This week’s #FloodlightFriday bonanza takes us back to Bournemouth and initially to Dean’s Court. One of the floodlights “sort of” appears on the cover or at least the glare from it does supporting a very weak joke about something all smaller club fans still moan about today, referee favouritism.

Issue 10 of Not The 8502 appeared as AFC hit the 90s in January of errr 1990 with the great innovation of naming some of the articles to be found inside, one of which we will return to.

The reason behind the name of the fanzine will appear in another blog about names because I forgot to put it in this weeks blog, still available here https://footballfanzineculture.blog/2026/09/10/naming-right-s/ )

Talking of names I have no Idea what WATC stands for but the WATC day out to Bradford feature gives us another glimpse of the magnificent photography skills of Not the contributors, possibly otherwise brilliant editor Mick Cunningham but who knows.

This is a majestic photo journal of an away day with a lower league club. Bournemouth were in the old division 2 at the time and the 1-0 defeat suffered by 112 away fans on the 25th November is covered beautifully with the 546 mile round trip beginning and ending in the dark with pies, curries, pints and photos (to be developed weeks later) along the way.

This would be a season full of miserable away days like this with Bournemouth relegated to division 3 at the end of it. Actually the season as a whole wasn’t so bad but they lost 7 of the last 10 games to drop into the last relegation spot. At least the darkness of course allows us to welcome 2 of the floodlights at Valley Parade, they’re the bright splodges on the superb action photos.

There are the floodlights of Wembley included in a comic strip provided in the fanzine. I’m not including the full piece here because I want to save that for a feature on Roy of the Rovers in fanzines at a later date.

Possibly for reasons of copyright this variant of Roy is said to play for Fulchester, home of many of the characters of Viz comic. Anyway here he is leading England out for the 875th time under the clearly drawn lights in the old Wembley.

Finally the lads can’t resist a joke at the expense of neighbours Portsmouth with a suggestion for a reconfiguration of the Fratton end. You have to say that these particular floodlights are magnificent, the best of the lot.

FOUR ‘sets’ of floodlights in one fanzine? Will we ever better this? Stay tuned to find out.