city fanzines....

[DD]

What a lot of people forget about being a fanzine editor (something I did for some time at St. Helens RLFC and still do in terms of a fans website) is that you end up properly putting your head on the chopping block. There's no glory in that. You might start off with a buzz of excitement at being semi-famous, but by the end, you end up being an enemy of the club you love. It's no wonder so many pack it in.

The club will have someone scrutinising every word for hints of libel. The clubs don't like fanzines and they don't like message boards because they don't toe the official party line. They like the editors even less because they are perceived as the trouble-makers, the ring-leaders.

It doesn't occur to them that the fanzine's loyalty is to the club itself, but more importantly, it's there to look after the welfare of the fans. As far as I am concerned, the fans are the club. They will be here long after the current employees have gone. Therefore I had no qualms in upsetting the club and couldn't give a stuff if the chairman didn't like me. The fans are the club, the employees merely temporarily occupy a seat in our house.

People who moan about all the opinions on here that appear negative, that they feel embarrass them as a group of supporters, should be grateful that they are now allowed that platform to express their opinions. That was never the case until twenty years ago. The fanzine movement instigated freedom of speech amongst supporters, and the fore-runners of the movement should always be thanked for revolutionising the world of sporting literature.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

People who moan about all the opinions on here that appear negative, that they feel embarrass them as a group of supporters, should be grateful that they are now allowed that platform to express their opinions. That was never the case until twenty years ago. The fanzine movement instigated freedom of speech amongst supporters, and the fore-runners of the movement should always be thanked for revolutionising the world of sporting literature.

That's a good point and one I was trying to make when I said the fanzines were the forerunners of the forums. The club do certainly monitor these forums to guage fan opinion and that can only be a good thing.

It isn't that long ago that the only voice for the fan was the letters page in the Sports Pink and City's own AGM.

The AGM was very like this forum. People would stand up and try to take the club to task and often be shouted down by those loyal to the regime who called them disloyal troublemakers.

It was only when a large proportion of the AGM finally rounded on Swales that it became apparent his time was coming up. Even then he dismissively called them "the rabble on the Kippax" at one point.

 

[Gary James]

The AGM was very like this forum. People would stand up and try to take the club to task and often be shouted down by those loyal to the regime who called them disloyal troublemakers.

It was only when a large proportion of the AGM finally rounded on Swales that it became apparent his time was coming up. Even then he dismissively called them "the rabble on the Kippax" at one point.

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!) and he sat there staring at me, not speaking, while the blokes sat near the front were shouting at me: "what do you know, you're only a kid" (I was 25 at the time!). Someone else connected with one of the fanzines shouted "he's written 3 f***ing books on the club!"

As a result I was stopped from launching the original version of "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" at the City-Everton game of Dec 93 (actually the publishers were told we could still launch it at the ground but Gary James would not be welcome, nor would Franny Lee or any of the players who supported his takeover... the Mercers could come so long as they made no comment about Franny Lee or the takeover).

Actually a lot of people don't realise that the AGM was highly significant but it was often mis-reported or played down in the MEN and other media. The full story of the AGM (each year, not just 93) was only ever in the fanzines. In fact BTH used to have more or less a transcript of the AGM each year. The fanzines led the way!

 

[m27]

The AGM was very like this forum. People would stand up and try to take the club to task and often be shouted down by those loyal to the regime who called them disloyal troublemakers.

It was only when a large proportion of the AGM finally rounded on Swales that it became apparent his time was coming up. Even then he dismissively called them "the rabble on the Kippax" at one point.

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!) and he sat there staring at me, not speaking, while the blokes sat near the front were shouting at me: "what do you know, you're only a kid" (I was 25 at the time!). Someone else connected with one of the fanzines shouted "he's written 3 f***ing books on the club!"

As a result I was stopped from launching the original version of "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" at the City-Everton game of Dec 93 (actually the publishers were told we could still launch it at the ground but Gary James would not be welcome, nor would Franny Lee or any of the players who supported his takeover... the Mercers could come so long as they made no comment about Franny Lee or the takeover).

