I meant to do a blog about the world cup in fanzines last week but in true fanzine style just didn’t get round to it. This week I started to trawl the archives to look for the many and varied aspects of World Cup coverage that appeared in fanzines over the years but I kept getting stuck on one. We talked about the adverts in a quite superb Ashington fanzine, the The Pit Pony Express issue 2 from 1994 a few weeks ago12. This World Cup 94 special from (as you would expect) May 1994 has so much to enjoy that I decided this week’s blog should cover issue 2 and nothing else.
Let’s start with the cover which includes not only promises “Arresting Reading” from the “soccer magazine” but also includes a pit pony logo special wearing the stars and stripes over it’s backside and “Officer Rudy McCarthy, Sweet 800, N.Y.P.D” endorsing “soccer in general” and “the PIT PONY EXPRESS in particular”. Perhaps surprisingly he is clutching a copy of the sell out, 200 copies issue 1. This MIGHT be a photoshop job even though they claim that their distribution outlets include “In the lift, World Trade Centre, New York, U.S.A” I’m not sure Rudy ever received a copy, much less image rights payments though given that the fanzine was also distributed in the likes of Ashington hotspots, Mario’s cafe and Bubbles wine bar you never know.
The text reads “Ashington AFC reborn mother and team doing fine” which is a reference to the origins of the fanzine. In the early 90s the club was in serious danger of folding and had been heavily fined for being unable to raise a team at Crook. As part of a reorganisation to try to raise funds and save the club The Pit Pony Express was born. They celebrated the local coal mining heritage of the town with sharp humor and an irreverent voice, with its editor Neil Thomas also helping to run the club shop at Portland Park. Though the print publication has gone (though there are rumours of a new monthly print mag…) the PPE name lives on as the name of a bar in the ground which used to be the club shop at Ashington. You can read more about Tommo and the fanzine in Mike Amos’ superb blog Grass Routes. (https://mikeamosblog.wordpress.com/2022/12/15/december-14-2022-express-driver-dies/)
Before we get too far let’s see how you get on with their special world cup quiz. Unfortunately I can’t offer the same prize because I’m giving you the answers later and people don’t send postcards nowadays.
Where to start…well there are the usual credits for example, specially themed for the occasion with the plum job of ‘Striker official World Cup condoms coordinator‘ going to Atchy ‘Atch’ Atchison. Those of you with good memories will remember that Striker was the USA 94 mascot and that it was a dog. Let’s move on quickly.
We always include the editorial if featuring a solitary fanzine and Tommo does not disappoint with the hope that the Yanks don’t mess the world Cup up, god knows what he’d have made of 2026 price gouging and hydration breaks. There is a neat summary of the attempts to save the club including talk-ins with World Cup luminaries such as (Sir) Bobby Charlton, George Courtney and…John Burridge. When Courtney refereed the match for third place in 1986 finals this was the furthest any English referee had reached at the World Cup since Jack Taylor controlled the Final in 1974 and this stood until Howard Webb officiated the 2010 final (it was a red card Howard, just admit you made a mistake) According to his autobiography, John Burridge introduced Peter Shilton and Pat Jennings to latex gloves and they both played at World Cups so…
There is a somewhat sarcastic guide to US beers available at the 94 event, having lived in the States I have to say some of these brands are very niche so bravo and even with their low standards they are all still better than the Budwater available exclusively at world Cup grounds nowadays.
As an interlude here is another magnificent ad from the fanzine, Panda disco was perfect for “All sorts of parties” The mind boggles.
There is news of proposed rule changes for the tournament from Washington USA (not County Durham). Apologies for the quality of the scan, this is as it appeared in the fanzine with the register being slightly off on this page. The Colliers special sub-committee having apparently tested out some of these with varying degrees of success though they have apparently enjoyed the sin bins. The shit-out trial was a disaster talking of which there is an ad for a Trumps newsagents which claims to be “One of the biggest newsagents in Ashington and presumably beautiful, the best ever as well. Along with “slush, pick and mix, toys” they offer a free gift tag with all wrapping paper, quite the offering. Ironically, much like the East Wing of the White House, Wansbeck Square was demolished in 2025.
I don’t remember the Colombian canibal calamity but I woudn’t have put it past Valderramma. Placed as this story is next to an ad for Mario’s Cafe I assume Mario might have asked for his sponsorship money back.
