The new WSC is out now, available from all good newsagents or dispatched on the day of order from the WSC shop. Including:
Why England's 2018 bid was doomed to failure
40 years after the Ibrox disaster
The Moonies team triumphs in east Asia
AFC Wimbledon are mightily relieved to avoid MK
From Chelsea to Coleraine, the strange case of Leon Knight
Team GB beats the Rest of Europe 6-1. But it won't happen again
Fabio Capello's impossible job

Also in this issue:

Zealous minds Feeling peturbed by the religious overtones of Saturday night TV
"Manish Bhasin, Steve Claridge and Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes are on a mission. Their mission is to convince you, the viewer, that the Football League is really, really great. They're going about this with an evangelical zeal, offering up praise, worship and persuasion through the weekly ritual of the Football League Show." Buy here to read the full article

Ghosts of football past Looking into the world of memorabilia, from branded goods to annual dinner brochures
"It used to be a lot simpler. Collecting football memorabilia meant saving your match programme and tremblingly accepting the football card from father's cigarette packet. Now there appear to be hundreds of different categories of collectables to choose from. And, like television channels, the greater choice means only that there are a lot of choices that should never have existed." Buy here to read the full article




Little white lies? Explaining the saga of Scotland's referees' strike
"Maybe it should have been a penalty, maybe it shouldn't, but the decision that went against Celtic at Tannadice on October 17 has led to lies, controversy, misinformation, a linesman's resignation, demands for apologies and further resignations, and a referees' strike. When Celtic's Gary Hooper took a tumble in the box following a challenge from Dundee Utd goalkeeper Dusan Pernis, referee Dougie McDonald pointed to the spot. He was soon surrounded by angry defenders. He then consulted his linesman, Steven Craven, and reversed his decision. It was a game that Celtic didn't look like winning at the time, although a late goal swung it in their favour. After the game, McDonald explained to his match supervisor and to Celtic manager Neil Lennon that he'd got a shout on his earpiece from Craven, saying he'd seen Pernis get the ball first. So no harm done, in the sort of exciting, competitive game that is all too rare in the SPL." Buy here to read the full article

Blackburn Rovers 2, Aston Villa 0 A new era begins but the past still resonates
"There are three Robbie Savages grinning in front of me as I take my seat in the press box high in the Jack Walker Stand. The one-time Blackburn Rovers midfielder is appearing in a book-plugging interview on his former club's in-house TV channel, playing on monitors suspended from the ceiling of the stand. The sight of Savage, very much a man of his time with blond highlights and perma-tan, is juxtaposed with the more traditional spectacle unfolding on the hill behind the Riverside Stand opposite. This Sunday lunchtime kick-off is still over half an hour away and supporters trail down the brown hillside before crossing a bridge over the River Darwen and filing into the ground. Today is very much about the old and the new." Buy here to read the full article


Plus
Eric Cantona's dubious legacy; supporters play each other; WSC's 2010 Web Awards
Highland action from "The Broch"
FC United of Manchester's big boost for the future
Why a big name doesn't guarantee success for Liverpool's fan club
The disappeared grounds of the 1990s
Collecting football shirts
French transfer farce; Partizan fans retain pride in Belgrade; Ajax get aggravated
San Jose Earthquakes bounce back in MLS
Tales of Johnny Giles; Scottish stramash; Christian Roberts cleans up; Highbury's 1970s hatchet man
Division One 1914-15

Availability
WSC is the only nationally available independent football magazine in the UK, and you can get it monthly for a very reasonable £2.95. You should be able to find a copy in your local newsagent, otherwise outlets that stock WSC include WH Smith, mainline train stations plus selected Tescos. If you're having trouble finding the magazine, you could do one of the following:

1. Ask your local newsagent to order it for you
2. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
3. Subscribe now
4. Buy the latest issue direct from WSC
5. Sign up for our digital edition

Illustration by Tim Bradford, photo by Colin McPherson

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