The Latest WSC with Arsenal on the cover and worrying editorial inside

[E10 Rifle]

Josh Widdicombe used to do subbing shifts at WSC

[Satchmo Distel]

The editorial is vague on whether they are going to try to keep the print edition going and/or make it a subscription only magazine. The phrase 'is no longer self-sustaining' hints at eventual termination (maybe after the 400th next June?) but who knows? The big tournament previews, seasons in review and new season guides still seem to be very solid but then there are clearly lean periods like non-tournaments summers when they must wonder if only the die-hards like us will buy it (and we've already subscribed anyway).

[ursus arctos]

I would be shocked if a decision on that has been made. The Patreon is clearly an attempt to create another income stream that could change the current equation.

[nmrfox]

Have renewed my subscription. Realise that it may be a drop in the ocean but hope it helps.

[Satchmo Distel]

I would be shocked if a decision on that has been made. The Patreon is clearly an attempt to create another income stream that could change the current equation.

Fair point. On reflection, this paragraph makes it clearer:

$100 (around £78.46) or more per month
Everything from the previous tiers, plus:
• Your name printed in a special panel in WSC magazine, for as long as you have patronage at this level
• The comfort of knowing that you are going a long way to helping us continue producing When Saturday Comes

If they get a few $100 per month subscriptions (a thousand quid a year at current rates), that will be a huge input.

[Lang Spoon]

Tbh Paul S, after having worked for a FTSE listed betting company in the long long ago, WSC taking money from a Meth Cartel wouldn't be much more problematic. It's an evil industry, from paddy power to the Ray Winstone floaty head cunts it is run by amoral bastards who deserve nothing but a slow painful hideous death. For not much more than minimum wage I spent 1 year doing a customer service phone line job that made me sick to my stomach, made working for Ryanair seem pure.

Anyways, I hope the podcast is a success.

[Paul S]

Are the good people at WSC able to give us actual numbers of copies being sold today v what it was in its heyday. In fact if anyone has the time, a graph would be nice to help understand how much circulation has fallen.

[Alex Anderson]

I went to the WSC comedy & awards evening in the early-90s, when Graham Taylor turned up in his DJ to collect the award for the person who has done most harm to the game of football in the previous 12 months. It was a terrific evening. I got a great heckle in.

Did he not like it, NS?

Did he not like that?

That being your heckle.



So,yeah, I'll be headlining the gig ...

[Alex Anderson]

Josh Widdicombe used to do subbing shifts at WSC

The root of his current fame and success. He'll come through, I know it. He'll pay it back by selling one of his Mercs ... or taking out a Tier 3 subscription.

[Alex Anderson]

Have renewed my subscription. Realise that it may be a drop in the ocean but hope it helps.

Godo on you, nmrfox.

I've cancelled mine - coz it was free. All these drops will create their own ocean - or a healthy-sized pond, at least.

[Alex Anderson]

Well I bought the latest copy of WSC at lunchtime and sat down to read it on the train home and realised that I had bought last months copy again and had already read it. This isn't the first time I have done this, so you can't accuse me of not contributing to WSC, even if it is almost four quid I've spent without needing to.

Yeah, Paul. "Accident", eh? Total mistake, eh. Again??

You're fooling no-one you mad, beautiful, caring bastard.

[imp]

It was Graham Kelly, not Graham Taylor. Plus Shelly Webb, Nick Hornby... can‘t remember any others, though it was a good night.

[Alex Anderson]

Oh, erm, okay then (think on yer feet, Alex - don't panic! ... think on yer feet ...) did the atmosphere reach Fever Pitch, imp?

Were there any jokes, erm, about a boy? (you're doing it, Alex! You're doing it! - you're dealing with a heckler!) ...

NS probably got confused about the Grahams because the sound system on the night wasn't High Fidelity and something about the screen plays for Brooklyn and An Education ...

Yeah. That's how you earn your corn on the circuit.

Now everyone join the WSC Supporters Club. Thank you goodnight.

[Giggler]

Oh, erm, okay then (think on yer feet, Alex - don't panic! ... think on yer feet ...) did the atmosphere reach Fever Pitch, imp?

Were there any jokes, erm, about a boy? (you're doing it, Alex! You're doing it! - you're dealing with a heckler!) ...

