Nostalgia of Soccer (Football) Magazines Project-Part 6

In my continuing collaborative series with @1888Letter, I will ask the Football (Soccer) magazine reading experiences of Argentine Nacho Dimari.

Name: Nacho Dimari

Twitter: @ElOleg

Personal Description: My name is Nacho Dimari (@ElOleg on Twitter & Instagram) 53 years old, I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I support River Plate (actual Copa Libertadores champions, beating in an historical final our derby side, Boca Jrs 3-1 in Madrid)

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: At what age did you become a Football fan and how long after did you start reading Football Magazines?

Response:  I became a football fan since I remember, thanks to my Dad (Jorge) who was supporter of River Plate. So I had no opportunity to choose a club, it was River since the day that I was born.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: What was the first Soccer (Football) magazine that you read as a new young fan of the game? (As far as Argentina, ‘El Grafico’ seems to be the must for its format and photos)

Response:  I remember reading football magazine El Gráfico, since I was 7/8 years old... Perhaps, regarding the pictures, at first, of course... My father bought El Gráfico every Monday night. And I was expecting him very anxious... So, that's it. El Gráfico was the first football magazine, for me.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Were there other local magazines that you also read?

Response:  At the time, there was also revista Goles too... Other football magazines from Argenta, were Revista Goles (weekly that later become monthly) and Sólo Fútbol (weekly magazine and a monthly too) that covered all the divisions from Primera A to Primera D, including lower divisions. In those times, I also read Revista River (magazine from the Club Atlético River Plate) & back in the 2000 there was a monthly magazine called Un Caño, with articles focusing on argentine football primary...

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Describe the general format of these particular magazines? What was your favorite section(s) of these said magazines?

Response:  Well, Revista Goles was very similar to El Gráfico... You've got not only football, but others sports, also. Sólo Fútbol was the first and only magazine to cover only football (that was the English translation)... covering all the divisions, with match sheets from 1st to lower divisions. I used to work there when I was a young journalist... Covering matches from lower divisions... I meet Osvaldo Piazza (libero from Saint Etienne golden years) as he was coaching Argentino de Quilmes, once... Sólo Fútbol was a great magazine. I was very sad when it stopped. Favorite Sections? In El Gráfico & Sólo Fútbol I used to read all the match sheets from every division. I also loved when they make some articles regarding European football, specially French one, as since 1980 I became a great fan of the League 1 thanks to the monthly Onze (later Onze-Mondial)

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Was the coverage of Football mainly local or was International Football news covered as well in a meaningful way?

Response:  All these magazines used to cover local football, but from time to time, European football was covered too. Specially, when argentine players used to play in the French or Spanish Leagues (like Kempes, Piazza, and Carlos Bianchi between others)

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: In general on a typical newsstand, how many choices were available for reading Football?

Response:  Choices back in the 70's/80's you use to find El Gráfico, Goles, and the magazines of different clubs, like River, Boca, Racing, Independiente, San Lorenzo, and others like Excursionistas (Primera División C).

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Do you remember foreign Football publications at your newsstands as well? If so did you read any?

Response:  More in the 80, I remember discovering international football magazines. Onze (it was love at first sight, can't denied that), Guerin Sportivo (huge fan) and when I used to live in Chile, I also used to buy Shoot! (British football weekly) All three of them, I used to buy... Onze, inducted me to international football, and to French language... Onze was the reason I finally studied french, and became fan of AS Saint Etienne and Michel Platini. Have a big collection, and the most important fact: I managed (years later) to publish 2 signed articles in a collaboration I made with Frédéric Hamelin (a journalist sent to Argentina in 1997). In the late 80's I found a place in Buenos Aires where I discovered France Football. That was another special moment of my life... It used to arrive 2 weeks later, but for me, it was good. Onze used to arrive 6 (yes, six!) months later... So imagine!

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: I will ask this from everyone, one of my best memories as a young football fan was the anticipation of the day when new issues were available on newsstands. It was a weekly ritual that would stay with me for decades. In your own words, can you explain your memories of these days?

Response:  I remember, when I was a boy, waiting all Monday nights to my father because I knew that he was carrying El Gráfico with him... Later, when I was younger, I was the one approaching the newsstands at 8 PM (that was the time the magazines arrived). That moment, seeing the owner of the newsstand cutting the rope with the pile of magazines, and developing the #PrimeraPlana or who was in the cover of El Gráfico. That moment was unique! Of the international magazines, I used to go to a special newsstand in the neighborhood of Belgrano to buy Onze and Guerin Sportivo. I enjoyed every magazine: Onze (excellent pics and articles from around the world), Guerin Sportivo tables/scores, France Football for tables/scores and all about French football, El Gráfico (I read it from the cover to the last page every week)...

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Did you enjoy your magazines for the scores/league tables, etc or did you prefer the writing? Or was there an evolution as when you aged you started to appreciate the deep written analysis more?

Response:  Of course deep written analysis was important.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: How has the quality of your favorite magazines changed (for better or worse over the years)?

Response:  El Gráfico was 1st. quality. But in the 2000's it stopped being weekly to become a monthly magazine. Focused on more atemporal articles. I preferred the weekly El Gráfico to the monthly one. Sadly, last year it stopped all their publications. The same occured to Goles, from weekly to monthly (late 80's) and then stopping all publications too. Sólo Fútbol was very sad, cause I used to work there and also, because it was the only magazine to focus not only in 1st division, but in the lower ones too.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Looking back what was the best era for your favorite magazines?

Response:  Best era: El Gráfico from 70's/80's was the best one I remember. Sólo Fútbol from start to finish... Onze the one in the 80's too... Then it fusioned with Mondial, I liked it at the begining... but I prefer the 80's by far.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: the daily newspapers play a big part in the coverage of the game. Can you compare these daily papers compared to a magazine like ‘El Grafico’?

Response:  In the middle 90's a newspaper called Olé was born. Focused on football for the most, but not well writting. Only a Saturday magazine that was called Mística and came with Olé. That was a good one. El Gráfico, used to edit a newspaper during the World Cup 98 in France, but it was discontinued later...

 Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Has your taste in magazines changed over the years or do you still read your favorite magazines?

Response: I still read my favorite magazines, but in PDF.... And it's not the same, for sure...

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Looking back, do you feel these magazines kept you sufficiently informed about the events of the game as a whole?

Response: These magazines not only kept me informed sufficiently about the events of the game, but they also gave me general knowledge... I used to know everything about France, and I never have the possibility of travel (hope will go one day, of course) Onze was so inspiring to me, that I decided to start taking French lessons. And as I told you before, I managed to publish a couple of articles. Seeing my name printed on that magazine, was one big moment. Guerin Sportivo, for example, gave me the possibility of read in Italian, even if I never took one single class of it...

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Did your interest in reading magazines wane with the advent of Internet and 24 Hour Sports Television channels or are you as interested as ever in reading?

Response: My interest in reading magazines is still in me... But nowadays it's difficult to find them in the newsstands, and the fact that I can find them in PDF helps to ease the pain, of course it's not the same.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Are there publications that have since been defunct that you miss?

Response: I miss El Gráfico (the weekly one), and Sólo Fútbol. I'll still buying them if they were still be printed.

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Getting back to my earlier question about anticipating the release of magazines. Given that now many receive their magazines on PDF, do you feel that a level of excitement has been lost as a result?

Response: The level of excitement it's not the same since they're in PDF. Not the same at all...

Soccernostalgia/@1888Letter Question: Once again thank you for taking the time in participating in this project.

Response: PS I also became a big collector of football shirts from around the world... @ElOleg in Instagram... I have more than 100 from different places...