FOURFOURTWO (Four Four Two)

Member Name: C_Padd

Product:	Four Four Two
Date:	22/03/02 (507 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good read, Lots of features

Disadvantages: Bit expensive

You may have noticed that I do like my football just a little bit. Ok, that is a bit of an understatement I love the game and I am obsessed. I love Exeter City through all the things they have put me through, when I am not playing or watching it then I can read about it.

There are many sources of information and media things around these days. The newspapers have all the news, gossip and reports daily, television seems to be showing several games a day though ITV Sport has gone downhill and of course the Internet. The Internet has threatened to kill off all competition offering live news and all at the touch of the button. Still that has not totally happened and they all live on. Magazines still exist, and FourFourTwo has to be the best around for football nowadays.

FourFourTwo has been around for some time, though a relative new addition of only a couple of years does not have the huge history of some publications. It is a more educated and older perspective on football than the younger Match or Shoot audience could offer. It joins Match of the Day, World Soccer and other major while bulkier and more words. FourFourTwo looks more in depth analysis, opinions, comments and long features. It all makes for great reading, good length and great quality.

Each month in FourFourTwo there are a variety of features and lots of main articles along with a lot of regular sections. There are three or so long articles that study onto one area or player. This is usually done as an interview and then a background story behind the whole article. These are hardly sensationalist and not done to expose anything, but are usually interesting and always well done. The player has to have some sort of story or be something hot at present. It makes for good reading and a good sense of reading behind the game.

The regulars are also as good. There are several regular columnists all writing about issues in the game today. These are not that good,
the writing is not top quality and they never get too controversial to start that hot a argument. Still pretty topical and worth a look. Readers get a chance to send in their letters to talk about just anything and these are good for a debate and an interesting viewpoint. Prizes are on offer for the best letter and FourFourTwo runs several competitions with prizes ranging from football boots to trips to see games in Europe. There is also a good part where people send in their own ways of being a manager for their favourite team, which is usually funny. There are reviews here for all sorts of football related things, from games, books, kit and others. Useful if you are considering parting with some cash. News both serious and the funnier side of football are written about in here, as well as a comprehensive result round up from all games across Europe.

FourFourTwo is a good quality magazine, both in terms of writing and the overall quality. It is a glossy magazine, and the printing is very good. There are lots of pictures and these are really good. Full action shots and lots of general football pictures FourFourTwo does manage to capture some of the real emotions of the game in shots. Unfortunately there is a lot of advertising in FourFourTwo. It is all sorts of sports related goods and products so is at least good for the subject area. The number is not as bad as some magazines, though it is there.

The one complaint I could make about FourFourTwo is the way they feature only the big clubs. Maybe in fairness this is what sells the magazines as people are not interested in Rotherham or Bury but the top side like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all get more press than smaller sides. The price is not great either. A bit on the pricey side at over £3 an issue monthly. There is a lot of reading, but also a lot of advertising. You can save for the yearly subscription for £29 and there is usually some special offer or free gift to acc
ompany this. Back orders for issues can also be done, though some of the classics have sold out. Good though for what you get.

Put simply this is the best football magazine that I have seen and is the only one that I would consider buying regularly. Great read, lots of articles and content and overall excellent.

Summary: