MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 19.8.1989

It’s the kick-off of the 1989-1990 season, and Shoot’s famous League Ladders poster, which came free with this edition, is the cover image.

The magazine opens with Bryan Robson’s column, where is confident that Manchester United can win the title, and believes his side are ready to show their credentials against reigning champions Arsenal on the opening day of the season.

He also touches on the World Cup in Italy, coming up at the end of the season, predicting that it will be won by a European team and that England aren’t far off.

Shoot itself gets a feature. The reason for the trumpet blowing? Shoot had just celebrated it’s 20th anniversary.

Real Madrid have signed a young player, but in tragic circumstances, symbolically signing one year old Sergio Cunningham, after the death of his dad, former Real Madrid player Lawrie Cunningham.

Terry Butcher showed off his drumming skills in Stirling recently for the band Tonto. Shoot describes Butcher as a self confessed head banger who lists Iron Maiden as his favourite band.

Theo Snelders tells Shoot of his determination to get back into the Holland squad after being controversially dropped after the manager said he was too scared to play against Germany.

John Fashanu has just joined Shoot and uses his debut column to put an end to rumours that he wants to leave Wimbledon.

In posters, you can get one of new Everton signing Norman Whiteside, while Gazza advertises Brooks boots.

Graham Roberts uses his column to reveal the reason why he left Rangers to join Chelsea – a dressing room falling out with manager Graeme Souness.

In news, The Football League is negotiating for the use of Wembley Stadium for the Play-Off Finals.

John Robertson tells Shoot that he is glad to have rejoined Hearts from Newcastle United, believing it will be a boost to his chances of going to the World Cup if Scotland qualify.

Shoot isn’t the only one celebrating a milestone birthday, Match of the Day turns 25 and gets a full page feature.

Jimmy Greaves predicts how he things the league table will look in 1990, predicting Liverpool to take the title back from Arsenal, with Charlton, Luton and Southampton getting relegated.

Jan Molby gets a full page interview, telling Shoot he is desperate to become a regular starter for Liverpool again, and win back his place in Denmark’s squad.

Kevin Gallacher gets a double page profile, where he reveals Deacon Blue are one of his favourite bands, and met Ricky Ross at a concert for Paul Sturrock’s testimonial, and that Ross was more nervoud of meeting Dundee united players than they were of meeting him.

There is a full page feature on Gerry Francis, who is remaining loyal to Bristol Rovers despite financial troubles at the club, but warns they won’t have any success in the future unless they get a new stadium, with the club playing at Twerton Park in Bath.

Ray Wilkins has just rejoined Rangers, and has hit back at suggestions that English players who join the Ibrox club (Wilkins was the 13th to do so under Graeme Souness) are jeopardising their international career.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 11.4.1992

Teddy Sheringham is the cover star of an edition of Shoot edited by John Fashanu, looking forward to the League Cup Final between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, with United represented on the cover with an inset photo of Mark Hughes.

Curiously, Sheringham and Hughes were on opposing sides in the League Cup Final a decade later, with Hughes being on the winning side in both games.

Gordon Strachan hits back at critics of the quality of English football by listing six players that are top quality – Roy Keane, David Hirst, Carlton Palmer, Alan Shearer, Rob Jones and Andy Sinton, revealing that Ron Atkinson was looking at signing Jones when he was United manager.

John Fashanu gets a double page feature where he guest edits Shoot.

In letters, one reader thinks it is time for Tim Flowers to be given a chance for England.

In international news, it’s all about departures, or possible departures, with Hugo Sanchez possibly leaving Real Madrid, Darko Pancev leaving Red Star Belgrade for Inter Milan and Sven Goran Eriksson leaving Benfica for Sampdoria.

Shoot dedicates 8 pages to the League Cup Final with interviews with Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, Nigel Clough and Andy Marriott. Guest editor John Fashanu gives his verdict, a victory for Nottingham Forest. Manchester United won 1-0.

Middlesbrough defender Alan Kernaghan is interviewed, wanting promotion to the top flight and a Northern Ireland cap in 1992, while revealing that he most famous person outside of football he has met was his late uncle, Jackie Wright, Benny Hill’s sidekick.

The magazine ends with a double page spread on Gerry Creaney, dubbed “Scottish football’s new Golden Boy”

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 24.5.1986

Bryan Robson, in action for England, is the cover star as the 1986 World Cup gets closer.

The magazine opens with rumoured tansfer activity by the Old Firm, with Rangers wanting to sign Richard Gough (he would eventually sign in 1987, after a year at Tottenham Hotspur) from Dundee United and Andy Goram (It took until 1991, from Hibs, for him to join) while Celtic want to sign Stevie Clarke from St Mirren. That is ex Chelsea player and West Brom manager Steve Clarke.

Another Scottish player potentially on the move is John Robertson of Hearts, who has been attracting attention from Tottenham Hotspur.

