jose Antonia Camacho.

Across the border in France, Vikash Dhorasoo gets a full page feature, as the most exciting prospect in French football.

Back in Germany, Keir Radnedge reports on the success of the two Munich clubs, currently first and second in the Bundesliga.

In England, Aston Villa are top with an almost all English team (Mark Bosnich from Australia being the only foreigner in their regular starting eleven) and have money to spend following the sale of Dwight Yorke. World Soccer suggest that money could be used to bid on another English player, Andy Cole of Manchester United.

A former manager of Cole, George Graham, has new employment, as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, a move that has divided the club’s fans, given his long association with Arsenal.

In Scotland, Marco Negri is in dispute with Rangers, with manager Dick Advocaat accusing him of lying to the media about his transfer situation.

Northern Ireland’s news is dominated by the resurgence of Linfield and Glentoran, looking to win their first title in 5 and 7 years respectively, but already pulling away from the chasing pack at the top of the table.

Also in dispute with their club like Marco Negri, was future Rangers players Frank and Ronald De Boer, who want to leave for Barcelona.

Bruce Grobbelaar made a comeback of sorts, playing for Zimbabwe at the age of 41, as well as being part of their coaching staff.

Brian Glanville uses his column to question Alex Ferguson’s record in the European Cup and World Cup, in the aftermath of a TV documentary where he referred to Paul Ince as “A big time charlie”

Glanville also uses his column to question the wisdom of those who want Terry Venables to return as England manager following England’s poor start to Euro 2000 qualification.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : WORLD SOCCER – JUNE 1986

World Cup preview edition complete with a free colour picture of the England team. Though not of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The front cover features the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City, the venue of the final, and images of Graeme Souness, Bryan Robson and Sammy McIlroy, who captained Scotland, England and Northern Ireland at the finals.

The editorial focuses on Kenny Dalglish’s regret that he was injured and unable to play in the 1986 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Valery Lobanovsky was dramatically appointed manager of the Soviet Union after the previous manager was sacked after a run of bad results.

Lobanovsky led the Soviets to the Second Round in Mexico, and then to the final of Euro 88.

Having twice won the European Cup Winners Cup with Dynamo Kiev, he led them to the Semi-Finals of the European Cup in 1999, before his death in 2002.

Dynamo Kiev’s stadium has since been renamed in his honour.

Diego Maradona was interviewed and named England as his dream opponents should Argentina reach the final.

They had to make do with a Quarter-Final meeting of course.

The referees get a full page profile. Northern Ireland’s Alan Snoddy lists his fluent languages as English, he worked as a Bank Clerk and that his hobbies included Golf (and dreaming about giving penalties against Linfield and sending Linfield players off)

Due to print deadlines, the squads were announced after the publication date, so they had to guess the squads.

Northern Ireland’s squad includes Martin Caughey of Linfield, which was clearly a typo as the writer seems to have got Mark Caughey and Martin McGaughey mixed up.

George Dunlop, also of Linfield was also listed. He failed to make the final cut. Bizarrely, Bury’s Philip Hughes doesn’t have a date of birth listed.

Jim Platt of Coleraine was also in the Northern Ireland squad

The only other Irish League player at the 1986 World Cup was not in the Northern Ireland squad, but Canada, Terry Moore of Glentoran.

The European Cup final gets a double page spread, which is quite impressive for a 0-0 draw.

To set the scene for English readers, it begins by imagining an unknown Eastern European team has beaten Manchester United in the European Cup final at Wembley, which was strange considering United hadn’t won the league in 19 years at this point.

Brian Glanville’s column is very pessimistic about England, Scotland and Northern Ireland’s World Cup chances claiming that Bobby Robson isn’t the man to lead England, and suggests that if Billy Bingham was England’s manager they would do much better.

Alex Ferguson, despite winning a European trophy with Aberdeen “has done nothing yet at international level to convince me of his qualities” despite the fact he’d only been Scotland manager for less than a year.

Glanville also responds to criticism of the 1986 World Cup being held in Mexico (and maintains that the 1970 tournament shopuldn’t have been held there either) and that the kick-off times had “Been prostituted for television”

Could be an accurate description of English football in 2011.