Red Issue (Man Utd)

It wouldn't be matchday without this mag. Not the 1st united mag, or the best in my opinion, but the funniest. Too much banter about certain players. If the said players were rubbish, ok but i think they take that too far at times. A good buy, I've been buying it for years outside old trafford.

Red Issue is an excellent matchday fanzine that I would encourage all United fans to buy. This fanzine is a superb fanzine that gives you so much information and laughs for such little outlay.

For starters, this is an intelligent read, the editorial content is superb, the writers pull no punches if they think that criticism is due, be it to the players, managers or even fellow supporters. While one may not always agree with what is written, there is always a well constructed and justified argument put forward in a thought provoking manner. There does appear to be somewhat of an anti Rio Ferdinand agenda going on at the fanzine though, however, in fairness this is probably more prevalent on the Red Issue website. Whilst personally, I am against "hounding your own", this does go to show that no-one at the club is beyond reproach.

For me, the real crown jewel of the fanzine has to be 'Backbeat' which are the news pages of Red Issue. Make no mistake, this lot are well connected and provide a plethora of anecdotes on a monthly basis which includes some tasty gossip, be it transfer related, club politics, or the nocturnal activities of certain MUFC directors....

This section is worth the money alone and any United fan would benefit from being in the know, as this feature allows you to be. Incidentally, the Red Issue website is also a good source of news, the news page provides good information and many of the forum contributors seem to have an inside track into what is happening at Old Trafford.

If the news pages are not enough to wet your appetite, then the fanzine also manages to get its hands on interviews with all the big names from the club. Some of the Red Army big hitters that have been quizzed over the last few years include Sir Alex, Roy Keane, Peter Kenyon (Judas Iscariot), current plc honcho David Gill, Gary Neville and many other first teamers. These interviews are again worth the price tag alone, with many of the interviews not afraid to ask the tough questions that the newspapers often dodge. Indeed, some of Red Issue's interviews have often ended up in the tabloids, with the Daily Mirror once writing that an interview with Roy Keane was the best one they had read in two years.

Other good reasons to buy the fanzine include some funny cartoons, often charting the adventures of loveable favourites like Bertie Magoo 'The Bitter Blue', Dwain Duvatt (a cockney twerp) and Sticky Fingers (a morally corrupt scouser). All the cartoons are pretty close to the bone and probably not suitable for kids or the easily offended, but old school supporters and your average fan will certainly enjoy them.

Top marks to Red Issue for also providing a monthly page for supporters organisations such as Shareholders United and the Independant Manchester United Supporters Association.

I haven't seen many fanzines from other clubs, except for Man City's 'King of the Kippax', which, in truth, was a pretty pathetic effort. R.I is much slicker and the content is head and shoulders above the other United fanzines and the matchday program.

All true fans would be well advised to get a piece of the Red Issue experience.