This summer, I took the decision to start a new Everton fanzine: The Black Watch.

In 2012, long-running Everton fanzine Speke from the Harbour printed its final issue. A year later, the first and original Everton fanzine When Skies Are Grey produced its last regular issue in print and reverted to a digital-only model (though it still does the occasional issue in print). Around the same time, George Orr's historical publication Blue Blood also closed its doors, leaving the efforts of the good people at NSNO — who distribute a fanzine at a few home games a season — as the only fan-led printed publication in circulation on matchdays. Some might think this shift from print to digital is inevitable, but the demise of the printed fanzine at Everton is at odds with developments elsewhere. Longstanding mags are still running at clubs like Man Utd and Newcastle, while supporters of clubs ranging from Leeds to Motherwell, and Stoke to North Ferriby, have established thriving printed fanzines in recent years.

This is part of the inspiration behind The Black Watch. Quite simply, I miss having something physical to read on a matchday. Five years ago, I would have bought WSAG on a matchday, flicked through it while waiting for my mate in the pub, read a bit more at half-time, and finished the rest off to liven up my commute to and from work. In addition, the likes of WSAG and SFTH have played an important role in chronicling the history of our club. Printed fanzines, as with websites such as ToffeeWeb, offer the chance for fans to put forward their views, reflect on developments at the club, and to write about what its like to support Everton. Now, more than ever, this is important, as our club embarks on a period of rapid change.

After a summer of planning and writing, the fanzine has gone on sale. It's not been an easy task. While commissioning and producing articles was easy enough, a front cover had to be produced, a reasonably-priced printing company identified, paper quality to be selected, and thought given to promotion and distribution. The good man behind the @EFCKitDesigns account kindly produced our front cover free of charge. The design, a take on one of the earliest Everton kits (and the inspiration behind the fanzine's name), has been well received. After weeks of grappling with formatting issues and page designs, the mag was sent to the printers in mid-August and pre-orders began online.

The initial response was excellent, largely thanks to the support of various Everton Twitter accounts. However, printing was not without its issues, and problems on the supply-side meant that the fanzine was delayed by nearly two weeks.

Luckily, this hasn't affected most of the content. The first issue includes a still-relevant review of the summer, including all the bizarre transfer rumours and ticketing chaos that enveloped the club. There's stuff on Rooney, a historically-inspired piece on our first game at Bramley-Moore (should it happen!), a travel report from watching us in Tanzania in pre-season, and an article about the good and the bad of watching MLS in New York.

Issue 2 is already well underway and aims to be released in October. There is an open invitation for people to contribute to the fanzine: we would love to hear from people who want to write articles (long or short, serious or not, contemporary or historical), people who have artistic/design talent, and people who can illustrate, who can help us make the fanzine look even better. If you'd like to get involved, contact theblackwatchfanzine@gmail.com.

Issue 1 is available to buy online, and you can follow the fanzine on Twitter for regular updates.