fanzine

The same, surely, is true of the fanzine movement - which grew from humble beginnings in the early eighties to a position where they changed the way we watch the game.

The first issue was a literal cutand-paste job, hastily knocked up on a kitchen table with glue and hand folded - not even stapled - after a boozy resolution to join the new fanzine revolution.

Fanzine writers and forum users seem to favour a couple of other players however - Michael Mancienne, who spent four months at Wolves on loan from Chelsea last season, is a unanimous choice to pair Christophe Berra or Jody Craddock in defence, while fans would also love to see the club push the boat out to sign Spurs' Tom Huddlestone.

Fanzine editor Nigel Eccles said: "It's just Coventry City fans returning the compliment!"

But now he's making a come-back in the fanzine Players Inc.

Police quizzed him about an article entitled `F***ing Foreigners' which appeared in a recent edition of his fanzine called The Zulu.

And in a special Fanzone competition supporters have the chance to decide what the FSA's fanzine should be called.

But James Vizard, from Barnsley fanzine Better Red Than Dead, says the claims are unfounded.

He said: "In a way, the magazine has been a victim of the success of the website." The first ever issue was published in August, 1988, after Mark and his then colleague Chris Tait discovered Newcastle United was one of the few clubs not to have an independent fanzine.

But he is now looking at a subscription-based fanzine which would see it continue into the new season.

"Seventy3 sounds like a great fanzine and I'll be reading it myself.

But Carroll arrived on Merseyside last night and took Fernando Torres's No.9 shirt having already told Toon Talk fanzine he was told to go as Newcastle wanted the money.