None of the home nations was at USA 94…but Ashington was there in the form of Jack Charlton so as mentioned the committee arranged an evening chat with the closest thing, Bobby. The reasons for supporting another team at the world cup are tremendous and imagine a footballer or footballing legend expressing an opinion about pit closures nowadays. The night being arranged on the same night as a Toon game has non league committee written all over it
Next we have the Armchair viewers guide sponsored by Better Furnishings Ltd. The Jimmy Hill comment seat also being available in Alex Fergerson (sic)…
Cartoons and poetry? Why yes, yes of course.
There is a great piece from a 1959 edition of Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly explaining how proper football will expand in America…1994 didn’t do much either. Plus there is an untitled cartoon strip that might be based on Peanuts and news about umbrellas.
There are 5 good arguments for allowing the USA to hold the World Cup along with a fairly typical lazy and snooty Grundiad piece which places the 4 quarters hydration debacle firmly at João Havelange’s door. Presumably this can be placed along with massive bribes he took from ISL and even more remarkably the gifts of diamonds, bicycles, sports memorabilia, Delft blue porcelain, paintings and art books he received in connection with Amsterdam’s failed bid for the 1992 Olympics.3
The World Cup wouldn’t be a World Cup without a new football now would it? A condom less Striker carrying the ball in his mouth is highlighted on this cheap plastic tat. He’s a dog lads, what do you expect him to do with a ball?
The T shirt is inspired though. I’d love to know how many languages they, probably roughly, translated Pit Pony Express into but according to google translate here it is in Korean, Spanish, Arabic and Romanian ( 피트 포니 익스프레스, Pozo Pony Express, بيت بوني اكسبريس, Pit Pony Express) Apologies if any of this is rude and for how shit translate is at handling Romanian.
The juxtaposition from the translated phrase on the front to the one needing translation on the back is superb. “How!! d’ya knaa where aa’am frerm” is a magnificent greeting and once again I find myself wondering if somewhere someone has one of these in the back of a cupboard hoping that one day it will fit again.
The bit moaning about Santana is spot on…except would Rod, Elton or Guns ‘n Roses have been able to top our Diana anyway? To be fair Tommo wasn’t to know that big Di would hoof the USA 94 opening ceremony into the stratosphere as the worst opening ceremony ever as it was a welcome comedic surprise for viewers on the day.
A press release from the time sets the scene beautifully “Santana and his band later will perform a song from the new World Cup ’94 CD “Soccer Rocks the World”, in addition to performing with Weir and Latin percussion legend Armando Peraza, who played with Santana for a number of years.”A state-of-the-art sound system has been installed at Stanford Stadium especially for the celebration. Twenty speaker clusters will dot the field to give spectators a high-fidelity experience. The final segment will have more than 600 youth soccer players from the American Youth Soccer Organization and the California Youth Soccer Organization, who will witness the entrance of the actual World Cup trophy–carried by former Santa Clara University star Cam Rast, captain of the 1992 U.S. Olympic soccer team. “We are planning a big surprise at the end,” Olmstead said. “All I can say is that things will definitely be elevated to a new level.”
20 speaker clusters, an ageing rock star, 600 children doing what the hell they like, the trophy carried on by some unknown with a VERY American name and the promise of the ceremony being elevated to a new level by big DR…quite. That is more than enough until you search out the CD and it’s list of contributors…christ.
Finally, back to the quiz and the World Cup panel from 1974. Before we get to the answer here is a YouTube clip of a quite brilliant phone in including the two Brians in the glorious days before call screening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBfS6Eft0c
I’ve included a colour photo of the panel minus Brian Moore so you can compare the magnificent beige/orange backdrop of the day with the added bonus of haircuts and outfits that knock the Brooklyn Bridge/man at Burtons vistas of today into a cocked hat.
Quiz answer; Brian Clough, Derek Dougan, Pat Crerand, Brian Moore, Bobby Moncur, Malcolm Allison, and Jack Charlton. Yes, Bobby Moncur
Final Pithead Whistle
If anyone has more copies of this fanzine PLEASE get in touch, it is magnificent. One of the all time greats is Pit Pony and this issue allowed them to display their full range of creative madness, all for 70p ($1). You can stick your 2026 podcasts up your kipper tie.
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