A NEW Chester FC fanzine inspired by the club’s not-for-profit ethos is to be launched in time for the start of the season.
The first issue of The Blue & White, created by identical twin brothers Richard and Neil Bellis, will go on sale before the first home game of the 2011-12 campaign.
The Blues-supporting siblings are confident the fanzine will go down a storm with their fellow fans – and so have decided to plough any profits back into the club’s junior supporters group.
Richard, 20, said: “We believe it will be something the fans will be interested in so if it makes any money, we thought why not give it to the future of Chester FC?
“That’s why, after paying for the printing costs, all the profit we make will go to the Junior Blues. We’re a fans’ club, so as a fanzine we should be putting something back in.”
The Blue & White will be published biannually, in August and January, and will be edited by Richard and Neil and designed in Edinburgh by contacts the brothers made through their online football blog.
Issue one is nearing completion and Richard believes it will be a cracker.
The Leeds University student said: “It won’t be the usual stuff you get in the programme, mainly because the programme does that so well. What we’re looking to do is provide some different, unique articles.
“We’ve got some great articles lined-up for issue one, which we’re really excited about. We’ve got a guy who’s doing a PhD on fanzines to write an article for us and a guy who’s really interested in football geography to look at how economics and physical areas affect football clubs – along with features concentrating on Chester FC. For example, we’ve got match reports from the days on which the club was promoted in the past – including Garforth 2011 – as well as away-day guides for the new season.
“We think it will be really good value and we hope it’s going to be read not just by Chester fans, but football fans of different clubs.
“Buying a programme gives you a really good snapshot of what is going on at that club at that time, but fanzines are not transient and good ones you should be able to pick up again and again.”
The Blue & White follows in the footsteps of legendary Chester fanzines The Onion Bag and Hello Albert, but Richard does not what to draw comparisons.
He said: “Both were obviously very good fanzines, but this is a new one for a new club so it will be different. I think that’s a good thing because there’s a very different feel around Chester FC now.”
As well as welcoming contributors, The Blue & White is selling advertising space, starting from £40 plus VAT, to cover printing costs.
Email enquires@theblueandwhitefanzine.co.uk or visit www.theblueandwhitefanzine.co.uk for further information.
