Dial M for Merthyr - Issue 48

After a 5 year break up, through musical similarities - the greatest football Fanzine in the World EVER is back!!!!

Dial M for Merthyr - Issue 48 is planned to hit the streets on April 12th. So we need any articles, ramblings and funnies in by March 28th. We've already filled about a third of the pages, so the first issue in five years is ON!!!

Send anything you want to;
wolvesy@yahoo.co.uk
and
mdonovan1970@sky.com

Boomshanka
Neil.

Awesome lads!

Random article from 2006 for no reason whatsoever;

Football Echo

It just hasn’t been the same since the Football Echo disappeared. No more waiting in Strikers for the sellers to appear, huddled around the news print with a pint. Fingers coated in ink as you scanned briefly through the pages to find the Merthyr match report especially on the away games, then straight into the middle to find that week’s feature piece on the Martyrs. No, that’s all gone now, a victim of internet and satellite media services. These days we know the scores from all over the UK as they happen, gone is the mystery of Final Score and the Football Echo.

It was one of the focal points of the weekend for me growing up in Merthyr, as soon we got home from watching the Martyrs, I’d be nagging my Dad to pop out and pick up the Football Echo, I think he would have gone to Bernard’s newsagent (that oasis of Merthyr Tydfil FC in the town centre) to buy a copy. In those days the league tables weren’t updated automatically, they showed the tables from the previous week so it was left to the mathematically minded amongst us to work how many spaces Bradford City would climb after beating Stockport County that weekend. The other drawback was that sometimes the match report from an away game would only reach half-time, you’d be left with King’s Lynn 1 Merthyr 1 with no clue as to how the match ended, were our lads traveling back from Norfolk with the points or were they drowning their sorrows on the A47? Seasoned readers of the Echo knew where to look, the Stop Press column on the back page would always have the result, you could just imagine the last minute scramble to ensure that King’s Lynn 1 Merthyr 4 was included.

So now it’s no more, they say its progress that we can witness every incident immediately on the flat screen but I still miss having that paper in my hands on a Saturday night.

What are Ponty and Pop up to in Aberflyarff these days and does anyone know what the colour of the paper was? Peach?

Out of interest - what time did the Football Echo appear on sale?

Merthyr Imp wrote:Out of interest - what time did the Football Echo appear on sale?

I think it reached Merthyr about 7ish with Billy Sticks picking them up outside Burtons and then going round the pubs/clubs flogging them. Most of the inside was prepared earlier in the week and they put the reports & scores on the front & back pages and maybe on the 2nd & last but one page as well.

What did you have in Lincoln - The green 'un?

I see - I suppose it was printed in Cardiff and you had to wait for it to be brought up to Merthyr. Surprised to read the league tables weren't updated though.

Oddly enough it was the Football Echo in Lincoln too (it was a sort of bluish-green). That used to be on the streets at 5.30pm - just in time for me to miss the 5.25 train back to Nottingham.

The Football Post (pink) in Nottingham used to be out as early as 5.15pm, which must have been one of the earliest anywhere.

Always used to get the local football edition after an away match if there was time - I always remember one occasion getting the Bradford one (and this dates me) and seeing the headline: 'Lloyd Scores Great Goal For Avenue'. The match result? Bradford (Park Avenue) 1 Lincoln City 5.

They had a 'Green 'Un' in Sheffield, which was a good one.

Billy Sticks...there is a blast from the past ...the only one that could make Karen Carpenter look fat...he used to swear at me in Swansea Road speak if you didn't tell him to keep the change...he died a millionaire....Boz

Great work with the Fanzine lads, Some of you may have seen an article in there in relation to ground hopping. Just got back from Holland, here is some footage from the crowd at Willem ii v Dordrecht.

Interesting vid Roving ....I didn't realise you were on European Tour...never know where you will pop up next....any ground....will check Stamford Bridge next in case you are behind Jose 'Merino'....Boz

Boz1964 wrote:Interesting vid Roving ....I didn't realise you were on European Tour...never know where you will pop up next....any ground....will check Stamford Bridge next in case you are behind Jose 'Merino'....Boz

More likely to appear in the candec suite this Saturday rather than Stamford Bridge a ticket there would probably be as much as it cost me to get to Tilburg lol !!! maybe I could get a "sheepday" return on the train and "fleece" the ticket bloke to let me in for next to baaaanothing

I will be there too my ovine buddy...hope you enjoyed the Rieperbarn in Ramsterdam........missed the Stratford game dud to family commitments but looking forward to Saturdays match...better Yate than never....Boz

When I was sub-editor at the South Wales Echo, the Football Echo usually printed just after 5.20 at the old Thomson House building in Cardiff.
It ceased publication in the 1980s, re-started but then stopped again when the circulation was in decline.
The League tables were updated but not way back in the 1960s which is probably what was referred to.
When I was on FE duty, I often had to sub-edit the Merthyr reports (prior to that I used to write the reports for many years) and we took so many paragraphs for the first 25 minutes, phoned in at intervals, and then for the rest of the half, a few pars for the second half and one last paragraph with any extra scorers and the result. That was when it was old technology before everything was done on screen.
So just after 5pm it was hoped that the final paragraphs would be ready and the final scores.
The inside page articles about the various football and rugby clubs were usually written on a Thursday. I wrote a piece for many years, while on the Merthyr Express and later while working at the Echo.
It was usually gone 7pm when the FE arrived in most of the Valley areas.There used to be queues outside the newspaper shop in Troedyrhiw. The papers would be thrown out, someone would rush them into the shop. The owner would cut the cord, and sales were brisk.

