[Albion] How would GP have fared with the fanzine culture?

[Lenny Rider]

Question I was asked yesterday.

Obviously things have moved on, we are now customers not supporters, and the current circumstances have drastically changed, ie football behind closed doors.

Fans in the ground, and new issue out almost every game, I’m sure the editorial content and supporters contributions would have mirrored the overall frustration of the current situation.

When I think of the stick and criticism Barry Lloyd received in a 6 and half year period, apart perhaps from the Play Off season, I think GP would now be receiving comparable heat from large sections of the fanbase.

But as I said to the original questioner we will never really know, the Internet changed the fanzine culture forever, which is probably currently in GP’s favour, that and his weekly wage against Barry’s of 1987 to 1993.

Flip it round, NSC in August to October 1988, 8 straight defeats, how would that have panned out on here?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It would all depend who was doing the writing. I wrote for Scars and Stripes for a while and I'd be supporting the manager and the owner.

But fanzines are largely for bad times. We are a Premier League club now, not fighting for our existence.

Morning, squire, by the way

 

[portlock seagull]

We need a resident cartoonist on NSC like Dik did in GE to depict our fortunes. Any talented artists out there? I’m more classically trained, (see below), my style doesn’t lend itself to the more depeche subject matters.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

Is NSC a fanzine or the modern equivalent?

 

[Icy Gull]

I think he would have been lampooned mercilessly given who the OP is

 

[vegster]

If the fanzine format was still going I really think he would just shrug it off, you only had an issue every 10 days to 2 weeks as I recall ? That was sold to fans mostly at the games but nowadays so much had changed. Twitter and Facebook seems to generate new attacks almost hourly if enough people are angry enough, they also feed off each other as we often see on here.

Only last night Marcus Rashford started getting another wave of abuse via Twitter and that was a match they did not even lose !

 

[Guinness Boy]

Fanzines have definitely had their day. I wrote for TSLR from time to time. The last relevant piece I did that might have poked the hornets nest was Oscar's first home game when I wrote something called "Bring Me The Head of Oscar Garcia" caricaturing Poyet as a Uruguayan gangster and Barber as a parsimonious version of a Bond villain. I'm pretty sure not one of those mentioned would have read a word and very soon after that the lads packed it in and went online.

On the other hand I suspect NSC was monitored almost daily by the club during the Poyet sacking / Oscar appointment.

So NSC is the new "fanzine" as you suggest and Potter is hanging on just fine despite some criticism by a minority whose numbers vary depending on results but do make up a sizeable minority (and I'm often part of that). While I'm sure NSC is regularly monitored as online comments have been referred to in some of his interviews, I don't think it'll make any difference to when he goes. He'll go when Tony's business instincts tell him it's time and not even if the minority on here turn into a majority.

Back in the day though? NSC would have melted down with that start to the season, though whether that would have forced Bazza off to the Job Centre along with his ashtray is also debateable.

 

[Charity Shield 1910]

Where is the "kev, you can score in there" cartoon? Seems apt.

 

[Silverhatch]

The great fanzines (and Gull’s Eye was right at the top) took the piss mercilessly. Potter would take some heat but - depending on the scribe - I reckon it would be fanzine satire at its finest.

 

[AmexRuislip]

The great fanzines (and Gull’s Eye was right at the top) took the piss mercilessly. Potter would take some heat but - depending on the scribe - I reckon it would be fanzine satire at its finest.

https://www.seagullsprogrammes.co.uk/fanzines

 

[Acker79]

Is NSC a fanzine or the modern equivalent?

If the fanzine format was still going I really think he would just shrug it off, you only had an issue every 10 days to 2 weeks as I recall ? That was sold to fans mostly at the games but nowadays so much had changed. Twitter and Facebook seems to generate new attacks almost hourly if enough people are angry enough, they also feed off each other as we often see on here.

Only last night Marcus Rashford started getting another wave of abuse via Twitter and that was a match they did not even lose !

I'd say very much these. I think the OP was in the heart of fanzine culture so perhaps it felt more important, where as the internet and specifically social media is much more ubiquitous. NSC is the equivalent of fanzines, a conglomerate of fan opinions for the core of albion fans who are interested in such things. Whereas twitter, facebook etc are the modern equivalent of casual conversations in pubs, schools, workplaces, but these are amplified and shared on a public platform. Between games Barry Lloyd wasn't subject to every grumble and complaint, every latter "and another thing..." thought after fans have had a day or two to reflect. Wouldn't have daily press conferences with journos who spent the previous night reviewing social media sites for a gauge of fan opinion etc.

I think the better question would be if Barry Lloyd would last 6 years if the internet was around then.