Actually a lot of people don't realise that the AGM was highly significant but it was often mis-reported or played down in the MEN and other media. The full story of the AGM (each year, not just 93) was only ever in the fanzines. In fact BTH used to have more or less a transcript of the AGM each year. The fanzines led the way!

A lad I know was very close to attending the 1998 AGM in full early 1900s football kit, a big fake moustache and when it came to questions from the floor he was going to stand up and say:

"Billy Meredith, Time Traveller. WHAT THE FUCK'S BEEN GOING ON??"

He bottled it in the end.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The AGM was very like this forum. People would stand up and try to take the club to task and often be shouted down by those loyal to the regime who called them disloyal troublemakers.

It was only when a large proportion of the AGM finally rounded on Swales that it became apparent his time was coming up. Even then he dismissively called them "the rabble on the Kippax" at one point.

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!) and he sat there staring at me, not speaking, while the blokes sat near the front were shouting at me: "what do you know, you're only a kid" (I was 25 at the time!). Someone else connected with one of the fanzines shouted "he's written 3 f***ing books on the club!"

As a result I was stopped from launching the original version of "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" at the City-Everton game of Dec 93 (actually the publishers were told we could still launch it at the ground but Gary James would not be welcome, nor would Franny Lee or any of the players who supported his takeover... the Mercers could come so long as they made no comment about Franny Lee or the takeover).

Actually a lot of people don't realise that the AGM was highly significant but it was often mis-reported or played down in the MEN and other media. The full story of the AGM (each year, not just 93) was only ever in the fanzines. In fact BTH used to have more or less a transcript of the AGM each year. The fanzines led the way!

You younger cheerleaders should read this. Passionate Blues have always questioned what we are forcefed. Although the club was indeed in a right mess in those days so there was much more to moan about, to be fair.

 

[Worthy]

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!) and he sat there staring at me, not speaking, while the blokes sat near the front were shouting at me: "what do you know, you're only a kid" (I was 25 at the time!). Someone else connected with one of the fanzines shouted "he's written 3 f***ing books on the club!"

As a result I was stopped from launching the original version of "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" at the City-Everton game of Dec 93 (actually the publishers were told we could still launch it at the ground but Gary James would not be welcome, nor would Franny Lee or any of the players who supported his takeover... the Mercers could come so long as they made no comment about Franny Lee or the takeover).

Actually a lot of people don't realise that the AGM was highly significant but it was often mis-reported or played down in the MEN and other media. The full story of the AGM (each year, not just 93) was only ever in the fanzines. In fact BTH used to have more or less a transcript of the AGM each year. The fanzines led the way!

A lad I know was very close to attending the 1998 AGM in full early 1900s football kit, a big fake moustache and when it came to questions from the floor he was going to stand up and say:

"Billy Meredith, Time Traveller. WHAT THE FUCK'S BEEN GOING ON??"

He bottled it in the end.

That was going to be my quote and I did indeed bottle it, in a packed Bridgewater Hall who could blame me?

Didsbury Dave, don't just flick through it, read the soddin thing.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The AGM was very like this forum. People would stand up and try to take the club to task and often be shouted down by those loyal to the regime who called them disloyal troublemakers.

It was only when a large proportion of the AGM finally rounded on Swales that it became apparent his time was coming up. Even then he dismissively called them "the rabble on the Kippax" at one point.

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!)

LOL. The mroe things change the more they stay the same. Sounds like the 2006 one as well when they were "in negotiations that could lead to a sale of the club" (they weren't). I think you were sat just behind me in fact Gary.

I remember Tyrrell running in trying to get them to cut it short because the Stock Exchange were on the phone asking why they'd announced it in the press but hadn't made a formal announcement through them so they had suspended the shares.

