A month ago Football West launched their first edition of Beyond 90 a new e-magazine; A great initiative, which was launched with a bumper 20 page edition.
As we say it is a great initiative, but by producing a newsletter in this format all of the stories in the publication are not traceable with a word search on the internet, which seems rather short-sighted, and a missed opportunity.
To start with 20 pages is a big ask, as now if they slip below that level it will be perceived that the publication is struggling – having managed three magazines in the past I am well aware of perceptions.
This was the first edition and so it would be unfair to judge it too harshly, but the target market needs to be worked out and the magazine tailored to that readership, and the content will probably need to carry more substance if they are to keep that readership.
Case in point being the Perth Glory Review that was published at the start of March, this is a planned feature for the April issue; too much time has passed for this to be of any great interest unless something new has been revealed.
Another concern is the planned story on past McInerney Ford Gold Medal winner David Micevski now playing in Indonesia. As it says on the Football West website, “In the upcoming issue we have a feature story on a few WA players playing in the new rebel league in Indonesia.”
Yes, it is a rebel league, unsanctioned by the Indonesian Football federation and unsanctioned by FIFA, and unless it does get sanctioned all of the players in the league could face long international bans. Is it therefore appropriate that the game’s governing body here in Western Australia should in fact be indirectly endorsing and promoting such a league and players risking their careers to play in it?
As we said a good idea from which hopefully something great will grow, but at present needing a little more thought and experience in putting it together.
