It’s the new one! Fanzine Grorty Dick’s now a book

And now Baggies fans can relive the days they would purchase the latest copy of Grorty Dick following the publication of a new book.

Named after a two-centuries old Black Country stew, the Grorty Dick fanzine was sold outside The Hawthorns and grounds up and down the country between 1989 and 2005.

It included exclusive interviews, comment pieces and nostalgia articles about Albion – with founders Simon Wright, Glynis Writer, Steve Carr and the late Terry Wills often granted access to press conferences and senior figures.

Now – 16 years since it was last printed – Simon, Glynis and Steve have put together a book of some of the best articles to ever feature in the fanzine.

The book is titled Is That The New One? because that is the question sellers would get asked most each week.

And Simon believes it will prove immensely popular with Albion fans. “The book is a 1990s support and nostalgia fest and we’ve had lots of wonderful feedback from it already,” he said

“Grorty Dick was the longest-running, best known, Albion fanzine. When we started it in 1989, the world was a very different place.

“There was no internet. No mobile phones. Albion didn’t have any press officers.

“And the club had it’s troubles, it had its troubles on the pitch and off the pitch with a malfunctioning ticket office and commercial department.

“What we did was give fans a voice. If they wanted to moan they could write an article. If they wanted to write a passionate piece about the team they could do that.

“And those of us that put it together were given access to players, we were able to attend press conferences.

“It was a really interesting time.

“We built up a wonderful and broad range of contributors. And it really took off. It was very popular.”

Now people can relive those articles in the new book which is available to buy on Amazon and eBay and from Blue Sheep Books, in Wednesbury.

“At our peak we were producing 600 pages a year so it’s been very difficult trying to condense that into 370 pages for one book,” Simon continued.

“But we wanted to reflect the range of talented writers we had and especially those we have lost.

“There are complaint pieces, passionate pieces, nostalgia pieces. Really it’s a book for all those fans who remember following Albion to places like Southend and Grimsby.

“We’ve also featured a tribute to Jeff Astle. Our fanzine ‘Tribute to the King’ was the biggest selling edition of Grorty Dick. The writing in it was incredibly moving.

“We’ve already sold over 300 copies of Is That The New One? and I’m certain Albion supporters of a certain age will buy it once they know about.

“It will hopefully bring back some wonderful memories for them”

Book signing events for Is That The New One? will take place at The British Queen Pub in Oldbury on November 29, at the Rising Sun pub in Tipton on December 1 and at The Blue Sheep book shop in Wednesbury on December 11.