Much-loved Sheffield Wednesday fanzine to make a return after 14 years away

The Owls fans behind War of the Monster Trucks – or WOTMT as it is affectionately abbreviated – will produce three editions throughout the 2019/20 season, having only been available online in the intervening years.

It follows two special editions of the fanzine, released for charity last season.

Steve Walmsley, one of the brains behind the fanzine together with Paul Taylor, said they saw it was clear there is an appetite for its return after last season’s efforts.

“They stuff we did last year went down well so we thought we might as well carry on doing it and properly resurrect the paper version,” he said.

“We’re doing it old school, selling it round the grounds, home and away – doing it the proper way. There will be the option of getting copies via mailorder and we’ll sort that out down the road.

“We always loved doing it and there hasn’t been a fanzine at the club for all those years, so once people were behind it we didn’t need much of an invitation.”

The name of the fanzine was inspired by Yorkshire Television’s decision to show the 1986 TV special War of the Monster Trucks in preference to the post-match celebrations of Sheffield Wednesday’s famous and unlikely 1–0 League Cup Final victory over Manchester United in April 1991.

That dry wit was a constant throughout its lifespan – it’s debut edition carried the headline ‘Lucan alive! Found in Sheffield United trophy room’.

Each copy of WATMT will cost £1.50 and all proceeds will be donated to the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

“When we’ve done stuff before we’ve always done it for local children’s charities and we wanted to continue that,” Steve said, “Bluebells is a bit of a local institution and the club have a connection there – the players visit every Christmas.

“We can’t wait to get going again.”