Sad decline of a well loved publication. (When Saturday Comes)

Member Name: fwsoames

Product:	When Saturday Comes
Date:	03/11/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ummmmmm....

Disadvantages: Well past its best.

I noticed the last reviews of this magazine were from a few years back, and probably from a time when it was at its best.

It started up as an antidote to the bland establishment footie culture that blanketed the game in the 80s.It was sharp , opinionated and at times very very funny.

There was a cartoon they published where Dalglish is being interviewed and is asked whether he would swap Bobby Mimms for a pork pie.

"Is it one of those pies with an egg in it " was the gloomy Caledonian response.

Where else would you get football satire so cutting other than in a jumped up fanzine, which of course it was. They used to advertise pages of club fanzines in the back.Very few of those exist today.

It was printed on toilet roll, in black and white and you could only get it at the grounds in a lot of instances.

But all rebellion is fleeting.

The magazine has for many years been a part of the establishment. Happy to focus on the premiership and its assorted issues, topped off with retro 70s twee tales about funny hair dos and the history of the corner flag.

The letters pages became the refuge of the most boring people placed on gods earth as letter after letter began with the dreaded words "Back in the 70s before football became commercialised.........".

The real issues in football cause barely a ripple on its pages. A decade ago the hated Chester City were in real trouble and in danger of going out of business. The mag devoted two whole pages to a very well written article by a Chester fan. Five years ago my club was in a similar position and they devoted three paragraphs to a two year struggle. The Clubs in Crisis has all but disappeared which is a shame because it used to be one of the few forums for the dispossessed.

In truth its original remit has been taken up by the rise of the blog and in particular the excellent Football Management and 200% blogs. They are instant, prepared to speak out, and, importantly, place greater importance on the reader than their advertisers, of which they have none.

There is probably still a market out there for a counter culture football magazine, lets hope someone has the drive to start one up.

Summary: A dreary self indulgent rag for people who think they are a bit cleverer than they are.