Is That The Programme?: Honest Tales From a Crystal Palace Fanzine Editor

by Cris Lehmann, James Daly (Foreword)

When Crystal Palace were relegated from the Premier League on the last day of the 1993 season, Cris Lehmann already knew he wanted to be part of the vibrant fanzine scene that had started in the 1980s. Football as whole and the fans in particular, were tarred with the ‘hooligan brush.’ Fans, so often treated with disdain, needed a voice. The fanzines gave them that outlet. Soon every club in the land had their own titles on the terraces. The humour and raw emotion that had been missing from club programmes for the previous century, now had a platform. What no one could have predicted at the start of the 1993-94 season, was just how wild a ride Cris’s beloved Palace, a team that usually didn’t attract much attention, were about to embark on. This is the story of a crazy run of promotion glory; relegation despair; unlikely Cup runs; being inside Selhurst Park on the night of the most iconic Premiership moment of the decade; run-ins with the police, opposition fans and even Palace’s own players and management!

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2020

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent first book from Cris. Main attraction for me is that his memories of the early days of One More Point coincide neatly with the first few years of my time supporting Palace. Great fun to remember the highs of my first game (4-1 home win Vs Stoke). Still don’t understand why it hasn’t always been that good since...

[Аркула · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

If I knew that this book covers only the beginning of the One more point fanzine, specifically the first three season in which it was published (94-97), I probably wouldn’t have bought the it, simply because this obviously makes it lot less ,,football fanzines book” and lot more ,,Crystal Palace in the 90s book”. Since I’m not a Palace supporter or even English and since this was way before I was born, there are a lot of things in this book that just don’t resonate with me. However, I was still able to enjoy it for the most part, especially since some aspects of the football fandom are the same for every fan, no matter the time and the club. Cris has showed admirable dedication to Palace and created an interesting book, but one that is primarily and secondarily about Palace (in the 90s) and for Palace fans, and only after that about his fanzine and fanzine culture in general. I do feel like I have been falsely advertised to, but nevertheless it still makes for an interesting read.

P.S. I hope the author is enjoying Palace’s Wembley double as much as I think he does!

[Steve Parcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book regarding the life and times of Crystal Palace FC. As a Tottenham fan I have an ambivalence towards Palace. Its a team we have never really had as rivals or a particular hostility towards. We have had Chris Armstrong (decent) Andy Gray (workmanlike) Wayne Routledge (awful) and Peter Taylor (very good) from them but I dont really know much about them other than where they are and they have vociferous fans.

However after reading Cris's excellent book I have a far greater insight in to what it is like to be an Eagle! Funny, Sad and enthralling, this was an excellent read and believe me I know all about them now.

One of the best football books I have ever read. Exceptionally well written and very engaging.