Ginner’s Left Foot was a York City fanzine first published in February 2002 at the height of the troubles when the club was put up for sale by its directors, who rather conveniently just 3 years earlier, had separated the home ground Bootham Crescent from the club into a holding company called Bootham Crescent Holdings. There was the very real prospect of YCFC soon becoming homeless, and even worse, ceasing to exist if no buyer could be found. There had been demand for a publication on the Red & Blue Fans Forum, and two fans who posted regularly there under the pseudonyms of Daley Mayall and Angus MacCoatup, took up the challenge.
It helped that the lads concerned also loved graphic design, and worked in the printing trade. Primarily, the fanzine would serve as a way to raise funds for the newly-formed Supporters’ Trust, but also be used as a vehicle to raise fans’ spirits through its humour content, of which there was much within its pages! As well as the editors’ own pieces, characters such as Old Mother Shipton-Street, Reg Hedge, Moaning Mini and Barry Anorak regularly featured, as well as other articles called Yorkie Talkie, In The Manager’s Office, Hot Trumps, Talking Balls, The ‘X’-iles and GLF Classifieds. |
ABOVE (L): The foot in question
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The fanzine initially ran until April 2004, when its 9th edition celebrated the news Bootham Crescent had been secured for the foreseeable future, with some of the pages printed in glorious full-colour (a first for a City fanzine). Shortly afterwards, the editors announced that it would cease publication. But on hearing this news, many supporters demanded its return - if only to reach double figures. The 10th and final edition arrived a year later in April 2005. During GLF’s stint as City’s fanzine, it managed to donate over £1000 from sales to York City Supporters’ Trust, the Friends of Bootham Crescent, and other projects associated with the then 'fan-owned' York City FC.
Daley Mayall came out of ‘retirement’ to publish a one-off ‘Special Edition’ of Ginner’s Left Foot in November 2020 entitled ‘Goodbye Bootham Crescent’ commemorating the club’s departure from its home of 88 years. This 56-page booklet was full of fans' and ex-players’ tributes and memories about the ground accompanied with pictures of BC, some of which were in full-colour.
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ABOVE: Goodbye Bootham Crescent special commemmorative issue, November 2020