NS probably got confused about the Grahams because the sound system on the night wasn't High Fidelity and something about the screen plays for Brooklyn and An Education ...

Yeah. That's how you earn your corn on the circuit.

Now everyone join the WSC Supporters Club. Thank you goodnight.

"Was it Standing Room Only when Shelly Webb arrived?"

[Nocturnal Submission]

It was Graham Kelly, not Graham Taylor. Plus Shelly Webb, Nick Hornby... can‘t remember any others, though it was a good night.

Oh, FFS! I typed Taylor, thought hang on I mean Kelly, double-checked and then forgot to change it!

Kevin Day was one of the stand-ups. Tim Clark compered.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Oh, FFS! I typed Taylor, thought hang on I mean Kelly, double-checked and then forgot to change it!

Kevin Day was one of the stand-ups. Tim Clark compered.

Yes, definitely Graham Kelly.

Atilah the Stockbroker was one of the acts.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Was Attila there? Don't remember that at all.

[diggedy derek]

I imagine that must have been a heart-wrenching editorial to write. I don't think we should really pry too much into the finances, to be honest, because they're quite clear about the main causes of the difficult situation. Many of the factors mentioned will be familiar to many in the magazine business – many good magazines have sales that are flat or in slight decline, and then a bump in costs can suddenly raise serious questions about the business model. Postage and paper costs can be a killer, because there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, and before you know it, a small magazine has an extra grand or two a month to find from somewhere.

I think it would be really great for us all to get behind this campaign. What would be a real boost for WSC, I would suggest, is if this particular little project turns into a runaway success; if they can point to 1000 people supporting this campaign, even if they're only bunging in a couple of quid, it could make a real difference for all kinds of public facing things. After all, what magazine could genuinely claim they're supported with quite the same fervour and dedication as WSC?

I was sad to see Kickaround magaine not work out – that seemed a fantastic idea.

[Jobi1]

Best of luck for the future guys, I've been reading WSC since 1991 when my English teacher brought in a copy to demonstrate what a fanzine was and got us all to produce a fanzine on a topic of our choice. Now he was a good English teacher!

Likewise, my dad was a subscriber in the very early 90s, and was really into fanzines, so that's how I discovered and fell in love with it.

In a slight reversal of Paul S's story, it was actually I who took WSC into school, at the age of around 14 when you had to "do a talk" in English, and I chose to do mine on fanzine culture. I even phoned Andy Lyons to interview him for it, and he was good enough to give me far more time than a Northern urchin calling the office randomly at about 4.50pm one afternoon probably deserved. Nobody in the class had the faintest idea what I was on about, but I thought it was brilliant as 5-10-minute lectures on rather niche topics go. Even though I didn't ultimately follow what at that point seemed an inevitable path into sports journalism, I'm still extremely proud to be able to say I've had a couple of articles appear in the mag and on the website over the last 10 years.

I'll definitely chip in to the Supporters Club anyway. This editorial made me feel even more guilty that I'm still on the amazing subscription deal I am, from the 90s when Direct Debit was first a thing and to encourage people to get on board they made the offer that if you signed up for a subscription on Direct Debit at that time, your subs rate would never change. So, given my print subscription costs me about the same as they now sell digital-only subs for, I think I can afford to chuck a couple of quid more their way. Wonder how many others are on that same deal?

[Gangster Octopus]

I am.

[Satchmo Distel]

I have added a Tier 4 ($5) subscription to the one I already have for Chart Music. Didn't even need to fill out a form due to already having the account. I think the podcast will be worth that, with Harry Pearson and Daniel Gray.

There are already up to 82 patrons.

[E10 Rifle]

Make that 83. Just joined. Definitely agree that everyone who's made use of OTF over the years should sign up if they can.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I used to go to Sportspages on Charing Cross Road to buy WSC, among other things. Sportspages closed down in about 2000, probably when I started subscribing to it and joined OTF. The magazine going would be like Thanos snapping his fingers and half the 1990s disappearing. Which if it was 1993-96 and 1999 I could live with, but you know what I mean.

[wittoner]

I'm another one on the same subscription rate as when I first took it out.
I'll change my standing order so it goes out more than once a year.

[Duncan Gardner]

Keep it up all, I'm blubbing like Ian Austin here (except I'm genuinely emotional).

Sportspages, happy days