A Visual History of First Touch Magazine
First Touch soccer magazine has been publishing for over 30 years and is officially the longest-running independent soccer publication in the United States. In fact, First Touch was preaching soccer to the unconverted before MLS existed, before bald men in blazers showed an interest, and long before corporations like NBC got in on the act. In fact, First Touch was being distributed in dank NYC basement bars at a time when you could actually be deported for showing an interest in soccer in the United States.
First Touch Magazine Covers 2019-20 Season
The print edition of First Touch soccer magazine was launched way back in 1995 at the legendary McCormack’s Pub in New York City, which was the only bar in Manhattan showing live soccer at the time (one EPL game a week via a huge satellite dish on the roof). Ten black & white copies were printed on an office photocopier, stapled, and handed out to some grateful regulars at a time before the internet was invented. Imagine that, kids!
2018-19 Season
First Touch Soccer Magazine Through The Years
A quarter-century later, when the final weekly printed edition rolled off the presses in March 2020, First Touch was a full-color tabloid newspaper with a circulation in the thousands, being discussed and praised by Soccer Stars and celebrities on the BBC! The closure of the print edition due to COVID was even reported in the New York Times.
2017-18 Season
Fortunately, the First Touch mobile app and website were already thriving at this point and were ready to pick up the slack. So the transition was relatively painless. Physical copies of First Touch newspaper, which were a permanent fixture on the shelves of every New York soccer bar for 25 years, are now considered highly collectible by soccer historians and fans.
2016-17 Season
America's Original Soccer Magazine
Another interesting fact: there was only one week in its 25-year run when First Touch didn’t publish. That was the week of 9/11 2001. They even managed to publish an issue during Hurricane Sandy, when most of the city was blacked out for a week! That’s dedication to the cause.
Today, First Touch continues to grow in popularity as a free mobile app and website, providing valuable insights and trusted information about soccer bars and supporters clubs throughout the nation.
2015-16 Season
Sadly, there are no remaining copies of First Touch magazine from the first two decades of its existence, unless they are stashed in a vault inside a pyramid somewhere. But below is an almost complete compilation of First Touch magazine covers from 2010 on. These colorful and vibrant covers capture all the great moments and provide a fascinating document of the beautiful game during these decades. They feature some of the great and not-so-great players of the time (there’s even an American president featured on one), while providing memories of the ongoing journey of America’s longest-running free soccer publication. Enjoy browsing!
2014-15 Season
2013-14 Season
2011-12 Season (incomplete)
2010-11 Season (incomplete)
2009-10 Season (incomplete)
