Modestly subtitled ‘The World’s Greatest Soccer Weekly’, Goal launched on 16 August 1968, with a right posh do at the Savoy with dolly birds and everything…
Its distinctive covers, with a bright yellow title on a red background and circular photo design, owed a nod to pop art, and they’ve stood the test of time, still looking fresh and bold to this day.
Goal became a victim of its own success because exactly a year later, encouraged by decent sales, IPC introduced a second football weekly, entitled Shoot!
Although both went on to achieve healthy circulations of around 220,000 by 1971, Goal then went into decline, and its 296th and final issue came out two weeks before the start of the 1974 World Cup.
It was then ‘incorporated’ into Shoot! which was akin to having to sleep under your little brother’s bed. Oh, the indignity.
Why not treat yourself to one of these? Before you have to turn your attention to the gardening again…
They are all available on Amazon now… click the links below.
GOT, NOT GOT THE LOST WORLD OF FOOTBALL
LEEDS UNITED MANCHESTER UNITED WEST HAM UNITED
DERBY COUNTY MANCHESTER CITY WHAT A SHOT!
Got, Not Got 
What were the reasons for “Goal” having such a quick decline around 1973-74?