PUTTING THE H BACK IN CHRYSTAL PALACE

Just having a snoop around the Palace forums after some dodgy link on NSC, I stumbled accross deatils of the Palace fanzine, seems very similar to TSLR - if 50p extra (remember that you tight gits!).

Here's what they say;

In the summer of 2003, after the demise of the popular One More Point fanzine, two philanthropists set up a new Palace fanzine in OMP’s wake. James Daly, a journalism student and Mark Tyrrell, an entrepreneurial dolt, jointly set up Five Year Plan fanzine.

The first issue was launched in September of that year and received worldwide acclaim. Ok, maybe not worldwise acclaim but it sold a lot of copies, probably due to people’s anticipation of a new Palace product. The mag was filled with terrace-humour type articles, ironic musings and general fun. The eds wanted to stay away from mainstream type production and wanted to emulate OMP and Eagle Eye of the late 1980s and early 90s. The feedback was promising and although issue two failed to sell as well, FYP developed a strong fanbase and subscriber database (I say strong, it was more than 20).

As issues three, four and five were produced and sold FYP developed as a fanzine, tightening up its editorial, only letting a few typos through the net and increasing its writer base. For the record, we let anyone who has a passion for Palace write. In two years we’ve had journos, students, OAPs and even girls writing for us. Imagine that!

In the summer of 2004, Mark left to pursue other interests. He wouldn’t tell me what they were but I reckon they involved badgers and loft extensions.

So, James was left to fly the FYP flag alone. He changed the format and style of the mag instantly in an attempt to distance the fanzine from anything else sold at the Palace. Issue 6, the first in A5 format, was a success as was issue 7 and then 8 (the first issue with a colour front cover!) which subsequently sold out.

In September 2008 FYP welcomed Andy Street to the fray as Assistant Editor. This basically means Editor James can give Andy all the boring stuff he doesn’t want to do, but still get all the acclaim. Andy has been a somewhat regular contributor to FYP and a lifelong Palace fan, with all the bruises and painful memories it has brought along the way.

Having hit the 15-issue mark and counting, FYP is the alternative read for Palace’s fans and a place for any Eagles follower to voice their opinions. A catalyst for debate, FYP continues to put the ‘H’ in Chrystal Palace*.
www.fiveyearplanfanzine.co.uk