Why we made a Relegation Fanzine
Embossing every memory onto your brain so that you remember the all-time lows whenever the next high comes around.
Gallows humour; meet fallow season
Good morning to all and sundry who subscribe to The Pinch. As you probably know, this newsletter began life as the DEM Blades fanzine, and after a break in play, we’re doing another one.
Written down, mocked up, printed on unlaminated stock, packaged and posted out — fanzines cost more time and money than a website. They are a bonkers pursuit. A labour of love. And why labour over a failure of a season?
“Becuase we want to” (Billie Piper, 1998)
Our bread and butter this newsletter remains. However, the papery whiff of the archival, all dried ink and creases, smells to us like a freshly baked loaf. To make an artefact you can hold in your hand, pick up and put down — and to do that with so many talented people — is a real joy.
Fanzines are a dying art form: there are fewer of them, and those that circulate grounds across the country do so less frequently. Still, they remain a unique platform for voices and perspectives unrepresented in mainstream media, especially in the Premier League. They create a space for people to share their passion and frustration. They document the different, and preserve ephemeral aspects of football fandom that might otherwise be overlooked. In short, they are positive thing that needs preserving — that’s why we’re making one.
Inspired by the pomp, pageantry and unique events of Sheffield United's Relegation, DEM Blades & Friends have recorded the momentous episodes of the 2023/24 season.
Through a panoply of writers, the fanzine brings to life those small details that many fans were hoping to forget; from the curious case of Luke Thomas and the uncontested drop-ball to defeats so frequent and historic that even the annals of history are struggling for room on their infinite walls.
A huge thank you to Ben Meakin, Andrew Hague, Phil Rose, David Beeden, Mark Webster, Andrew Senior, Sam Bajdala-Cressey, David Taylor, Sue Forbes, Daniel Gaunt, Rick Long, Tyrone Hoyland and anyone else whom I have overlooked for their efforts.
With words and pictures, we'll emboss the memories onto your brain so that you remember the all-time lows whenever the next high comes around.
The fanzine costs £8.50, including postage and packaging. It will be printed on paper, and this takes a little bit of time. By using a "pre-order" system, it makes it much easier to distribute the fanzines in batches — so that’s what we’ll be doing.
We are aiming to print, package and post in early June. For updates on when the fanzine has been printed and dispatched, please watch this space.