1998: a noteworthy year. T'was the year Google was founded and revolutionised how we found the web. Sky Digital marked the beginning of the end for analogue TV (look at your face, analogue TV?). The Denver Broncos proved there's hope for us yet by winning back-to-back Super Bowls, and Bill Clinton stated categorically that he ‘did not have sexual relations with that woman’. Also, the House of Commons formally abolished the death penalty; which was a shame really considering a number of Salford players almost deserved to be hung, drawn and quartered after a dismal season. Little did we know that it was just the beginning of a dull period, from which, a cloud-breaking ray of light emerged to save Reds' fans from those depressive doldrums. 1998 saw the birth of The Scarlet Turkey.

The website spawned soon afterwards: the first incarnation of which arrived online in 1999, before joining Rivals.net's expanding network during the intenet boom. When the dot-com bubble burst a couple of years later, Rivals's rugby league section was amongst the first to be dropped from the roster. A number of these RL subsites joined forces, resolute in their determination to keep going. RLFANS.COM agreed support them, including us, and evolved into a network. ScarletTurkey.com remains as one of the inaugural members of the RLFANS.COM network: the world's most popular rugby league website.

Inspirations: The crappy 1998 season, fans opinions, George Orwell, Red Issue, The late great fanzines: The Tangerine Dream, House of Pain and Wally Lewis Is Coming

Been and gone since Issue #1: Paul Carige, The gay devil, Aussieland, Jason Critchley, Garen Casey, Andy Platt, Joe Bloggs, Karl Harrison, Andy Greg, Pete Waterman, Central Park, Bobby G, ‘Big’ John Harvey's red and white army, Valley Parade, Hudson Smith, that pub in Dewsbury, The Valley, Alf-Red, The Fat Slags, The Boulevard, Malcolm White, tiger-print thongs, Luke ‘pressure makes diamonds’ Robinson, Kevin Ashcroft's marbles, Neil Tunnicliffe, Sportspages, Steve McCormack, Karl Kirkpatrick, Wilderspool, Paul Terzis, James Lowes, The Corvos, Greg McCallum, Daredevil Duck, South of The Shed bogs.

The following articles were originally publsihed in the fanzine or in previous versions of the website.

Revenge of the Simms

Tue 8th Apr 2008
3:21pm
Alec Murky

Hull Kingston Rovers are fast becoming Salford City Reds of three years ago: a club doing well for itself after a lull, and full of pipe dreams. Today’s report that Darren Lockyer is linked with a move Hull KR harks back to 2004, when every Australian agent from Cairns to Kalawalloolagonga was linking their star clients with a move to The Willows—no doubt as a bartering tool to secure a bigger deal from ‘bigger’ clubs.

Rovers are a very attractive club for Darren to come to.Justin Morgan

You keep telling yourself that Justin. Just like we did when Craig Gower was ‘on his way’, before sodding off to rugby union and the lure of the French riviera. The Scarlet Turkey had their fill of this in the summer of 2005. Naturally—just as everything from the style of play to cleanliness of the toilets is, seemingly, Steve Simms’s fault—it was Steve Simms’s fault.

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