KICK Magazine was the official game program of the North American Soccer League (1968-1984) from 1975 until the league’s demise after the 1984 season.
KICK was published in a national magazine format, meaning that the cover art and some of the internal content was produced at the national level and then syndicated out to local franchises, who added their own local content, from advertising to player profiles. This was an attractive format that gave match day programs a heft and production value nearly on par with some of the top magazines of the era, such as Sports Illustrated.
The syndicated magazine style meant that the cover stories didn’t always correspond to the match on the field. Chicago Sting fans walking into Comiskey Park for a match against the Seattle Sounders were quite likely to find that the evening’s game program featured a cover story about Giorgio Chinaglia of the New York Cosmos, for example.
A few variations over the years:
- Published as KICK INDOOR for the 1980-81 and 1981-82 indoor season.
- Published as KICK OUTDOOR or the 1982 outdoor campaign.
- Published as STADIUM KICK for the 1983-84 indoor and 1983 and 1984 outdoor seasons.
- The Montreal Manic published a French/English edition with the same cover art in 1981 called MANIC.
- The Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto Blizzard franchises abandoned the KICK format in 1983 and produced unique programs with their own local artwork in 1983 and 1984.
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
5 Responses
I have a couple at home that aren’t pictured here. One’s from the Chicago Sting’s second home game ever and another couple are ones from Tampa Bay Rowdies games (one of which might have been locally-produced, not nationally).
I’ll scan them and send them to you.
Have a large collection of KICK and MISSILE programs. would like to sell them. Have any idea where and a list of value for each magazine? Thank you
How are you? I have some Kick Magazines from 1981 with Fort Lauderdale Strikers games. Also, some Fort Lauderdale Sun magazines from 1984 (USL). If you are interested let me know. They are all in very good condition. Thanks.
I’m looking for the June 23, 1981 issue of Kick Magazine.