Its hard to believe but 25 years ago today on 30th April 1988 a new fanzine hit the streets of Southampton and who would believe its still here today.

Football fanzines were not new when The Ugly came out for the first time on a sunny Saturday in 1988, the boom had probably started around a year earlier and its true to say fanzines had been popping out of the woodwork at a rate of knots in the previous six months, indeed we werent even the first Southampton one, that fell to Junk Mail run by amongst other the likes of now club historian Dave Juson.

But The Ugly was truer to fanzine roots and after sellingaround 300 copies on the initial run went bigger and better the following season.

The two people behind it were myself Nick Illingsworth along with Clive Foley who will be well remembered amongst older Saints supporters, we conceived the idea, got in a few contributions from mates etc and then in the main wrote most of thet first issue ourselves.

We couldnt afford to get it properly folded and stapled, so the day before was spent putting the pages in the right order, folding them and then stapling them with a normal office stapler, no easy task I can tell you.

n Saturday 30th April 1988 we played West Ham United at the Dell, the result was 2-1 to Saints, the crowd was 15,562 and around 200 of them went home clutching issue 1 of The Ugly Inside, its fair to say that probably around 50% of them knew either myself or Clive, we sold most of the remaining copies the following week at Liverpool and hoovered up the rest in the final game of the season, at home to Luton Town.

At only 50p it was a bargain and we just about broke even, it spurred us on to put out a second issue and the rest as they say is history, although I dont think anyone at the time would have thought that a quarter of a century later we would still be going, in fact if someone had said that it would no longer be paper based but in a space aged invention called the internet we would probably have laughed and put them straight in the next "outs" column.

Its been an eventful 25 years which has at various times seen us sell paper fanzines, produce T Shirts, expand into a record label and put out The Valley Slag's, Legend Of A Saint single and waste any profits we did make on such ventures as well as what became legendary parties. Oh and we have been a newspaper column as well.

Over this time in rough terms we were completely a paper fanzine for 12 1/2 of those years and online for the rest a very neat line to draw I think.

Will we still be here for the nest 25 years, well given this has seen me go from my 20's through my 30's 40's and now my 50's its would seem highly unlikely, 77 year old fanzine editors are not the norm, however you never know, The Ugly Inside has spanned four decades and is still going strong.

Over the years many people have been involved and i havent got the time to mention them, sorry, but they do all know who they are, this piece isnt intended to be an article on the history of the Ugly Inside and what it has or hasnt achieved, its more of a Birthday card to itself, congratulating itself on all these years having passed and still being here and hoping for a few more happy returns to come.

Photo: Action Images

Scummer added 14:04 - Apr 30 Many happy returns! I always enjoy coming to this site, so keep up the good work.
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Struggers added 14:13 - Apr 30 Congratulations Nick. I know you get your fair share of stick sometimes, but the work you do, is really appreciated. Here's to many more.
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stmichael added 14:18 - Apr 30 Where have the years gone? Keep up the good work Nick much appreciated
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geecee added 14:42 - Apr 30 Great job to keep it going for 25 years. As a Saints fan going back to he days of Terry Paine and now living in the USA, I much prefer your articles to the sanitized stuff from the official website. Thanks for all that you do.
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slynch added 14:42 - Apr 30 Do you realise you've witnessed nearly a new manager for every year? Is this a record? Happy Birthday
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davidhosey added 15:24 - Apr 30 Happy Birthday and well done Nick. Always the best site for the most realistic appraisal of the match. Don't stop !
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LostBoys added 15:29 - Apr 30 Well done I remember buying it. I was still playing (trying to play) in those days and only got to see games at the Dell at Xmas, Easter and end of season and it must have been one at the end and I was a guest of the Echo when the hospitaliy was above the Dell Supporters Club. 25 years I must be an old fart.
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st_mike added 16:14 - Apr 30 Congratulations and Happy Birthday Nick! I always appreciate your balanced comments and match reviews. Also like listening to your Monday evening Saints match review on Solent (when we win). Here's to the next 25 years. Cheers!
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richardmdcooper added 16:31 - Apr 30 Nice one - happy birthday! I used to like the paper version - was very amusing. The online version now works great and gives real Saints fans a chance to vent and share opinions. As the author, Nick, you often put yourself in the firing line for plenty of stick but even if I don't agree with you all of the time, you do a great job for sure
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scummerblock38 added 17:02 - Apr 30 Happy Birthday guys, have been an avid fan since day 1, My favorite, Kevin filth, did the Ships Horn supplied by Dave Marshall ever emerge ?, lol. enjoy the next 25.
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TimSaint added 17:52 - Apr 30 Wishing you a very Happy Birthday !! Keep up the good work please !! You have now inspired me to go up into the loft and find my box of old paper copies - including the very first !! I loved the paper versions and looked forward to buying/reading them, but obviously as technology has moved forward, the internet has meant that so many more fans have access to your work - and now I enjoy reading the feedback from fellow fans, nearly as much as the articles themselves.

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SFCHenry added 17:59 - Apr 30 I think I still have a copy of the first one somewhere in the loft. Must be worth a few quid now!!!!!
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SanMarco added 18:25 - Apr 30 The best Saints site by far. Well done to all concerned, especially of course Mr Illingsworth. If we all agreed the whole time then life would be boring and sites like this one pointless. So here's to 25 yrs more of passionate debate (and perhaps the odd trophy or two).
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SFCHenry added 18:34 - Apr 30 I think I still have a copy of the first one somewhere in the loft. Must be worth a few quid now!!!!!
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zonehead added 18:38 - Apr 30 Never read the paper one, but always read the site, good stuff
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SM7 added 21:00 - Apr 30 Quarter of a century,that sounds old.Well done,great site and always a good read generating plenty of comment.Bbring out a new song to commemorate the occasion and get the crowd singing something new and up tempo
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VeloSaint added 21:06 - Apr 30 Have a fair few copies in the loft which I couldn't part with despite having the opportunity moving house recently. Always good output in the mags and the online version as well, keep up the good work Nick.
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davepid added 21:22 - Apr 30 Happy birthday ,Nick. Its a a great piece of uptodate, researched thoughtful commentary,which I love to read.
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sfc1971 added 23:50 - Apr 30 Well done Nick and thanks for all the time and effort. I do miss the the old paper version and every now and then dig the few I have left out for a little read. here`s to another 25 :)
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BoondockSaint added 03:39 - May 1 Congratulations Nick! This is my first season on this site. I've never logged on anywhere else as comments elsewhere usually devolve into childish gibberish (Hello Echo). Not here though- good level-headed reporting and everyone's opinion is respected even if others disagree. That's a credit to you and the people you get on this site. Keep up the good work! (For another 25 years) By the way, can I get Solent on the net or TuneIn Radio out here in the Boondocks?

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LeicesterSaint added 09:44 - May 1 Happy Birthday! I remember well going to the Dell as a young teenage season ticket holder and always looking forward to buying my copy of 'the ugly' - used to love the paper version especially the cartoons and player picture mock ups with captions! As others have said I also still have loads of old copies in the loft. All pieces were really well writen then and continue to be so, and long may that continue - keep up the good work Nick! This is the only Saints website I regually visit, so much better than all the name calling that goes on in the Echo and although peoples opinions differ one thing is certain we all love the Saints and everyones point of view is welcomed without being beaten down.

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ElSanto added 10:01 - May 1 Congratulations and thanks, buddy!
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