Using the FourFourTwo team’s expertise, Goal! is a mix of interviews, amazing facts, insight, humour, quizzes and posters. Edited by FourFourTwo’s global editor-in-chief, David Hall, the 64-page magazine is targeted at seven to 11-year-olds.
Andy Jackson, FourFourTwo’s global brand director, said: “After months of planning we couldn't be happier with the pilot issue of Goal! We've delivered on our objective: to create a different kind of football magazine for young fans that challenges the traditional print executions in this category.
“Goal! sits naturally and comfortably alongside FourFourTwo, sharing the common core values of access, insight, passion and humour re-imagined for a younger audience. We aimed to create a magazine that young fans would enjoy, that showed respect for them as fans and didn't dumb down the game and the players they love. Plus, we wanted a magazine that their parents were happy with them reading.
“The early response has been overwhelmingly positive from all areas – most importantly from the young fans and players who've been part of our early sampling activities."
Alastair Lewis, Group Director of Haymarket Consumer Media, said: “Innovation and new launches in print are a rare commodity these days. I am delighted to see FourFourTwo develop what we hope will be an exciting new addition to the portfolio and this pilot issue underlines our commitment to high quality research and analysis of our core markets to develop new products and services that delight and serve our audiences, on whichever platforms they expect to find us. Our digital, global, growth on FourFourTwo has been immense in the last two years and we hope that GOAL! will help to bring through the next generation of discerning football fans.”
The pilot issue is bagged free with the January edition of FourFourTwo magazine (on sale now) as well as being distributed via Cafe Football’s sites at Westfield Stratford (London), Old Trafford and the National Football Museum (both Manchester) throughout December. Hundreds of copies have also been distributed to schools and football clubs to help gather feedback for forthcoming issues, say the publishers.
