GOAL! Football magazine!

[alanultron5]

Anyone collect `GOAL!` the late 60s-early 70s rival to `SHOOT` Goal began in August 1968 and was aimed at the slightly older reader than `Shoot`. It gave very good coverage to just about every aspect of soccer-including the politics of the time regarding the FA, League and players representation! There was a weekly column by Bobby Charlton from first issue to 1973. Rather Anodyne I felt and possibly `ghost` written.
A bonus was the magazine printed the league tables each week so you could follow your team. Leeds won the 1968/9 season only losing two (away) games in the 42 matches played!!!

Al;so from the 1970-71 season Goal began running every match result of all UK teams bar Scottish div 2. And-the results of UK teams in the various Europe competitions! There was also the `Texaco` cup, Watneys cup and Anglo/Italian competition (Remember them?)

Also- a mild bit of glamour in the "Girl Behind the Man" photo page of Footballers wifes! Nothing naughty-all good taste!

Sadly-in June 1974 Goal was incorporated into Shoot -that was it!

[stevezodiac]

I have a nice run of Goal and Shoot magazines. I love football from the late 60s early 70s. I also collect the Football League Review a small magazine that was included in most football programmes at the time.

[alanultron5]

That's great Steve! I did have shoot and well recall in one of Alan Ball's columns (He Billy Bremner and Bobby Moore all had columns there-ghost written I reckon) Ball had been criticized by readers for the `V` sign he made to Scottish supporters in a Home championship tournament. He profusely apologized!!

With Goal, I loved following the league tables. The 1971-72 season had an incredible finish! Derby 58 points, Leeds, Liverpool and Man City all 57 points at the end!!

[DavidKW]

I flicked through a pile of Goal recently on a market stall - wasn't tempted to buy due to budget restrictions.

They did capture very well the feel and how football was in a much more interesting era for football.

I have read and collected quite a lot of Football League Review - was tempted to sell some on but decided not to as always a good read.

Brilliantly captures the time well - of Esso Football coins, Texaco Cup, Bell's whiskey manager of the month (George Petchey of Orient FC piked one up!), heavier football shirts and Park Drive cigarettes with lots of flavour!

Bobby Robson saying "small clubs can be big too" (ie Ipswich) when football was a level playing field.

[stevezodiac]

George Petchey was Millwall's manager as well.

[alanultron5]

The real highlight is the finish to the 1971-72 season! With one week to go before the last official Saturday fixtures; four clubs could win! On that Saturday, Manchester City beat 2-0 Derby to leapfrog them to 1st place on 57 points (This was when 2 points was for a win) but had played their full 42 matches . Liverpool were second on 56 points with two matches left to play! Derby were still on 56 points and one to play! Leeds were on 55 points with two to play!

Man City could not stay top as Derby and Liverpool had to play each other on Derby's ground and both had better goal average (It was Goal Average back then) And whatever the result- one of them would head City!

On the midweek games Derby beat Liverpool 1-0 (Liverpools First defeat in 15 games0 To go top on 58 points all matches played! Leeds then beat Chelsea at Elland Road 2-0.

Derby were top 58 points (all matches played) Leeds second on 57 points with one to play! Man City third 57 points all games played. Liverpool third on 56 points with one to play. Leeds final game was at Wolves-and their goal average was by far best of all! Just a draw for them would do! Liverpool needed to win at Arsenal and hope Leeds lose as Liverpools goal av was better than Derby's but inferior to Leeds. We all know what happened next don't we??

[Digifiend]

Well, that's a situation that wouldn't be allowed to happen now. They don't even move games to later slots for TV on the final day. It's a 3pm KO for all.

[alanultron5]

Yes! That was a very rare event in that the Cup Final `Wasn't` the final match of the season! Leeds had to play at Wolves 48 hours after winning the FA cup and FA Boss Alan Hardaker insisted on it!! (It later emerged that he loathed Don Revie-Leeds Manager) I was at the match (I Live in Wolverhampton) and the Wolves played very well- but Leeds should have had a penalty as we all saw Wolves player handle the ball in front of goal- it was that clear!! Ref didn't seem to- and there y-go!

Liverpool had what would be today a perfectly good goal disallowed five minutes from time as back then there was no `Is player interfering with play` rule to allow it! Mind you, if Leeds had drawn at Wolves a win at Arsenal for Liverpool would have not done it for them as Leeds Derby and Liverpool would have all been level 58 points and Leeds had by far best goal average!

Best finish of a season ever and `GOAL` magazine covered it well!