A Day In The Life Of A Fanzine By JJP
During the lifetime of Red All Over The Land [1995-present] there have been many changes that we’ve had to cope with. In 1995 for example most of our football was still played on a Saturday at 3pm although the fixture list was punctuated by some Sunday games for the benefit of Mr Sky who also deemed we sometimes had to play on a Monday. Sunday games at four didn’t really hinder life in Fanzine land too much although getting people to come along and sell on a Sunday wasn’t as easy as getting people to come along and sell on a Saturday…they kept rambling on about double time or something? Monday games were a pain in the arse even back then but they were infrequent we didn’t get too many of them and they were usually infrequent because by the time Christmas came around we were out of the running as far as the league was concerned and Manchester United were the TV glory boys [something’s haven’t changed.] The make up of our support back then was a cause of irritation to some ‘locals’ who didn’t think it fair that the ‘Out of Towner’ or the ‘Day-Tripper’ should get a ticket ahead of the local population but in fairness a good percentage of the fans that travelled to home games from around the country knew what Anfield was all about and Fanzines would sell reasonably well, especially when we had a new issue out. I don’t think we got confused or mistaken for the programme very often back then.
Well maybe that was because of how a Fanzine was produced…certainly this particular publication back in those just out of the womb years. When I first started Red All Over The Land I didn’t have a PC of my own but I did have access to one at work and because I was manager of a department and had a reasonably understanding boss who was also a mate of sorts I had the opportunity of going into the office on a non-working day or staying late on weekdays just to put together those early issues. Typing out hand written articles that had been sent to me or sitting down and cutting stuff out of papers and magazines then with the aid of either selotape or glue placing them wherever they needed to go. All that I needed was the old John Bull printing kit and I’d have almost been self-sufficient. Then with the aid of a photocopier and tipex the ‘hard copy’ could be sent to the printer who transformed the bits and pieces into some sort of readable and [in my opinion] interesting publication. All that was needed then was to sell it and that never seemed a problem in 1995. Hey, when I got into emails and got to know John Mackin things became a doddle by comparison even if I did eventually get hoofed out of my job by some backstabbing undesirables who I want to see rotting in hell before I take my place upstairs. Sorry about that, the pain lingers and will only go away when the lord allows me my vengeance.
Where was I, ah yes in Fanzine Land.
Sometimes putting an issue together was both a laugh and bloody hard work like the time when Johnny Mac was convinced we’d get this team in the UEFA Cup because he’d ‘worked’ it out. So we did all the stuff about who he said we’d play but I just can’t remember who it was and on the Friday morning I was with Andy Knott in St Helens putting the last bits together working off my dear old 3” floppy…you don’t see many of them now do you? I’ve no longer got one; it’s all stored on the hard drive or burnt to disk. I tell you, the newcomers to Fanzine land don’t know they’ve been born. Back to my floppy though. It was Friday afternoon, we weren’t playing until the Sunday because we’d just beaten Celtic and all Andy had to do was push the green button and the presses would roll and we’d have the most up-to-date Fanzine out and on sale at Anfield. Oh shit, Johnny Mac had got it all wrong we drew Strasbourg. I got my floppy back and started all over again meaning I had to work with Andy and his motley crew of hired hands on the Saturday morning just to get the thing printed. Overtime, don’t mention overtime because Andy had to pay them and he went in unpaid just like I did but then again I didn’t work there.
Then a few months later we played Newcastle in mid-week and had a spot of bother with the stewards, well some fans did including the aforementioned Johnny Mac. It was a League Cup game that went, I believe into extra time before we won. A new issue was coming out on the Saturday and I was living in a rented room in a house [where else] but now had ownership of a PC but no email access. My floppy would come in useful again. Got home from The Toon at miles past a reasonable hour, I mean it was either December or January, it was cold but a job had to be done so as soon as I got dropped off I was banging the keys just to make sure that I had the story of the stewards ready to go in the new issue. No more than 12-hours later I was on a train up to St Helens with my famed floppy and Andy would be able to print the truth about those evil little men in florescent jackets. We sent copies to Newcastle, who listened to us, agreed with us and changed the stewards and when we go there now but not this season of course they’re our best buddies.
Of course now those of us still residing in Fanzine land have it a little easier as people send articles and pictures by emails apart from Steve Moore who still lives in the world of the Luddite or Swansea as it’s also known [just jesting just jesting]. The thing is as the Fanzine has taken on a more professional appearance - what d’ya mean you hadn’t noticed - it sometimes gets mistaken for other publications like the programme for instance.
This confusion started a few years ago but the fans who have been going to Anfield for years know the difference, they also know what Anfield is about and where certain parts of the ground are. The new age fans don’t and they’re starting to annoy. In the past it only happened on the odd occasion and they’d be politely pointed in the direction of the port-a-cabins where they could purchase the publication their choice. Now attitudes are changing as they come along and ask the usual routine questions like where’s the shop, where’s The Kop and we try to be polite but as we stand there shouting “…Liverpool Fanzine £2” and they say “Is that the programme” the mood darkens. You wonder, have they ever been to a football ground anywhere before and if so when did they last see a programme costing them ONLY £2? Much lower non-league programmes might cost £2 but I bet not many of them.
The latest craze for the tourists is to be presented with vouchers that they can exchange for a programme on their arrival at Anfield and would you believe just before the Hull game this guy was standing in front of me waving some vouchers and trying to take a couple of Fanzines off of me – er no we’re not the bloody programme.
The daftest thing is when we’re selling at an away ground standing there merrily shouting, “Red All Over The Land Liverpool Fanzine” and some people STILL think it’s the bloody programme.
We try to bring Red All Over The Land out as often as possible and at least 10-times per season, this season we might even do more. The one thing we want above all else is contributors – people to write for the Fanzine; and what they write about is up to them. We want serious stuff and comical stuff, and the only editorial control is if what gets written is libellous. We are non-political, we are not racist and are against all forms racial discrimination, we not religious either, probably more heathen than church going.
We would also like cartoonists, caricaturist’s people who might be able to help us find advertisers, people who maybe want to advertise, people that might be able to find us a few new selling outlets and people who can help with this website.
We are also always on the look-out for people to come along and sell the Fanzine and those that do can earn themselves a few ‘beer tokens’ or a few pence to put towards the price of their ticket etc. Sometimes the elements have to be braved and sometimes a few choice comments from not just opposition fans. But it’s all part of a Day in the Life of a fanzine.
If this, appeals to you and you want to be part of Red All Over The Land please get in touch by email at:
redallovertheland@googlemail.com and we’ll get back to you.