The cover artwork for issue one of The Square Ball magazine 2026/27, featuring a beautiful illustration of Ethan Ampadu in the new away kit surrounded by white Yorkshire roses
The cover artwork for issue one of The Square Ball magazine 2026/27, featuring a beautiful illustration of Ethan Ampadu in the new away kit surrounded by white Yorkshire roses
Hello, hello! U̶n̶i̶t̶e̶d̶ The Square Ball magazine is back with issue one of our 37th season in print.
The world of Leeds United is full of optimism, ready to anoint new heroes as we start afresh in 2026/27. But we had to celebrate one of the catalysts behind getting us here — who has promised to stay around even longer — with a superb cover illustration of Ethan Ampadu by the superb Tom Lathom-Sharp. Just look at it!
Inside the mag, you’ll find from your favourite regular contributors:
Rob Conlon on a meeting with Leipzig in Leeds United’s first ever European campaign, and a trip behind the Iron Curtain that forced Don Revie’s young upstarts to grow up quickly
Chris McMenamy with the sights, sounds and smells from a week in Dublin as Leeds graced the hallowed turf of Croke Park
Dave Guile writes about the relief of Nigel Martyn never becoming England’s number one, and why he hopes for the same with James Trafford
Plus remembering Ken Bates, the 400-year-old town charter that inspired the home shirt, a reminder to celebrate John Charles Day and being warned off drugs by Kevin Blackwell’s play-off final losers
Subscribe to get this issue cheap with TSB+ — click here for info
Getting the magazine delivered to your home is a very good idea, as it will arrive free of beer stains and torn corners, unless your postie is having a bad morning.
That way we know how many to print, and we have the money up front to pay the printer. We’ll post anywhere in the world and you won’t miss an issue.
. TSB+ gets you all our podcasts advert free, early access and live streaming video of The Match Ball podcast, a digital sub to the magazine, a daily email, discounts and more — and that tenner off getting the paper version delivered.
If you don’t want to subscribe — why not?! — you can . Can I buy the magazine at Elland Road?
As always since 1989, barring pandemics and badly timed World Cups, The Square Ball magazine will be on sale outside Elland Road, . Just look out for our windswept but friendly sellers , and anywhere else someone is holding a fanzine in the air, until about fifteen minutes before kick-off. I’m a TSB+ member, where is the online magazine?
TSB+ members can . What else is in this issue?
Our now twelve times-nominated and two-times FSF Award winning fanzine, plus one for the podcast and as of 2022 one for ‘Fan Media’, includes lots of pages of articles and artwork about what used to be the pain but now is the glory which still involves pain of being a Leeds United supporter, for more than 100 long, long years. Can I read something now? For free? Ah go on?
Free to read from this issue is Rob Conlon’s story on Leeds United’s trip across Checkpoint Charlie and behind the Iron Curtain to face SC Leipzig, featuring blood, snow and espionage — click here to read that for free.
Also free to read from this issue is Dave Guile explaining why he hopes James Trafford doesn’t become England’s number one. Read that for free here.
You can order paper copies of issue one from our online shop now, and they’ll be sent out as soon as they’re printed. To read a digital version online, please become a TSB+ member, with a one week free trial, here.
As Howard Wilkinson always used to say, thank you for your magnificent support. ⬢
The cover artwork for issue one of The Square Ball magazine 2026/27, featuring a beautiful illustration of Ethan Ampadu in the new away kit surrounded by white Yorkshire roses
The cover artwork for issue one of The Square Ball magazine 2026/27, featuring a beautiful illustration of Ethan Ampadu in the new away kit surrounded by white Yorkshire roses