| Product: |
Match Magazine |
| Date: |
25/11/03 (1424 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Everything for the football mad teenager
Disadvantages: None
Skip this first bit to be able to read the review with capital letters intact. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a.
r>If you have the sheer luck to be living in a house inhabited by football crazed lunatics, particularly a 13 year old son, who is obsessed with football, be it English, International or Foreign, you tend to collect a vast array of football magazines and books.
My eldest son, who is now 16, started collecting Match magazine when he was about 10 years old, and Jack who is 13, is now following suit.
Match is published weekly and costs £1.50.
The front cover has Match written in bold red writing and lists some of the items and articles in that issue. The magazine is printed on good quality, thick, glossy paper, and expect to find at least 84 pages in each issue.
Inside the front cover there is a section called Kick Off, which serves as the contents page. Listings of the articles in that week?s magazine appear here, together with pictures of premiership heroes, mostly action shots, taken during a game.
There are many sections in the magazine:-
Planet Footy ? which reviews new kits available on the market. Of course this is a popular part of the magazine, and gives details of the prices and retailers.
Competitions can be entered in this section, and there are normally tickets to be won for the latest big match or football international. Also the latest footballing yearbook, or DVD can also be won, normally by answering a simple football related question, and sending the answer into the magazine.
Also within this section, are news of the latest transfer deals and also some amusing little sections such as The Five Ages of??. This is in the form of a cartoon strip, featuring a player, and will show pictures from the start of their career, to the present.
They have a section called ?A bit of Stick for? which will picture a football personality who has been in the headlines with an amusing caption. I am surprised the magazine has not been taken to task over some of the things they have printed h
ere, but if you are interested in football, you will find these most amusing.
Gossip Central lays bare all the latest rumours from the world of football and there is also a fans forum where a different question is asked each week and answers have to be sent in by text message. Results are printed the following week.
Footy Mad is a whole page devoted to pictures with witty captions, one of my favourites was Gordon Strachan with his jacket over his head ? the caption read ?Gordon Strachan realising he?s got ginger hair? On this page there is a competition each week to make up your own speech bubbles for the picture featured. No prize but you get your picture featured in the magazine the following week.
All in all, the Planet Footy section has a lot of hilarious stories and captions to stories.
Following the Planet Footy section, we move on to pictures of hunky footballers, and some not so aesthetically pleasing ones.
Each week, a page is devoted to a specific team with four of their players being pictured. The following page has one picture of a player from a different team. I still have a David Ginola picture from years ago when he was playing for Spurs on my bedroom door but his head has fallen off.
The next few pages are devoted to a different topic each week, this week it?s the Premiership run in with run downs of the team in the frame, and all their statistics. Last week it was European players, with their profiles.
The section ?Big Game Predictions? is exactly what it says. Each big game for the weekend is covered and Match give their prediction, with a box for you to put your own prediction. Jack fills this in religiously every week and is quite brassed off if he doesn?t get it right.
One of the great sections in my opinion is the ?Hot Stuff products? which profiles accessories, boots, or clothing new on the market. The section gives a review, together with details of the price, and contact
numbers of stockists.
The obligatory letters page is funny. Letter can be sent on any footballing topic, by letter or e-mail and Matchman normally puts some amusing anecdote or reply. Within this page there is a section where readers can send their rhymes that can be sung to the tune of footie anthems. Drawings of players can be sent in to the magazine and are printed if you?re lucky. Jack has tried once but is going to give it another shot as he?s been practising.
Also a text message section on this page where comments received via text are printed.
The puzzle page has crosswords, wordfits, matching games, anagrams, word searches and of course Spot the Ball. Games are just for fun, but Jack is obsessed with this page too and normally gets the answers correct.
The Matchfacts section lists teams and their statistics, player profiles, and each week has a team profile. This week is Liverpool and pie charts and bar graphs are displayed for goals scored per game, goals scored per five minute intervals, goals conceded per game, goals conceded per five minute intervals and how goals are conceded.
Within the Matchfacts section there is a listing of tables and results, and all games to be played the following week in the Premier League, Division 1, 2, 3, Nationwide Conference Table and the Scottish Leagues. There is also a ?Players with the most???? section, for fouls without a card, fouls awarded, fouls committed, minutes on the pitch, amongst others and each division has their top scorers listed.
Match also give away many free items with the magazine, such as small booklets, giving out various match facts, and also stationery, of course all football related.
If you?re a footy fanatic this is worth a read. We have boxes of the magazines now and Jack has already told me he is keeping them forever to show his grandchildren.
http://www.matchmag.co.uk/
Summary:
|
|
