Red Issue
Encyclopedia
Red Issue is a fanzine
aimed at Manchester United
supporters. The fanzine has been published monthly during the domestic football season since February 1989. The content of the fanzine is satirical - featuring jokes at the expense of Manchester United's own players in addition to their rival clubs.
had failed to deliver any silverware as team manager and the club were still in a run that would eventually last 26 years without winning England's top division league title. Other United fanzines, Red News
(the first United fanzine) and United We Stand, both launched during the same era, and all three remain in circulation.
Other regular features are:
The rest of the fanzine contains articles about past team exploits, contributions from readers and often comic strips which poke fun at United's rivals such as Manchester City
("Bertie Magoo - The Bitter Blue") and Liverpool
("Sticky Fingers")
's BSkyB and attempts to block the Glazer takeover.
Red Issue is also closely associated with the Manchester United Supporters' Trust
(MUST), and regularly carries featured articles about the trust, encouraging fans to sign up with them.
Green & Gold - Till They Die Or Fold/Till the club is sold is the current campaign by the Red Issue faithful led by forum leader Chatmaster.
After Manchester United claimed an historic 19th League title, the Red Issue fanzine was behind the unveiling of a banner at arch-rivals Liverpool's home stadium Anfield
, taunting opposition fans with their league titles record having been toppled.
City Centre, from sellers at breakaway club F.C. United of Manchester
's home games at Gigg Lane, Bury
. In addition, it is available on subscription from the fanzine's website.
d word "massive" when used in aftermatch interviews.
The online news bulletins from the Red Issue management stopped on 1 December 2007.
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
aimed at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
supporters. The fanzine has been published monthly during the domestic football season since February 1989. The content of the fanzine is satirical - featuring jokes at the expense of Manchester United's own players in addition to their rival clubs.
Launch
The fanzine was launched at the end of the 1980s. At the time of the launch, Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
had failed to deliver any silverware as team manager and the club were still in a run that would eventually last 26 years without winning England's top division league title. Other United fanzines, Red News
Red News
Red News is the first Manchester United unofficial supporters' fanzine, founded in 1987. It is available in printed format, and on the internet with daily news on the football club Manchester United...
(the first United fanzine) and United We Stand, both launched during the same era, and all three remain in circulation.
Issue regulars
The fanzine contains several regular contributions, starting with the editorial comments inside the front cover reflecting on recent United performances and news.Other regular features are:
- The Word on the Street (known as Backbeat from 1995–2005): Snippets of gossip regarding United, the club's players, transfer rumours and the like. Collected by 'Woodward and Bernstein' via e-mails from private sources amongst both mag readers and football insiders, and also from the Red Issue forum's Sanctuary section, it's not unusual for a story to appear here before any tabloid newspapers pick up on it.
- Life of Smiley: A play on the Lightning SeedsLightning SeedsThe Lightning Seeds are an English alternative rock and pop band from Liverpool, England formed in 1989 by Ian Broudie , formerly of the Big in Japan band....
' track "The Life of Riley", a columnist's views on United, accompanied by happy or sad smiley faces depending on the subjects in question. - Mr. Spleen: Another regular column, usually far more critical of Manchester United and the teams' players than the editorial or Smiley.
- Boylie: the views of Peter Boyle on all things related to Manchester United.
The rest of the fanzine contains articles about past team exploits, contributions from readers and often comic strips which poke fun at United's rivals such as Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
("Bertie Magoo - The Bitter Blue") and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
("Sticky Fingers")
Campaigns
Proclaiming to be the "Voice of the fans", Red Issue has tried to influence fan campaigns throughout its history - with notable contributions in the defeat of an attempted takeover of the club by Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's BSkyB and attempts to block the Glazer takeover.
Red Issue is also closely associated with the Manchester United Supporters' Trust
Manchester United Supporters' Trust
Manchester United Supporters' Trust is the official supporters' trust of Manchester United F.C., as recognised by Supporters Direct. The group, like other supporters' trusts, seeks to strengthen the influence of supporters over the destiny of their clubs through democratic supporter ownership...