With the World Cup getting closer, there is a double page spread previewing Poland’s chances.

Canada also get a preview. UK fans will get a glimpse of them before the tournament as they play England in a friendly at a 16,000 capacity venue, due to England manager Bobby Robson insisting that the game be played on grass, and not artificial grass that is used in Canada’s bigger stadiums.

Bryan Robson uses his column to argue the case for England as World Cup winners, giving a brief profile of the 22 players tasked with taking the trophy home from Mexico.

Swindon Town won the 4th division, and this gets a double page spread, with manager Lou Macari giving most of the credit to defender Colin Calderwood.

Also promoted and getting a double page spread were Norwich City.

In World Cup news, Socrates was left out of Brazil’s friendly against East Germany, while West Germany manager Franz Beckenbauer says this World Cup has come too soon for his team, but they have a great chance of winning the trophy in 1990.

The centre page poster is of AC Milan’s English duo of Ray Wilkins and Mark Hateley, settling in in Italy, complete with family portraits. Former Motherwell player Tom Hately wasn’t pictured, because he wasn’t born until 1989.

Charlie Nicholas uses his column to discuss the vacant manager’s position at Arsenal, suggesting that his preference is Alex Ferguson or Billy McNeill.

John Fashanu gets a full page profile, described as “articulate TV and radio star who listens to Dire Straits and Phil Collins”. His biggest ambition is to appear on The Cosby Show. Fashanu would be going to the World Cup in Mexico as a pundit for Nigerian TV. Fashanu describes himself as “Mean and nasty”

The magazine goes green for a few pages, with features on Northern Ireland and Plymouth Argyle.

There was an advert for the following week’s edition, which had a World Cup wallchart.

It was a World Cup that Trevor Francis won’t be playing. He tells Shoot of his disappointment of not being selected for England, and that he’s not planning on leaving Italy, where he is currently based.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : MATCH – 30.7.1994

Lee Sharpe is the cover star, having just been signed as a columnist by Match.

This edition, came with a free wallchart ……. and Team Tabs.

Sharpe’s team-mate Mark Hughes is the subject of a competition, where one lucky reader could win a VHS of ‘Hughesie : The Mark Hughes Story’

Le Sharpe’s column gets a double page spread, which begins with him talking about his holidays, a week in Portugal with his girlfriend, then a week in Crete with 16 (SIXTEEN) of his mates.

He also speaks about Pre-Season, and who would be United’s biggest challengers in 94/95. He said that Blackburn would be United’s biggest challengers that season, and so it proved, with Blackburn winning the league.

He also addresses transfer speculation, stating that he has signed a five year deal with United, so “I’m not leaving any time soon”

He was sold to Leeds in 1996.

In news, Ian Wright has signed a new contract at Arsenal, worth a whopping 7,000 pounds a week, Coventry wanted to sign Alexi Lalas, and Leeds want to sign Thomas Skuhravy.

Bryan Robson, newly appointed Player-Manager at Middlesbrough is a poster, as is Dean Saunders, in full page form.

Meanwhile, John Fashanu is interviewed saying he wants to help, as a middleman, African players get moves to English clubs. Awooga.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 5.9.1992

Ipswich Town, promoted to England’s top flight for the first time since 1986, are the cover stars of Shoot, having made a good start to the season.

Lee Sharpe, hoping for a return to form after missing most of 91/92 through injury, is the subject of a Q and A, mostly covering his absence from the first team, stating that he wished to be ready for action in November.

Meanwhile, Michael Laudrup of Barcelona is advertising Patrick boots. The small print states that his brother Brian also wears Patrick boots.

After a disappointing Euro 92, Shoot assembles an expert panel to decide what England’s first choice team should be. This panel featured : Jimmy Greaves, Geoff Hurst. Kenny Sansom, Trevor Brooking. And John Fashanu.

Due to a printing error, a picture of Rob Jones appeared where Ian Wright should have been in their line-up

Turning over, Ian Wright appears in a double paged advert for Nike, with him on the right, and the left being taken up by red test saying ‘GARY WHO?’, a reference to Gary Lineker’s departure from English football.

Meanwhile, for most of Europe (some countries who failed to qualify for Euro 92, including Wales and Northern Ireland, began during the 91/92 season), the qualification campaign for the 1994 was about to start, and Shoot combines England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland games into a double page spread.

Flags, are not their strong point. Northern Ireland have the St Patrick’s Saltire, Latvia have a Soviet Latvia flag (outdated since 1990), Wales have no Dragon in their flag, and Faroe Islands have a Czechoslovia (also in the group, but played under the name of RCS during 1993) flag next to them.

England were playing Spain that week, in an international friendly, their World Cup campaign not starting until October 1992.

