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YORK CITY SOUTH |
new frontiers (issue 8)
'Zine Scene
I start this month with more good things to say about Exceedingly Good Pies, the latest Rochdale fanzine. Recent issues have included a 3 page interview with Rochdale chairman, David Kilpatrick. He explains how he first became involved with Rochdale. It was after his car was attacked on successive saturdays when watching at Old Trafford. He has had to bail out Rochdale on more than one occasion, including when he had to buy Spotland back from receivers after the previous chairman had sold it. He is also scathing of Tommy Cannon's "naive involvement". He believes today's solid base, thanks to the ground share arrangement with the town's rugby league club, has Rochdale poised for "steady improvement". He is also very candid about ongoing problems regarding membership schemes and the Football Licensing Authority. In their survey of away grounds visited this season, Bootham Crescent comes just below the half way mark, just below Feethams but above Belle Vue, Doncaster. Another interesting article was written by a Rochdale journalist who gave a revealing insight into life inside the press box.
In Glasgow, Celtic fans are still disgruntled, one predicted even more doom and gloom ahead. Tony Griffin writing in the latest Not The View said, "As a boy, I used to go and watch Third Lanark, I saw them deteriorate from a sparkling, entertaining side who scored 100 goals in the 1960/1 season, a team who could pack Cathkin Park and drew spectators to any ground in the country, to extinction a mere 6 years later simply because of a board which allowed money to drain out of the club at an alarming rate." Harsh words, will the same thing happened to Celtic?
Also from Scotland is The Clean Sheet, free inside the latest issue of The Absolute Game. It purports to be the oldest fanzine in the world dating from October 1885. Its a crisis issue of the Bon Accord fanzine which puts into perspective their 36-0 defeat by Arbroath a few weeks earlier in The Scottish FA Cup. Defeat is laid firmly at the feet of the officials. The 17th goal was never a penalty and the 28th was a mile offside, you only had to look at the action replay to see that. Some blame is also apportioned to the keeper who was answering a call of nature while goals 21 to 26 went in and the pressures of a crowded 24 game season.
Brentford's Voice Of The Beehive reports on a £35 VIP day at a home game and spends much time rejoicing at David Webb's decision to stay put rather than to move onto Southampton.
Still one of the best fanzines around, Darlington's Mission Impossible goes from strength to strength. Its latest issue features several articles on the possibility of moving to a new "green field", if that is possible on an industrial estate, site. Various plans are looked at, others have fun poked at them. But seriously, Darlington have come to the conclusion that they cannot develop Feethams. Its owned by the cricket club and plans to develop it have fallen through. Darlington actually bought a grandstand from the derelict Stockton racecourse, intending to erect it at the Polam End of Feethams. Subsequently, it was discovered that the foundations were not strong enough to take the stand. Nor was the local authority too happy at the prospect of building on top of the town's main sewer. If you know a good home for an unwanted stand, ring Darlington FC. It appears that the new ground will either be a 6,000 all seater as favoured by the board or a 60,000 "euro stadium" as favoured by the fanzine.
Darlington Chief Executive, one Tom Hughes, has recently instigated meetings with some of the club's supporters, a sort of forum for the exchange of ideas. Tom reveals that the recent 50 pence increase in admission is due to the insistence by the police that 5 officers are required at every match, despite the all stewarding policy previously employed working well.
On the pitch, new signing Robbie Painter and Gary Himsworth are the stars. One writer suggests that a northern based veteran defender should be signed and suggests Paul Stancliffe. Recently, their trip to Hereford saw the chance to meet up with Kevan Smith again. Despite initial concerns about Alan Murray, ex Hartlepool manager (and former City player), being appointed manager, he has turned the team around in a matter of weeks.
Mission Impossible is up to issue 37. Leyton Orientear has reached issue 73 and sees the introduction of computer technology whilst maintaining the high editorial standard.
It contains several pieces relating to their recent home game with Cardiff and the treatment the away fans received at the hands of the Metropolitan Police. Both sets of supporters have made complaints which are currently being followed up. The worst incident being when a Cardiff fan, for no apparent reason, was pulled out by the 3 policemen, dragged down the terracing and received a broken ankle. He was stretchered out of the ground.
Part of their editorial team report on a recent weekend spent in Madrid. They saw Real Madrid play, paying only £5 for some of the best seats in the ground. The programme came free. They went back on February 26. They said it was no choice, £5 at Real or £6.50 (plus programme) at Bootham Crescent. Look out for the New Frontiers editorial staff reporting from Rome or Rio some time next season.
Recommended (50p unless stated, better add 30 pence postage):-
EXCEEDINGLY GOOD PIES (Rochdale): 59 Elmsfield Avenue, Norden, Rochdale, OL11 5YR
VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE (Brentford) 10 Sutherland Court, 203 Albion Road, Stoke Newington, London, N16 8QY
THE ABSOLUTE GAME (Scottish soccer, £1): PO Box 303, Southern DO, Edinburgh, EH9 1NE
NOT THE VIEW (Celtic, 60p): PO Box 306, Glasgow, G21 2EA
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (Darlington): 8 Bramley Parade, Bowesfield Lane, Stockton On Tees, TS18 3JG
LEYTON ORIENTEAR (Leyton Orient, 70p): 55 Warren Rd, Chingford, E4 6QR
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