 

[vegster]

I'd say very much these. I think the OP was in the heart of fanzine culture so perhaps it felt more important, where as the internet and specifically social media is much more ubiquitous. NSC is the equivalent of fanzines, a conglomerate of fan opinions for the core of albion fans who are interested in such things. Whereas twitter, facebook etc are the modern equivalent of casual conversations in pubs, schools, workplaces, but these are amplified and shared on a public platform. Between games Barry Lloyd wasn't subject to every grumble and complaint, every latter "and another thing..." thought after fans have had a day or two to reflect. Wouldn't have daily press conferences with journos who spent the previous night reviewing social media sites for a gauge of fan opinion etc.

I think the better question would be if Barry Lloyd would last 6 years if the internet was around then.

Nope, he wouldn't , these days the pressure is utterly immense, there would have been no respite between games and the volume of criticism and vitriol probably would have got him sacked very quickly.

 

[Ali_rrr]

Fanzines have definitely had their day. I wrote for TSLR from time to time. The last relevant piece I did that might have poked the hornets nest was Oscar's first home game when I wrote something called "Bring Me The Head of Oscar Garcia" caricaturing Poyet as a Uruguayan gangster and Barber as a parsimonious version of a Bond villain. I'm pretty sure not one of those mentioned would have read a word and very soon after that the lads packed it in and went online.

On the other hand I suspect NSC was monitored almost daily by the club during the Poyet sacking / Oscar appointment.

So NSC is the new "fanzine" as you suggest and Potter is hanging on just fine despite some criticism by a minority whose numbers vary depending on results but do make up a sizeable minority (and I'm often part of that). While I'm sure NSC is regularly monitored as online comments have been referred to in some of his interviews, I don't think it'll make any difference to when he goes. He'll go when Tony's business instincts tell him it's time and not even if the minority on here turn into a majority.

Back in the day though? NSC would have melted down with that start to the season, though whether that would have forced Bazza off to the Job Centre along with his ashtray is also debateable.

I remember selling that first issue outside the Amex. A few people didn't know what it was and just saw Poyet's face. Fair to say, the reactions were mixed to say the least.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Surely it would be no different ? NSC is just the modern version of a fanzine albeit without editorial comment

 

[zefarelly]

The great fanzines (and Gull’s Eye was right at the top) took the piss mercilessly. Potter would take some heat but - depending on the scribe - I reckon it would be fanzine satire at its finest.

Agreed, a modern take on Goldstone Gaz would be potentially hilarious . . . whether you could fit barns, cows arses and banjos on a small page is another matter. great covers from CS as well.

 

[drew]

Question I was asked yesterday.

Obviously things have moved on, we are now customers not supporters, and the current circumstances have drastically changed, ie football behind closed doors.

Fans in the ground, and new issue out almost every game, I’m sure the editorial content and supporters contributions would have mirrored the overall frustration of the current situation.

When I think of the stick and criticism Barry Lloyd received in a 6 and half year period, apart perhaps from the Play Off season, I think GP would now be receiving comparable heat from large sections of the fanbase.

But as I said to the original questioner we will never really know, the Internet changed the fanzine culture forever, which is probably currently in GP’s favour, that and his weekly wage against Barry’s of 1987 to 1993.

Flip it round, NSC in August to October 1988, 8 straight defeats, how would that have panned out on here?

As someone else pointed out, social media hits a far wider audience than fanzines ever did and is almost instantaneous rather than 10 days behind the events!!!

It would also help if your comments were accurate. No one has said we are customers and not supporters. That's just distorting PB's comments for a certain agenda. If treating your supporters as if they have a choice where they go means we get padded seats, decent leg room, good choice of drink and food then I'm for it. If being treated like you're some dumb schmuck who keeps coming back regardless means you get carling in a plastic bottle, pukka pies, no leg room, broken seats and pitch side fencing then count me out. Been there, done that and got the t-shirt and not for me again.

 

[vagabond]

There’s an argument that GP and managers in general would get a far easier time if it were the days of fanzines only.

With social media platforms there’s far more trolls, hate and shit posting.

 

[Hamilton]

There’s an argument that GP and managers in general would get a far easier time if it were the days of fanzines only.

With social media platforms there’s far more trolls, hate and shit posting.

Yep. In many ways anyone with a keyboard can get to the players much more easily than a fanzine could.

I guess what fanzine sellers could do was stoke an atmosphere at the gates. Not sure the current management would allow a fanzine with an anti management agenda to be sold outside the Amex.


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[RossyG]

I miss fanzines. Having everything online is just boring.

 

[The Albion Roar]

The great fanzines (and Gull’s Eye was right at the top) took the piss mercilessly. Potter would take some heat but - depending on the scribe - I reckon it would be fanzine satire at its finest.

Quite. There's a difference between mild satire, and being toxic.

And believe me, certain aspects of Twitter are toxic.