We go back to the week before John Lennon died, as Ian Wallace and Peter Ward of reigning European Champions Nottingham Forest are the cover stars of Shoot, billed as “Forest’s Tiny Terrors”
As you open the magazine, four top flight stars – Vince Hilare, Joe Blyth, John Craggs and Brian Horton are interviewed on the title race, and they all expect Liverpool to win their 3rd successive title in 1981. They finished 5th as Aston Villa won the title. Winning the European Cup made up for it though.
It’s the Quarter-Finals of the League Cup, and Shoot predicts a last four line-up of Liverpool, Coventry, Spurs and Man City. Three out of four were right, with West Ham beating Spurs the only one they got wrong.
Clive Allen uses his column to comment that he has now played for eleven managers so far in his short career, headlined as “My team of managers”
Newly appointed QPR manager Terry Venables is interviewed, stating that he is wary of making too many changes.
In news, Tottenham Hotspur manager Keith Burkinshaw believes that Chris Hughton has made a mistake by choosing to play for Republic Of Ireland instead of England, while Blackpool manager Alan Ball expects Colin Morris of Blackpool to be a million pound player some day.
Cover stars Ian Wallace and Peter Ward get a feature, as their role at Nottingham Forest is changing football as the days of lumping it up to the big man are now over.
18 year old Paul Walsh gets a feature, being described “The most exciting Charlton player in 25 years”
Danny McGrain uses his column to comment on Scottish clubs all being out of Europe before Christmas, blaming it due to “inexperience”
In posters, there was a Newport County team poster, while Trevor Francis and David O’Leary are advertising Adidas and Mitre.
In adverts, Kevin Keegan is flogging Grundig radios, and the England squad are flogging Trebor Mints.
There is a full page profile of Bernd Schuster’s protracted move from Cologne to Barcelona, with a chronological diary of events.
Leicester City get a full page club profile.
Gary Mabbutt gets a profile after overcoming Diabetes to break into Bristol Rovers team.
Shoot asks four top flight players what foreign league they would like to play in if they were to leave England. Joe Jordan would like to play in West Germany (he would eventually play in Italy), Eric Gates wants to play in Spain, Peter Barnes believes Argentina would suit him, while Craig Johnston wants to play in West Germany, before returning to Australia.
Shoot does a double page spread on three youngsters looking to break into the Scotland squad in time for the 1982 World Cup – Charlie Nicholas (Celtic), John MacDonald (Rangers) and Jim Leighton (Aberdeen)
Talking of the 1982 World Cup, Gordon Cowans hopes to be in England’s squad for it, as well has having a title medal to his name with Aston Villa.
England are offered some advice from Southampton’s Yugoslav defender Ivan Golac, who says that England fans are too critical of their team.
The magazine ends with a profile of Arthur Albiston, who lists his favourite singers as Donna Summer and George Benson.