(MUST), and regularly carries featured articles about the trust, encouraging fans to sign up with them.
Green & Gold - Till They Die Or Fold/Till the club is sold is the current campaign by the Red Issue faithful led by forum leader Chatmaster.
After Manchester United claimed an historic 19th League title, the Red Issue fanzine was behind the unveiling of a banner at arch-rivals Liverpool's home stadium Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, taunting opposition fans with their league titles record having been toppled.
Nicknames
Red Issue has a tendency to give nicknames to football players and managers, even at the first mention of them. A few select ones are:- David "Capable Hands" Gill: sarcastic view of Chief Executive David GillDavid Gill (executive)David Alan Gill is British football executive, currently Chief Executive of Manchester United F.C. and a board member of the Football Association...
's control of the club. - The Gimps: nickname for Malcolm GlazerMalcolm GlazerMalcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...
's three sons, all of whom participate in the running of Man Utd after their opposed takeover. - Lord SnootyLord SnootyLord Snooty was a fictional character in a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano, first appearing in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the longest running strip in the comic until Dennis the Menace and Gnasher overtook it...
: nickname for Kieran RichardsonKieran RichardsonKieran Edward Richardson is an English footballer currently playing for Sunderland. He is naturally a left winger, but has proven to a extremely versatile; having also played as a left back, right winger, central midfielder and recently as a support striker... - 20Legend: Ole Gunnar SolskjærOle Gunnar SolskjærOle Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...
, cult hero among the fans. - The Djemba Twins: nickname for Eric Djemba-DjembaEric Djemba-DjembaEric Daniel Djemba-Djemba is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Danish side Odense BK and the Cameroon national football team. He has previously played club football in France, England and Qatar.-Nantes:...
. - Klubfoot: nickname for Kleberson.
- Liar23: David BeckhamDavid BeckhamDavid Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
's departure from the club left a split view among fans, though not all took to this name. - Dippers: One of many nicknames given to scousers.
- Bitters: Nickname given to Manchester City, suggesting their supporters are bitter about the success that United have enjoyed.
- Balsawood Man: nickname for the frequently injured United striker Louis SahaLouis SahaLouis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...
. - PIG: Pole In Goal - stand-in goalkeeper Tomasz KuszczakTomasz KuszczakTomasz Mirosław Kuszczak is a Polish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Manchester United and the Polish national team.Born in Krosno Odrzańskie, Kuszczak has previously played for Śląsk Wrocław in Poland, as well as for the German clubs KFC Uerdingen 05 and Hertha BSC, before...
- 2 Weeks: Gary NevilleGary NevilleGary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
- after stating in September 2007 he would return from injury in a fortnight. His return to first team action came in the Champions League Quarter Final against A.S. Roma on April 9, 2008. - The Scottish Player: For Darren Fletcher, who the fanzine deemed to be not good enough for the first team in the early part of his career.
- Wobbly Gobbed Tosser: Assigned to Rio Ferdinand as a result of his decision to stall on a new contract whilst being paid full wages during an eight-month ban following his failure to attend a drugs test. Some United fans booed him during this period.
Availability
The magazine can be purchased from sellers at both Manchester United home and away matches, and from branches of Aleef's Newsagents in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
City Centre, from sellers at breakaway club F.C. United of Manchester
F.C. United of Manchester
F.C. United of Manchester is an English semi-professional football club based in Bury, Greater Manchester that plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. It was formed in 2005 by Manchester United supporters opposed to American businessman Malcolm Glazer's controversial takeover of the...
's home games at Gigg Lane, Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
. In addition, it is available on subscription from the fanzine's website.
Website
The Red Issue website ran in conjunction with the fanzine, containing links to the online forum. The website carried the same satirical tone to the fanzine itself, and advertised it on many pages. Rather than acting as a replacement for it, it acted as a more regular port of call for minor Manchester United related stories, usually with a short comment by the editor preceding them. Furthermore, it carried similar viewpoints to the magazine (such as a sarcastic love for the clichéCliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d word "massive" when used in aftermatch interviews.
The online news bulletins from the Red Issue management stopped on 1 December 2007.