TheLodger
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Andy has posted celebrating 35 years of FMTTM on his facebook page.
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**Happy 35th birthday to a Boro cultural institution**
Let's show appreciation to everyone involved in the Boro fanzine Fly Me To The Moon which is celebrating its 35th birthday this month with its 640th issue.
For those who don't know the back story, a potted history...
FMTTM, or "Fly Me" was launched in November 1988 by Boro fan Andy Smelt from Saltersgill, known as Gillandi, apparently as a penance for his streaking on the pitch previously as a dare (according to folklore...).
Together with friends Rob Boal, Colin Hodgson and Tony Pierre they created the first issue for a match at Ayresome Park which Boro lost 1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday and produced 50 copies, choosing the name Fly Me To The Moon as a nod to the then manager Bruce Rioch saying words to the effect of "if you were on a rocket ship going to the moon, the man you would want sitting next to you would be Tony Mowbray.”
It was later co-edited by brothers Nigel and Stuart Downing (not that one, different spelling!) before current editor Robert Nichols took the reins in 1994.
It once hit the heights of selling 3,500 copies per match and remains a core part of Boro matchdays for its trademark humour and fans' points of view. It has even been the starting point for many authors, journalists and people who have gone on to work in the media having been published for the first time by Fly Me.
As editor Rob once said: “It’s by the fans for the fans - that’s what it’s all about. There is no question of it trying to be a magazine - it’s a fanzine.”
Happy 35th birthday and thank you to all the contributors over the years who have made it such a success. Here's to the next 35!
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Copy n Paste for those that don't have FaceBook.
**Happy 35th birthday to a Boro cultural institution**
Let's show appreciation to everyone involved in the Boro fanzine Fly Me To The Moon which is celebrating its 35th birthday this month with its 640th issue.
For those who don't know the back story, a potted history...
FMTTM, or "Fly Me" was launched in November 1988 by Boro fan Andy Smelt from Saltersgill, known as Gillandi, apparently as a penance for his streaking on the pitch previously as a dare (according to folklore...).
Together with friends Rob Boal, Colin Hodgson and Tony Pierre they created the first issue for a match at Ayresome Park which Boro lost 1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday and produced 50 copies, choosing the name Fly Me To The Moon as a nod to the then manager Bruce Rioch saying words to the effect of "if you were on a rocket ship going to the moon, the man you would want sitting next to you would be Tony Mowbray.”
It was later co-edited by brothers Nigel and Stuart Downing (not that one, different spelling!) before current editor Robert Nichols took the reins in 1994.
It once hit the heights of selling 3,500 copies per match and remains a core part of Boro matchdays for its trademark humour and fans' points of view. It has even been the starting point for many authors, journalists and people who have gone on to work in the media having been published for the first time by Fly Me.
As editor Rob once said: “It’s by the fans for the fans - that’s what it’s all about. There is no question of it trying to be a magazine - it’s a fanzine.”
Happy 35th birthday and thank you to all the contributors over the years who have made it such a success. Here's to the next 35!
Andy McDonald MP
Andy McDonald MP. 7,397 likes · 134 talking about this. Andy is your Member of Parliament for the Middlesbrough.
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