It's game over for Shoot magazine

I was saddened by Ian MacMillan's report in today's Guardian that IPC was axing Shoot, the children's football magazine.

I was an avid Shoot reader when I was growing up in the 1970s. I remember vividly reading Shoot's story about Bill Shankly's resignation as Liverpool manager in 1974 under the heading 'Thanks, Shanks!'. That same issue had a free 'league ladder', with cardboard tags for every English league club. Readers could move the tabs to reflect the clubs' fortunes in the new season. In the early days of that season, I duly placed the tab representing Carlisle United at the pinnacle of English football before reality intervened and the border club were relegated from division one.

My other favourite magazines were Look In, Look and Learn and Cricket & Co. The latter was a lavishly produced magazine with a more literary approach, with poems and short stories. Sadly it succumbed after just a few months. Its fate seemed to set a pattern - too many of my favourite magazines have disappeared, including more recently On Your Bike, Cycling Today and Digital Video Techniques!

Comments

[Charlie Brett]

Aaah, the days of Shoot magazine, I remember them well.

Your League Ladders anecdote reminds me of when the Daily Echo, Southampton's evening paper, placed Southampton just about the relegation at the expense of Sheffield United, on the basis of alphabetical order. The Echo, apparently, had a convenient policy of referring to them as "Saints" at all times!! Thankfully SFC didn't rely on this come the end of the season as I'm not sure the League would have agreed!

[Rob]

Charlie
Great to hear from you. I was thinking of your Saints 2003 FA Cup Final diary when Cardiff made this year's final.
Rob

[Andrew Wake]

I can still vividly remember the free pop out cardboard Magpie studio that came with the first two editions of Look In. It's long gone now but I do still have my Kung Fu medallion which must have been from the mid Seventies. Ah, Grasshopper!