Bauer Media will next week relaunch its youth-orientated football magazine Match! by introducing a string of new editorial features.
The weekly magazine, which is being revamped to coincide with the start of the new football season, is expanding beyond top clubs in the Premier League to provide greater coverage of the Football League and The Championship.
The new-look Match! will introduce a regular ‘My Week’ feature, where leading players will reveal what they get up to away from the pitch.
The magazine is also changing its front section by increasing the volume of news stories and interviews it carries and introducing comprehensive player-ratings for all 92 league clubs.
James Bandy, editor of Match!, told Press Gazette the magazine would refresh its design to make itself more of an ‘aspirational’product for its target readership of 12-year-old boys.
In addition, Bandy said the 68-page magazine will include a new 16-page weekly pullout which Match! intends to trial for six week as a cartoon booklet then look to develop.
Bandy said: ‘We wanted to move Match! on to make it the magazine for every football fan, be it the Premier League or Football League.
‘We wanted to hit home that we’re closer to the stars, and make it a more comprehensive and exciting read for our readers than ever before.
‘It’s important that Match! continues to stand out amongst the competition as the premium, go-to brand and that it remains fresh and exciting to its young audience.’
The new-look magazine hits the newsstand on 10 August, priced £1.99, with an in-depth guide to every Premiership team.
According to the most recent ABC figures, Match! sold 72,881 copies on average each week in the first six months of last year.
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