Magazine Review: Turnstiles (Issue 1/Spring 2021) Editor Chris O’Keeffe

Or to give the magazine its full title, Honest I swear, it’s the turnstiles that make us hostile, which to those who know their Morrissey, is a line from the track, We’ll Let You Know featured on the 1992 album, Your Arsenal. Trafford born Mozza, would no doubt approve of this first edition, dedicated as it is to his county of birth, Lancashire.

Contained within its pages are articles which cover various clubs from the Red Rose county, including, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bury FC/Bury AFC, Colne Dynamoes/Colne FC and Darwen FC/AFC Darwen, as well as other with pieces with links to Accrington and Preston, with an international flavour added by some eye-opening musings on attending football in Argentina.

The magazine is the creation and idea of Chris O’Keeffe, who wanted to combine the feel and writing of what he read in his childhood, such as Shoot and Match, with his reading of today from publications like, Stand and Diego. And this first issue certainly hits the brief, with its fun element from the freebies with the magazine (including a Turnstile branded sticker, football related postcard and Merlin trading card – which for FBR featured Dean Holdsworth in his Wimbledon FC days) and features such as Spot the Ball, and 11 of the Best, with even a couple of player posters thrown in good measure. These sit alongside serious and interesting articles, such as that about Creative Football which seeks to help a range of people and their issues through football. Combined with the fun and serious elements, it also has a matchday programme feel, with a Starting Line-up (detailing the index of articles), and Notes from the Gaffer (an introduction from editor Chris O’Keefe).

At a time when we are all missing the ability to physically get to games, this is a cracking reminder of what we love and miss about football. Many of the articles seem to reflect the recent times we have experienced, with the despair of lockdown, replaced by hope that with the vaccine roll-out, by summer some sort of normality will return. This seems especially reflected in the articles about Bury FC/Bury AFC, Colne Dynamoes/Colne FC and Darwen FC/AFC Darwen, where clubs for differing reasons have been lost, only to rise in a new form once again. What is also evident, is that this a magazine which talks of the passion of the game below the Premier League, and as the Blackpool articles illustrates, whilst their season in the top-flight was one to remember, its legacy was a damaging one which nearly destroyed their club, leaving many fans in no hurry to return the top division.

Issue 1 has been hugely popular and is great start for this new magazine. If you can’t get a copy, make sure you don’t miss Issue 2.

(Publication date: Spring 2021. 56 pages)

 

For more information and copies of the magazine:

Email – turnstilesmagazine@gmail.com

Twitter – @Turnstilesmag