Ominously, England’s preview begins with a quote from Doug Ellis warning Graham Taylor that the next two years were going to be tough for him.

The reason for this was due to the number of games played by top flight English clubs, but that they were hoping to reduce the Premier League to 20 clubs within three years (The Premier League was reduced to 20 clubs for the 95/96 season)

Ellis said that Taylor’s ambition was for England’s top flight to be 18 clubs. That has yet to happen.

Shoot dedicated a page to readers letters on the recent ‘Back Pass Rule’, none of which had any sympathy for goalkeepers, now unable to pick up backpasses.

Ipswich Town were visited by Shoot to appear in a ‘Superstars’ type feature, trying to see tho has the Hardest Shot, Longest Throw, and longest Keeper’s Throw.

Neil Thompson (Hardest Shot, Longest Throw) and Craig Forrest (Keeper’s Throw) were the early leaders in the early stages of this competition.

Both players have an interesting Old Trafford connection. Both played in the Ipswich team which lost 9-0 at Old Trafford in 1995, while Thompson (Barnsley, 7-0 in 1997) and Forrest (West Ham United, 7-1 in 2000) both suffered large defeats with future employers.

Nigel Worthington is given a page to predict the results on six games over the weekend, of games involving his former clubs, and those games being televised.

Leeds United travelled to Old Trafford for Sky’s Super Sunday in a battle between the previous season’s top two, with neither side making a good start to 92/93. Worthington said it was close to call, but that Leeds were a slightly better team because they had Eric Cantona.

Little did we know happen then, that Eric Cantona would be playing at Old Trafford as a home player in just three months time.

Worthing predicted a 2-1 win for Leeds. It finished 2-0 to Manchester United.

That weekend, Football Italia launched on Channel 4, with (Des Walker’s) Sampdoria taking on (Gazza’s) Lazio. Worthington wasn’t convinced.

“I’m not sure about the introduction of televised football from Italy, and i’d rather watch Arsenal v Liverpool. I think people will soon realise that the English League is still the best”

During the 90s, Italian clubs won 3 European Cups (5 Runners-Up), 3 European Cup Winners Cups (1 Runner-Up) and 7 UEFA Cups (6 Runners-Up)

Meanwhile, Les Ferdinand gets a profile, answering questions, his favourite band are The Whispers.

A full page is given to a competition, that all the cool kids want, a VIP Day Out at Hearts ………. and a complete Hearts kit and tracksuit. All you had to do was answer three easy questions.

Over the page is another competition, which was probably a bit better, a Juventus shirt signed by David Platt, at the bottom of a double page spread where David Platt previews the forthcoming Serie A season.

Jean Pierre Papin gets a double page spread, having just joined AC Milan from Marseille.

Unfortunately, the move wasn’t as successful as people had predicted.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 8.8.1992

It’s the summer of 1992, and English football is a week away from a brand new era.

On the inside cover is a poster of young Nottingham Forest star Roy Keane, as the new ‘Super League’ is formed, as Shoot states “Disregard for the paying public has reached an all time low with the formation of a Super League, introduction of all seater stadiums, and the Sky TV deal” as Shoot declares it will become a voice for the fans over the coming years.

Shoot dedicates a double page spread to Ian Wright and Paul Merson, the strike partnership of recently dethroned champions Arsenal.

In their European round-up, Ajax striker Ron Willems says he wants to play in England. Shoot claims that both Manchester United and Everton are interested in him.

In 1996, he eventually made it to English football, with Derby County.

The European round-up has a section called ‘Brits Abroad’, focusing on Bobby Robson (Sporting Lisbon), Paul Gascoigne (Lazio), Des Walker (Sampdoria) and David Platt (Juventus) as they were settling in to new clubs on the continent.

Alan Shearer’s British record transfer from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers is brought up on Jimmy Greaves Letters Page, as a reader suggested the move was motivated by money.

Greaves acknowledges that Blackburn have a better team than Southampton, but “He ain’t going to be winning the title at Blackburn”

John Fashanu is the subject of a Q and A, where he modestly states that he is good enough to play for Liverpool or Manchester United, but adds that he might not be able to persue other interests outside the game.

One of those interests was listed simply as ‘filming’ which we now know as Gladiators.

There’s an advert for the following week’s edition ……… possibly the favourite and best selling edition of Shoot each year …….. the one with the Team Tabs, for a historic season, the first of English football’s breakaway Premier League.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 21.12.1991

It’s Christmas 1991, and as bizarre covers go, this is up there, as Michaela Strachan is dressed as Cinderella, accompanied by John Fashanu and Vinnie Jones dressed as ugly sisters.

Let’s face it, if there was a role that suited John Fashanu and Vinnie Jones, it was that of panto villains.

The reason for this, was that Strachan was appearing in panto at a theatre in Wimbledon, so Shoot arranged for ‘The Fash’ and ‘Vinnie’ to do a photoshoot with her.