You could get the FE in a city centre pub in Cardiff just after 5.30 pm, all league tables up to date too. Is there any Football papers still printed on a Saturday? last one I heard of was Birmingham

I think the Internet has damaged such publications which is quite sad. At least a fanzine is still something that is sold at a lot of Clubs today.

Maybe a non-league app with up to dates scores from around the Country could be the way forward. Ooo business idea  

cliffyboy wrote:You could get the FE in a city centre pub in Cardiff just after 5.30 pm, all league tables up to date too. Is there any Football papers still printed on a Saturday? last one I heard of was Birmingham

Nope, the "Sporting Pink" went a number of years ago. Shortly before its demise, they merged it with the Evening Mail (now Birmingham Mail), so if you bought the evening edition of the Mail after about 5:30pm you got the sporting pink included. Later on, they dropped the pink (colour), but still had a pull-out of about 16 pages - the centre-spread of which was (no, not that!) a feature on the NL scene - often with an interview with one of the players. Sadly that's also now long gone, From memory, the mad keeper at Worcester was one of the last entries.

BTW, did Georgie Onions do papers as well? Or am I mixing up my eccentrics? Seem to recall from my youth there was a very thin bloke (looked about 80 in those days) who used to stand by the Station Café every weekend (Fri/Sat nights) who used to sell papers into the wee small hours. Sometimes bought one staggering out of the pub!

I think that may have been Jimmy Seggs. I can't recall Georgie Onions flogging papers.

Yes, think you are right. Seem to recall him being called Jimmy. I did wonder if it was you - you could have filled out over the following decades!! That said, seem to recall the chap didn't seem to have any teeth!!

Was Georgie Onions the fella who pushed the pram full of "stuff" around?

No that was Mr Silvercross I think...no pushover,....Boz

Boz1964 wrote:Billy Sticks...there is a blast from the past ...the only one that could make Karen Carpenter look fat...he used to swear at me in Swansea Road speak if you didn't tell him to keep the change...he died a millionaire....Boz

Yes Billy Sticks What a character his sister also would be walking around Glebeland St. shouting "Echo" I worked in Glebeland St. in the 60's, He would come in the pubs along that street Narrow Gauge, Red Cow, Wyndham. Bell Vue  besides the Wheatsheaf, Lamb, Beehive, selling Echo's

where will it be on sale saturday ?

Been reading a few old copies of this I got off Ebay a while back. Cracking stuff and good to see it back. Not sure you're aware but Dial M for Merthyr got a cheeky mention in the latest STAND mag from one of the blokes at When Skies are Grey

therovingsheep wrote:Great work with the Fanzine lads, Some of you may have seen an article in there in relation to ground hopping. Just got back from Holland, here is some footage from the crowd at Willem ii v Dordrecht.

Gutted with this result, as a NAC/Dordrecht fan. Last nights result at de Graafschaap probably sealed it for Twee, but it's not over yet............

What would the degradation play-offs be without Willem taking part?

Always a mad scramble down Sloper Road to get hands on the South Wales Echo football pink for all the scores on way back on train. People huddles around radios another think we dont see anymore. Everyone now on the net on their phones browsing the scores !!!!!! Here is a link to the last edition that came out of Cardiff back in 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4607366.stm

timshorts wrote:

therovingsheep wrote:Great work with the Fanzine lads, Some of you may have seen an article in there in relation to ground hopping. Just got back from Holland, here is some footage from the crowd at Willem ii v Dordrecht.

Gutted with this result, as a NAC/Dordrecht fan. Last nights result at de Graafschaap probably sealed it for Twee, but it's not over yet............

What would the degradation play-offs be without Willem taking part?  

Well hopefully for me Willem II clinch it or in your case Dordreacht the remaining teams then battle it out, I am not sure exactly of the procedure so checked it out and this appears to be the format

cliffyboy wrote:

Boz1964 wrote:Billy Sticks...there is a blast from the past ...the only one that could make Karen Carpenter look fat...he used to swear at me in Swansea Road speak if you didn't tell him to keep the change...he died a millionaire....Boz

Yes Billy Sticks What a character his sister also would be walking around Glebeland St. shouting "Echo" I worked in Glebeland St. in the 60's, He would come in the pubs along that street Narrow Gauge, Red Cow, Wyndham. Bell Vue  besides the Wheatsheaf, Lamb, Beehive, selling Echo's

Surprised nobody picked me up on this It was Jimmy Seggs sister Therresa that sold Echo's around the Glebeland area not Billy Sticks. Chatting to an "old" mate in the Candac today before the Yate game he put me right.