Admin phantom Posted April 30, 2018 Admin Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Interesting to see that EFL clubs are to vote at their June meeting whether to scrap the "absolute requirement to produce a match day programme" Is this the end of another one of footballs great traditions? Didn't realise but in Scotland Ross County don't produce a match day programme anymore and Livingstone and Queens Park only produce an online version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gifford Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 If the rules change, i can't see it being the end of the programme yet. Maybe at the smaller League Two clubs. Its a shame but I tend not to buy them anymore only at away matches or big games. I can see there being a shift towards a monthly magazine, which will combine what would have been that months league home games programmes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22A Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 For a few seasons, Derby produced a programme that was more like a newspaper and you could buy it in the local pubs on a Friday night if you wanted to. Thinking about it though, are programmes actually needed nowadays. We used to buy them to see which players were on the pitch. Now each player has his name on the shirt. The teams are also announced over the PA system and where grounds have them, shown on a big screen. At half time, no need to look in the prog to see which letters with score alongside referred to which teams, the HT scores are now announced. I think progs are overpriced now and contain articles we don't need such as when the probability of when each team will score and concede. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Programmes have been such an institution at football games for so long and it would be a shame if they died out. Having said that, though, I'd be as guilty as anyone for contributing to their demise because I only occasionally buy one for home games. I get one every time I go on an away game but since having kids that's only a couple of times a season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityexile Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Seems the EFL are going to vote on whether clubs have to have one. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43955431 Would be a ‘no’ from me, although maybe through nostalgia as much as anything. Time to move with the times? Got boxes of the things somewhere. Edit...bugger, just seen the other thread. Ho hum. Merge please if anyone with those powers sees! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dolman Pragmatist Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 My nine-year old likes the programme. Sorry, matchday magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Always preferred fanzines myself, but at the same time programmes have their place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderEyed Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Fanzines will take over then. Surprised more people don't get them tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miah Dennehy Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I only tend to buy programmes now if I am at a new ground on my own and it gives me something to read, so I knew about Queens Park, but I'm pretty sure I bought programmes at Ross County and Livingstone so it must have been fairly recent they went online or got rid. I think it would be a shame, buying a programme as a kid was a big part of going to matches, surely the EFL have got bigger things to worry about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBW Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I've been saying for years that they're outdated and need to be approached much differently. The content is fine, the size is probably fine too but overall the paper doesn't need to be high quality abd it should be more of a cheap buy that you're not too worried about folding up and into your back pocket, like a magazine you'd buy in a shop. Like the TV magazines even... Make it smaller, make the paper thinner, try not to over-design it and spend ages on new design for every issue, instead have a template you can just amend the content of easily and go with it. The cost of football is already a lot and a sudden drop in the price of the programme might make people look at them very differently... If you get enough advertising in them you could even give them out for free. The content would suffer a little but sometimes people just want the programme as a memory of the game rather than lots of content they've already read online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderEyed Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Just now, Robin TBW said: I've been saying for years that they're outdated and need to be approached much differently. The content is fine, the size is probably fine too but overall the paper doesn't need to be high quality abd it should be more of a cheap buy that you're not too worried about folding up and into your back pocket, like a magazine you'd buy in a shop. Like the TV magazines even... Make it smaller, make the paper thinner, try not to over-design it and spend ages on new design for every issue, instead have a template you can just amend the content of easily and go with it. The cost of football is already a lot and a sudden drop in the price of the programme might make people look at them very differently... If you get enough advertising in them you could even give them out for free. The content would suffer a little but sometimes people just want the programme as a memory of the game rather than lots of content they've already read online. Thing is, £3 is scandalous for what people will only treat as a memento of a game. Can go and see a whole non-league game for that. Think you've got it spot on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrdc Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I think an online version would be w good way forward. Just download for perhaps £1.50 and they should be okay in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeneys Penalties Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I'm old enough to remember an insert mag in the programme called "Football League Review" or something... which was easily as interesting as the Programme itself. It was fascinating for a number of reasons..not least it's "snapshot" behind the scenes comment on lesser clubs (complete with photo's). Even the ads were classics... "smoke number 6", "Park Drive", "walking in the Chilterns" etc. I miss those days, but they are consigned to history.... I do miss that