Strachan gets to the ball (a football, of course) after her feet fits into one of Fashanu’s football boots.

Modest as ever, Fashanu declares that he is good enough to play for reigning champions Arsenal, but that he wouldn’t be keen to play under George Graham’s style of management.

All you had to do to find more laughs, as Andy Townsend declares that he is good enough to play in Siere A. 18 months later, Townsend did leave Chelsea, but not for Italy ………….. to Aston Villa.

Townsend did make a valid point asking why so few British players are prepared to move to Mainland Europe, pointing out the struggles of Chris Waddle to get picked for England while playing for France.

The draw for the 1994 World Cup Qualifiers had just taken place, and Shoot covers this.

“England look to have been given a trouble free passage to the 1994 World Cup Finals” says the feature on England’s draw. Oh dear.

There is and end of year review, with a collage of all the front covers in 1991.

Stuart Pearce is subject of a player profile. The best ever Christmas present he received was a signed photo of the Marx Brothers. Something to bear in mind in case you’re buying a Christmas present in the future.

His ideal Christmas Number One was ‘No More Heroes’ by The Stranglers (Brilliant song, not my favourite Stranglers song, but still a brilliant song)

If he had to meet one person, it would be Hugh Cornwell, to ask him why he left the band. After one meeting with Stuart Pearce, I would imagine Hugh Cornwell would be quickly rejoining The Stranglers.

There is an advert for the following week’s edition, which comes with a free wallchart for the 1991-1992 FA and Scottish Cups.

Meanwhile, it was announced that England and Portugal were the only applicants to host Euro 96. It was also announced that the deadline for bids was put back, seemingly to allow Holland and Austria to apply. A footnote to this story was that England were favourites to host Euro 96, which could be the first European Championship to have 16 teams.

As it turned out, England hosted Euro 96, while Holland (co-hosts), Portugal and Austria (co-hosts) all hosted the next three European Championships after that.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : 90 MINUTES – 20th AUGUST 1994

This edition of The Magazine Archive focuses on the short lived weekly magazine ’90 Minutes’

Owned by IPC, who own Shoot and World Soccer, it did seem strange that they would add a third publication to their repotoire.

Ryan Giggs adorns the cover with the main feature not of him, but of how winning the double isn’t enough for Manchester United.

The editor’s note comes courtesy of the magazine’s editor Paul Hawksbee, who now presents an afternoon show on Talksport.

The lead story that week was Billy Bonds shock departure as West Ham United manager on the eve of the new season starting.

The topical cartoon in the news section is frankly disturbing.

Aston Villa had just signed John Fashanu, who was combining his football career with presenting Gladiators. In the cartoon, Fashanu is in manager Ron Atkinson’s office, when Atkinson asks him for a favour, which turns out to be Ron Atkinson becoming a Gladiator.

In other news, Nottingham Forest manager Frank Clark has urged star striker Stan Collymore to “Settle down and find the love of a good woman”

I’m not going to make a comment on that.

With or without the love of a good woman, Collymore was Britain’s most expensive footballer 12 months later after a £8.5m transfer to Liverpool.

The much hypes article on Manchester United explains that United’s share price rises when they win and falls when they lose. Hardly earthshattering revelations.

Meanwhile, ’90 Minutes Live’ is an opinion piece where fans are interviewed on an issue outside a ground.

Supporters were interviewed outside Ibrox prior to a pre-season tournament involving Rangers, Sampdoria, Manchester United and Newcastle United about a possible British Super League.

Jamie McDonald, a 15 year old Celtic supporter helpfully informs us “I don’t like English football or English people – or Scottish people”

Match Of The Day, celebrting it’s 30th birthday that week, gets a double page spread in it’s honour looking back at it’s illustrious history.

With the Premier League season about to start, 90 Minutes predicted the league places for the season ahead.

They said Arsenal would be Champions, how wrong they were.

It did turn out to be an eventful season for Arsenal, with Paul Merson revealing drug addiction, George Graham being sacked for taking a bung, and on the pitch, they reached the European Cup Winners Cup final.

Eventual champions Blackburn Rovers were predicted to finish 4th.

Aston Villa were predicted to finish 6th and spent most of the season battling against relegation, while Nottingham Forest were predicted to finish 12th, but ended up 3rd.

They were spot on with the prediction of Ipswich Town to finish 22nd, which they did, including a 9-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

In their foreign round-up, David Ginola featured prominently, unhappy that the PSG board vetoed a move to AC Milan. A year later, he ended up at Newcastle United. Tough break.

Towards the end is possibly the worst competition prize ever, as you can Richard Keys Sky Sports jacket, which aaccompanies a piece where the former TV-AM presenter is given a makeover.

If you can remember Sky’s coverage of the early years of the Premier League, it was clear he needed one.