''Brian Moore's Head Looks Uncannily Like
London Planetarium
The London Planetarium building is located on Marylebone Road, London. It is adjacent to and owned by Madame Tussauds. It previously housed a planetarium, offering shows related to space and astronomy. In 2006, it closed as a separate attractio ...
'' was a
fanzine
A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share t ...
devoted to
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent, England. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, the "Gills" play their home matches at Priestfield Stadium. The team compete ...
It began life in 1988, and remarkably for a fanzine, which tend to have short publishing histories, ran for 18 years, with the final issue being published in April 2006. Stephen Foster ranked it top amongst football fanzines in his 2006 book ''The Book of Lists Football''. In the mid-1990s the fanzine began to insert celebrity pictures sent in by readers in order to break up the text. Images of
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian entertainer whose career has encompassed work as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor, painter and television personality. He often used unusual instruments in his performan ...
and
Clare Grogan
Claire Patricia Grogan (born 17 March 1962), known professionally as Clare Grogan or sometimes as C. P. Grogan, is a Scottish actress and singer. She is best known as the lead singer of the 1980s new wave music group Altered Images, as well as ...
recurred the most.
Some fans believed the "BMH" could generally be relied upon to take the most pessimistic and cynical view possible, although this became increasingly difficult during the early years of the tenure of
Paul Scally
Paul Damien Phillip Scally (born ) is a London-born businessman who served as the chairman of Gillingham Football Club between 1995 and 2022.
Career
Scally had become wealthy through the sale of his Metronote photocopier business in South Lon ...
as chairman, as the club recovered from receivership and near losing of its League place to ascend to previously undreamed of heights: by season 2005–06, after relegation and financial difficulties in the club, the chairman has ceased to be considered beyond criticism.
The fanzine gained a reputation as "one of the best and most popular fanzines ever made", with the name attracting comment for its quirky nature.
It took its title from a line in the
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil ...
song "
Dickie Davies Eyes
Dicky, Dickey, Dickie, or plurals thereof may refer to:
Clothing:
* Dickey (garment), a type of false shirt-front
* Dickies, a brand of clothing
People:
* Dicky (name), a list of persons with the given name or nickname
* Dickey (name), a list o ...
".
Brian Moore was formerly a director of the club, and in the absence of any other notable supporters it was decided to honour him in the title.
[Goodbody, John. "Moore takes his final bow with controlled emotion", ''The Times'' (London), 9 June 1998. p. 50]
After the final physical issue, the fanzine was relaunched online and ran in this format until 2008.
References
{{reflist
External links
Brian Moore's Head Looks Uncannily Like London Planetarium
Football fanzines
Gillingham F.C.