Matthew Kempson: "I am a supporter, fundraiser and occasional volunteer of North Ferriby FC"
I had the pleasure of speaking with Matthew Kempson, editor and producer of Ferriby’s independent fanzine, View from the Allotment End. Matthew he talked to me about his great fanzine and the North Ferriby team that went from glory to relegation and then back to glory! But also about his relationship with other fanzines and the fans in Germany... and in Greece!
Christos Kazantzoglou: Tell me few words about you.
Matthew Kempson: I’m Matthew, a football fan living outside Hull, in East Yorkshire up towards the north-east of England. After moving up here with work and family, I rekindled a passion for non-league in 2014 when I started watching North Ferriby. At the time, 10 years ago, Ferriby were on a remarkable FA Trophy cup run which led to victory against Wrexham at Wembley.
I am the editor and producer of Ferriby’s independent fanzine, View from the Allotment End. We are now up to issue 26, producing 3 issues a season. Through the sale of the print issues, online and outside the ground, we raise a bit of money for local charities and the club. To date we’ve raised over £5,000.
In addition, I am active with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) who represent fans’ interest and have been key in the fan-led review and the push for an independent football regulator. I ]am a member of their National Game Network, and represent this group on the FSA’s National Council. With football increasingly being a global business, the FSA is essential in representing fans’ views and interests.
Christos Kazantzoglou: Why did you start the magazine View from the Allotment End?
Matthew Kempson: It was started by friend and fellow Ferriby fan, Darren Norton back in 2016. As a fanzine fan and contributor to other zines, he’d been itching to create one for Ferriby fans. At that time, Ferriby were at the height of their powers, having been promoted to the top flight of the National League (Step 1/Level 5) and Darren thought that a potential boost in crowds and profile could prove a great time to launch a fanzine. Well, apart from a few exceptions, the crowds weren’t all that large, and it was the onset of a period of decline for Ferriby. Despite all this, North Ferriby FC is now in a strong position, and we have a fanzine that we’re proud of.
I occasionally remark on the fact that we’ve published View from the Allotment End whilst North Ferriby FC or North Ferriby United has been at every level of the non-league’s National League System - Steps 1-6. We have really seen it all.
Christos Kazantzoglou: Do you support only North Ferriby, or do you follow a «bigger club» as well?
Matthew Kempson: I grew up supporting West Ham United in the 80s and 90s. A family friend was a life-long season ticket holder and he got me interested in the club. Also, at that time, I lived in Nottingham and my Dad and I spent many happy weekends watching them in the Cloughie era. I’d sit in the Junior Reds section and he’d be further back. At half time we’d meet up and share a Crunchie chocolate bar. It was during this time that my Dad secured the unusual opportunity for me to be West Ham’s mascot at Nottingham Forest in an evening match. It was such a memorable experience. Although the West Ham players treated me with suspicion, Cloughie and the Forest players were wonderful.
Over the years I’ve developed an affection for other clubs too. This includes the fan-owned Clapton Community Football Club in east London. I remember popping into their Old Spotted Dog ground when down that way for West Ham in the 1990s. They’ve had a turbulent history in recent years but the new club to emerge is, for me, the epitome of what a football club should be. It has a clear set of values and looks to have impact beyond football. It’s very special and I am pleased to be a member (or owner).
Finally, more recently, I’ve also taken an interest in Carlisle United, the beloved home club of my partner, Helen.
Christos Kazantzoglou: How do you gather the material for each issue?
Matthew Kempson: It’s a combination of approaches. Firstly, we have a good number of loyal, regular contributors. They are the backbone of the fanzine and I can rely on them for content each issue. I also always put an open call out on our socials. We welcome new voices and opinions.
When it comes to editing the zine, I try to ensure we have a good balance of content so that there is something for everyone. About a third focuses on Ferriby, and the rest is a combination of other football and culture. From across our zine team, we cover a wide range of football interests. I think it all comes together really well within each issue.
Christos Kazantzoglou: What is your relationship with North Ferriby FC?
Matthew Kempson: I am a supporter, fundraiser and occasional volunteer. Primarily, I am keen that the fanzine is independent from the club and fans should be able to talk freely and have the opportunity to challenge how things are done. This is principally born out of the campaign work I did a number of years ago when we had a dodgy owner who was seeking to change the club’s name and relocate it to a ground he owned north of Hull - essentially franchising the club. We successfully resisted this but North Ferriby United was wound up in the courts when the owner lost interest. North Ferriby FC is the successful and sustainable phoenix club that rose from the ashes, led by Les Hare, Chairman and part-owner.
From part of the fanzine sales we sponsor the club shorts and so they all have VFTAE emblazoned on a back cheek - £1,750 has gone to the club. It’s not just the first team that has our name on the shorts. Les extended this across the youth and women’s teams. I expect there are a great many parents and others who wonder what the hell VFTAE refers to.
Since the club reformed, we have awarded an annual Player of the Season trophy, and this season we established a Player of the Month prize, offering 4 cans of premium supermarket lager to the winner.
Finally, I’m always keen to help out down the ground during the summer, whether it be painting, sweeping, or hedge-trimming.
Christos Kazantzoglou: One thing that i like it, apart from the rich content, is that you send the fanzine outside the UK, unlike others. Why don’t you keep it local? Do you want it to have a wider reach?
Matthew Kempson: I really enjoy connecting with football fans, wherever they are from. We all share a common language. I felt this most a few years ago at a joint FSA/Fans Europe event in Manchester. I got chatting to a couple of Bayern Munich fans. They’d just won the Bundesliga and Ferriby had just won the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. In some respects we were worlds apart but there were also similarities. We shared a passion for fan culture and, of course, it feels great winning your league, whatever your level.
Fanzine culture is big overseas, and that’s how I met Jan Stöver, who has been producing fanzines associated with Altona 93 in Hamburg. We were so pleased to welcome him to Ferriby last season. It’s through him that we’ve begun to make links with others in Germany.
And we’re always keen to make connections elsewhere including Greece, obviously.
And I’ll continue to be happy to send our zine to fans abroad.
Christos Kazantzoglou: Are you considering offering an annual subscription for the magazine? Will we see anything else, like stickers or t-shirts?
Matthew Kempson: I have wondered about setting up a subscription as we have got into a reliable pattern of producing 3 issues a season. I’ll perhaps look to develop this for next season. It could open us up to new readers and strengthen our charitable income.
We do have a basic logo sticker that we take to away fixtures and I’d be keen to develop more. It’s just a case of thinking of some creative angles. One of my more random creations was a fanzine-branded envelope of vegetable seeds. We produced these to celebrate our allotment associations. I recall some fans sending me photos of their rocket and celery plants.
When it comes to apparel, this remains Darren’s domain. When he established the zine, he’d produced hats and t-shirts. More recently, he designed a rather fetching Ferriby fan game shirt and a t-shirt. We’ll make sure you’re in the loop, next time Darren needs some new threads to wear down Ferriby on a Saturday, and plans a new t-shirt. We’d be keen to see them proudly worn in Greece.
Find VFTAE on social media:
Official site: https://vftae.bigcartel.com
Official site: www.fsa.org.uk
Bluesky: vftae.bsky.social
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/vftae
Official site: www.fsa.org.uk
Pix’s from Matthew Kempson and View from the Allotment End