 

[1_barry_conlon]

The AGM was very like this forum. People would stand up and try to take the club to task and often be shouted down by those loyal to the regime who called them disloyal troublemakers.

It was only when a large proportion of the AGM finally rounded on Swales that it became apparent his time was coming up. Even then he dismissively called them "the rabble on the Kippax" at one point.

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!) and he sat there staring at me, not speaking, while the blokes sat near the front were shouting at me: "what do you know, you're only a kid" (I was 25 at the time!). Someone else connected with one of the fanzines shouted "he's written 3 f***ing books on the club!"

As a result I was stopped from launching the original version of "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" at the City-Everton game of Dec 93 (actually the publishers were told we could still launch it at the ground but Gary James would not be welcome, nor would Franny Lee or any of the players who supported his takeover... the Mercers could come so long as they made no comment about Franny Lee or the takeover).

Actually a lot of people don't realise that the AGM was highly significant but it was often mis-reported or played down in the MEN and other media. The full story of the AGM (each year, not just 93) was only ever in the fanzines. In fact BTH used to have more or less a transcript of the AGM each year. The fanzines led the way!

There's a little bit of me that still yearns for some boardroom discontent. For some of us it's all we've ever known. It was part of the fabric of being a blue, standing outside the main stand at Maine Rd hurling abuse and then getting stampeded by police horses with the odd face peering through the frosted glass above the enrance.

IMO it was our own version of the downtrodden workers against the tyrannical mill owner...happy days.

Personally i was on a one man crusade around M/cr putting up 'Dont save the Swales' stickers wherever i could. I managed to stick a few in some odd places!!!

 

[m27]

Don't get me started on the AGM.... The best was in 1993 when a few of us asked awkward questions. I got quite a bit of abuse from a couple of older blokes sat near the front when I asked about the other potential buyers Swales claimed he was in negotiation with. I asked him to name some names to prove they actually existed (they didn't!) and he sat there staring at me, not speaking, while the blokes sat near the front were shouting at me: "what do you know, you're only a kid" (I was 25 at the time!). Someone else connected with one of the fanzines shouted "he's written 3 f***ing books on the club!"

As a result I was stopped from launching the original version of "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" at the City-Everton game of Dec 93 (actually the publishers were told we could still launch it at the ground but Gary James would not be welcome, nor would Franny Lee or any of the players who supported his takeover... the Mercers could come so long as they made no comment about Franny Lee or the takeover).

Actually a lot of people don't realise that the AGM was highly significant but it was often mis-reported or played down in the MEN and other media. The full story of the AGM (each year, not just 93) was only ever in the fanzines. In fact BTH used to have more or less a transcript of the AGM each year. The fanzines led the way!

There's a little bit of me that still yearns for some boardroom discontent. For some of us it's all we've ever known. It was part of the fabric of being a blue, standing outside the main stand at Maine Rd hurling abuse and then getting stampeded by police horses with the odd face peering through the frosted glass above the enrance.

IMO it was our own version of the downtrodden workers against the tyrannical mill owner...happy days.

Personally i was on a one man crusade around M/cr putting up 'Dont save the Swales' stickers wherever i could. I managed to stick a few in some odd places!!!

Ha ha ha! I know what you mean actually.

The kids today don't know what they're missing out on!!

 

[Didsbury Dave]

A lad I know was very close to attending the 1998 AGM in full early 1900s football kit, a big fake moustache and when it came to questions from the floor he was going to stand up and say:

"Billy Meredith, Time Traveller. WHAT THE FUCK'S BEEN GOING ON??"

He bottled it in the end.

That was going to be my quote and I did indeed bottle it, in a packed Bridgewater Hall who could blame me?

Didsbury Dave, don't just flick through it, read the soddin thing.

haha. It's a really good book, mate. Only reason I say flicked through is that I haven't had time to read it all yet. Enjoyed your tale of losing your stash in the toilets when they were renovated when you went to court...or that might have been your mate.

Well done for getting it out there. Highly recommended to all blues.