Top Soccer

[stann]

Didn't know where to put this question, I suppose here is the best place for it.

Anyway, had a discussion with another foot reader this morning about Shoot magazine, during which I mentioned Top Soccer. He'd never heard of it, and a fairly cursory run through Google turned nothing up either, so now I'm beginning to think I dreamt it up.
Anyone else remember this?
A vaguely similar style magazine to Shoot, from the 80s, and maybe didn't last too many years? In fact I've just thought while typing this that Shoot may have taken it over after a while.

[Dodge]

Wouldn't been my time as a shoot (and Match and then 90 minutes) reader. Can't say I remember it, sorry

[OwlsFan]

While I've heard of SHOOT, I never heard of TOP SOCCER and it's not listed among the magazines here:
http://www.soccerbilia.co.uk/

[tiktok]

I have a vague recollection of 'Topps' Soccer Sticker Books during the 80s, I think Merlin/Panini took them over??

[stann]

No, nothing to do with stickers.

It was definitely a soccer magazine, more or less along similar lines to Shoot.
I think, on mature reflection, that it may have only been going a year or two before being taken over. The phrase that's now in my head is Shoot! (incorporating Top Soccer) which I think appeared on the Shoot front covers for quite a while afterwards.
Maybe if someone still has some old ones I might strike lucky.
Either that or it's time for the Zyprexa. :D
Again.

[Dodge]

I know this isn't helpful in the slightest but…

I seem to remember at least one of the football weeklys taking over another one early on and having the "incoporating" thing in the title

[stann]

I know this isn't helpful in the slightest but…

I seem to remember at least one of the football weeklys taking over another one early on and having the "incoporating" thing in the title

Far from it, Dodge, that might be a start. When was this?
I see on the web that Shoot incorporated Goal in the early to mid seventies, but if that's before your time then your 'incorporating' could well be my one too.

[tiktok]

Shoot! (incorporating Top Soccer)

That rings a bell.
Mid-80's?

[stann]

Yeah think so tiktok, would say somewhere amid the early- to mid-80s, between '82 and '86 maybe.

[tiktok]

Photographic evidence obtained, apologies for the quality!!!!!! :D
It existed in 1979 anyway

[stann]

Ah fair play to ya tiktok, excellent work! A weight off my mind, the loopy pills can go back in the bottle for another while! :D
Didn't think it went back that far but shows how easy it is to get the years wrong, it was quite a while ago I suppose. Probably the magazine ran for a good bit longer than I remember.
Think we're probably both on the right track in that the 'incorporation' and the subsequent couple of years of that phrase on the Shoot front page would have been in the 80s.

[EireBadBoy]

I have loads of copies of Shoot! and Match from 80's and 90's and no mention of Top Soccer. Raging though, was hoping I could help out.

[stann]

Thanks for having a look EireBadBoy, looks like it was just before that time.