A must-read for any LIVERPOOL FC fan

A NEW Liverpool FC magazine promising to be 'the voice of the fans' launches next month. Well Red is an independent publication put together by Gareth Roberts, a journalist and a match-going Liverpool fan of 20 years. Huyton-born Roberts, 33, reckons there is a place for something different from the Liverpool magazines that are already on the market. He said: "Most of the Liverpool publications are official, or have some affiliation to the club. While there is certainly a place for them, I feel there a lot of fans who crave something different. "Well Red is about quality analysis of the topics the fans are talking about. Of course that includes matters on the pitch, but we're not afraid to tackle matters off the pitch, too, without fear of upsetting any commercial interest. "If you look for example at the Liverpool Supporters' Union, Spirit of Shankly, they have close to 5,000 members yet they barely get a mention in the Liverpool press and certainly not in the official publications. "There are equally worthy causes like the Don't Buy The Sun campaign and of course the Hillsborough Justice Campaign which are also underreported in the mainstream press." The launch issue of Well Red includes an interview with Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy, as well as contributions from Tony Barrett of The Times and best-selling Liverpool FC author Paul Tomkins. Columns, competitions, interviews with famous fans and a retro section make up the mix of the debut edition. The bi-monthly magazine will be posted out to fans that pre-order via the website - www.wellredmag.co.uk - in the last week in March. And at the start of April the 64-page, full colour magazine goes on sale in all major newsagents in Merseyside and the surrounding area, North Wales and Ireland, priced £2.70. Roberts, who writes the popular Well Red blog, added: "I'm really pleased with the line up for issue one. We've got some big names on board but also some lesser-known, yet supremely talented, writers who are as Liverpool as they come. "The magazine is built on quality opinion and analysis – that's the key. There's no bar-room, knee-jerk stuff in Well Red." For more information go to the magazine's site: wellredmag.co.uk