Time for the hat-trick! Leeds United fanzine aims for another champion night

Leeds United are flying high near the top of the Championship table '“ and now the club's longest-running fanzine is aiming to show it also has the winning formula.
The Square Ball team celebrate their win at the 2014 Football Supporters Federation Awards.The Square Ball team celebrate their win at the 2014 Football Supporters Federation Awards.
The Square Ball team celebrate their win at the 2014 Football Supporters Federation Awards.

The Square Ball has been shortlisted for the coveted prize of fanzine of the year at the Football Supporters’ Federation Awards.

It is up against five other publications, with the winner due to be announced at a ceremony in London next week.

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The Square Ball is looking to take the title for the third time, having previously won it in 2011 and 2014.

Paul Trevillion with one of his drawings of Don Revie.Paul Trevillion with one of his drawings of Don Revie.
Paul Trevillion with one of his drawings of Don Revie.

And the fanzine will be represented at Monday’s bash by a man with close ties to United’s glory years under managerial great Don Revie.

Paul Trevillion is one of football’s best-known illustrators but also came up with the ideas for Leeds’s famous 1970s sock tags and their pre-match on-field wave to fans.

Square Ball head of production Paul O’Dowd told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We are the only magazine to have won the award twice and it would be brilliant to win it a third time.

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“We can’t be there on Monday as we’re busy working on our Christmas issue so Paul Trevillion was the obvious choice to represent us.”

Paul Trevillion with one of his drawings of Don Revie.Paul Trevillion with one of his drawings of Don Revie.
Paul Trevillion with one of his drawings of Don Revie.

Co-editor Michael Normanton said: “We’ve featured some of Paul’s legendary work on the Leeds players from the 1970s.

“He can talk about Don Revie and those players all day long and has some fantastic stories.”

The other shortlisted fanzines are Duck Magazine (Stoke City), Highway To Hele (Torquay United), Popular Stand (Doncaster Rovers), United We Stand (Manchester United) and Stand (various).

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Michael added: “We’re up against a strong selection of fanzines again including a Manchester United nomination so there is an added incentive for picking up a third award.”

The Square Ball was originally published during Leeds’s fondly-remembered promotion-winning season of 1989-90.