11 November 2013

OLD 50 PENCE PIECES

Firstly, thanks to everyone who spent an extra couple of minutes getting wet to pick up your (hopefully not too) soggy copy of TSLR053 on Saturday, pre-Blackburn match at Falmer. Those who did buy a fanzine from us will know that a) we wisely invested in an official club golfing umbrella - the best decision we've ever made despite the cost - and b) our 53rd issue included an exclusive extract from Dick Knight's new autobiography.

We've had some great feedback already on the latest issue - especially Dick's and another article stemming from the altogether terrifying times of Albion circa 1997. However, due to next weekend's international break and the two subsequent away matches, TSLR053 will not be available at home again. To pick up a copy you'll have to seek us out at Wigan or Bournemouth - or else you can order a digital copy here. The Blackburn result itself was wonderful but is one of the few games that doesn't need further analysis from us - for once, a match report from a weekend tabloid will suffice.

No, this blog isn't really about the latest issue, nor even the fact we finally won a football match at the Amecca. Instead, we're here to blog about the crafty fan (not customer) who picked up a copy of TSLR on Saturday using an old 50 pence piece (pictured on the left of the 50 pence pieces on a pile of fanzines atop this post - they don't seem so different, do they?). With all the rain and the hurrying of fanzine / pound swapping, we inadvertently accepted what is no longer legal tender for half a fanzine.

Of course, to us editors here at TSLR Towers, it has been rightly lauded as an excellent way to depose of your old shiny money. It really made us giggle, too, because this is the second time that we have accepted an old 50 pence piece. The first time came at Crewe when we launched the first (now rather shoddy) issue of The Seagull Love Review - SLR001 as it was then - in August 2008. That famous 50 pence also formed the basis of our first ever blog post, which you can read here, from a time when we were all full of hope and expectation following the start of what turned out to be Micky Adams' ill fated second reign.

It is quite remarkable that we fell for the same trick for a second time, 53 issues, five years and two months apart. Old 50p user, wherever you are, we salute you.

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