"I've been blown away!" Contributions sought for Boston United fanzine after success of first edition

Edition one of Don't Look Back In Amber is almost sold out.

Work has begun on the second edition of Boston United fanzine Don't Look Back In Amber, following its launch last year. Issue one featured photo essays, an interview with goalkeeper Peter Crook, stats and plenty of nostalgia. In true fanzine style, The Standard emailed some questions over to founder and man behind the photos Oliver Atkin, in the hope we'd get a response...

Where did the idea for the fanzine come from?

The idea for the fanzine originated a couple of years ago. I discovered a couple of copies of the old From Behind Your Fences fanzine in a box of old programmes I picked up. Right from that moment I had an idea that one day I might resurrect a Pilgrims fanzine. Fast forward to the first lockdown this year and I needed a project to keep me busy, so decided to put a few bits together and see where it took me. In the end, I found I had a decent basis to build on so posed the questions on Twitter and it seemed to be a reasonably popular idea and so I took the plunge and here we are!

In this modern internet age, did you ever think about ripping up the traditional format and putting together a website?

It was never not going to be printed! I am a huge collector of programmes, fanzines, teamsheets etc. Nothing beats the physicality of have a printed copy in your hand. Being able to flick through them years later, it evokes memories of games, players, away days, people, the represent a moment in time, in physical form. I completely understand why clubs have moved online and to PDF’s this year, but personally, I don’t like them. They are less personal, less collectible. Hopefully when conditions improve clubs will move back towards printing programmes again. The game needs programmes.

Boston United have been well served with fanzines over the years with the likes of From Behind Your Fences and ImpsTALK. Did you take much inspiration from them?

I always wanted to go in a different direction with Don’t Look Back in Amber. I wanted something that I could say I’d created rather than copied, that, and I’m certainly not funny enough to replicate the fine wit of some previous United fanzines. Above all else I think fanzines now, done right, can be a voice for football in general, not just a particular football club and whilst obviously DLBIA will be predominantly linked with Boston United I want to also be a product that has a wide variety of content that appeals to football fans in general, not just Pilgrims fans.

What was your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration actually came from View From the Allotment End, which is the North Ferriby fanzine - stick with me Boston fans! I like how wide ranging the content is in their 'zine, it is more a football magazine than a club specific 'zine much how I want DLBIA to progress. I read United We Stand a lot, which is the Manchester United fanzine, but that is very club specific! I’ve also recently read Y-Front, which is the York City fanzine and Shag, which is the Wrexham 'zine. I think with fanzine culture living such a precarious existence, it brings the fanzines and those that make them together more than they otherwise would. We all support each other and each other’s work, it is less about club rivalry and more helping sustain a huge part of our footballing heritage and I think that is the aspect that has changed the most regarding fanzines.

How did you find the process?

Creating the fanzine seemed like an easy thing to do. But as you go through the process, there is so many little things you encounter that you never thought about. It very nearly didn’t happen on a couple of occasions, but I stuck it out! I actually made it on Microsoft Word! I don’t have any of the proper software for design because I’ve never been a designer and I’m actually not that good at it! On the whole though, I really enjoyed the process, to see it all come together, bit by bit, was really exciting.

How was the reception?

The fanzine has sold unbelievably well. I said from the start if I sold 50 I’d be happy. Chris Cook (a Pilgrims director who also prints the fanzine) had more faith and said if we printed 200 he was sure they’d sell. He was right. We are currently just 21 copies off selling out. I’ve been absolutely blown away by it all. I never expected to see it printed, I never even expected to sell any, I certainly didn’t expect to have interviews in The Standard and be live on BBC Radio Lincolnshire either! It has all blown up to scale I would never have expected. But I’m beyond happy for that, I can’t thank everyone who has bought and supported us enough!

What's next for Don't Look Back In Amber?

I want to keep this going now and as there is a market for it, I don’t see why we should just leave it there. I've started issue two. So if you fancy writing for us, I’d be more than happy to take your contributions. The more writers we have, the more interesting and diverse the content becomes. I honestly can’t wait to see where Don’t Look Back in Amber takes us!

Anyone interested in contributing can email Oliver at [email protected]. Remaing copies of the first edition are available to purchase here costing £2 plus P+P.

MORE PILGRIMS: No loan moves for players - Elliott

MORE PILGRIMS: Ex-United manager wants top PFA job

MORE PILGRIMS: Record-equalling Bazza shirt sells for more than £1,000

MORE PILGRIMS: Club joins Let Us Play campaign

MORE PILGRIMS: Sad moment as squad learn of season’s fate - Elliott

MORE PILGRIMS: Ending season a bitter blow - Newton