insert/booklet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CotswoldRed Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 2 hours ago, Miah Dennehy said: I only tend to buy programmes now if I am at a new ground on my own and it gives me something to read, so I knew about Queens Park, but I'm pretty sure I bought programmes at Ross County and Livingstone so it must have been fairly recent they went online or got rid. I think it would be a shame, buying a programme as a kid was a big part of going to matches, surely the EFL have got bigger things to worry about? It is a shame, but inevitable. I've not bought one for myself in decades, just for the nipper. He doesn't ask for one now either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsofclay Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 42 minutes ago, Sweeneys Penalties said: I'm old enough to remember an insert mag in the programme called "Football League Review" or something... which was easily as interesting as the Programme itself. It was fascinating for a number of reasons..not least it's "snapshot" behind the scenes comment on lesser clubs (complete with photo's). Even the ads were classics... "smoke number 6", "Park Drive", "walking in the Chilterns" etc. I miss those days, but they are consigned to history.... I do miss that insert/booklet though. I remember them too, it seems that even back then they knew something else was required to keep football programmes going. I used to buy programmes from a company in Leicester called Steve Earle programmes and I recall reading of programmes for sale MINUS The Football League Review. I used to think what gits they were taking the guts out of these programmes. Jack the Ripper was obviously still alive and active in the 1970s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire_red Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 A few years ago I saw a news piece with the Macclesfield chairman delivering free copies of their programme to local houses because there was a minimum print run of 500 which obviously they didn’t sell out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBW Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 2 hours ago, ZiderEyed said: Thing is, £3 is scandalous for what people will only treat as a memento of a game. Can go and see a whole non-league game for that. Think you've got it spot on there. I just looked in my mailbox and I emailed the club all this in 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Ashton Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 38 minutes ago, handsofclay said: I remember them too, it seems that even back then they knew something else was required to keep football programmes going. I used to buy programmes from a company in Leicester called Steve Earle programmes and I recall reading of programmes for sale MINUS The Football League Review. I used to think what gits they were taking the guts out of these programmes. Jack the Ripper was obviously still alive and active in the 1970s. Was that the Steve Earle that played for Leicester? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I bought a match day programme religiously until earlier this season. Most of the content is on the BCTV channel, ahead of match day....so I stopped buying it. I’d happily just get the squad page that is on the back cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyredredrobin Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 As a kid, I was happy to pay 5p or 10p for a programme, but admission was only 25p or 50p then. I have not bought a programme for about 30 yeats though, except for the Man U game. No real need for them nowadays as the evil post and city website provides enough pre match info. and I can get the teams from twitter or OTIB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miah Dennehy Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 6 hours ago, Robin Ashton said: Was that the Steve Earle that played for Leicester? No. it was spelt Earl I think. He always used to advertise in things like 'Shoot'. To get a starter bundle with him, you used to just have to send off something like 30 pence worth of stamps! It was what got me into collecting them as a kid, I absolutely loved the thrill of opening a new parcel and seeing programmes from exotic far away places like Grimsby. I did keep my programmes until my son was about 7 or 8 (He is 21 now) as I assumed he would be nerdy like me- turns out he wasn't so I gave them all away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 7 hours ago, Davefevs said: I bought a match day programme religiously until earlier this season. Most of the content is on the BCTV channel, ahead of match day....so I stopped buying it. I’d happily just get the squad page that is on the back cover. Yup, I agree. All you need is a team sheet. Would be good if these were available at the turnstiles, probably not for free but a 50p charge would cover the cost of 1 A4 piece of paper, the club could even sell advertising space on it. I’m not sure about the arguement about the programme being too expensive to produce though as the media team would be doing all the work anyway for the club websites won’t they? It’s not as if they have to do a whole lot more. If the programme goes I expect media will be looking at job cuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abraham Romanovich Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 2 hours ago, Miah Dennehy said: No. it was spelt Earl I think. He always used to advertise in things like 'Shoot'. To get a starter bundle with him, you used to just have to send off something like 30 pence worth of stamps! It was what got me into collecting them as a kid, I absolutely loved the thrill of opening a new parcel and seeing programmes from exotic far away places like Grimsby. I did keep my programmes until my son was about 7 or 8 (He is 21 now) as I assumed he would be nerdy like me- turns out he wasn't so I gave them all away! I feel your pain during 60's and 70's collected programmes like they were going out of fashion - seem to spend all my spare pocket money on the assumption I was big building a sizeable collection which I would one day sell and convert into a retirement nest egg. Suffice to say my investment strategy was wrong - who would have ever thought I would be better off keeping all my original Beatles singles rather than turning them into ashtrays on the advice of Blue Peter. Do not even get me started on my grandfathers lead soldiers which were chucked out as being old fashioned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nongazeuse Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 Well I like to buy a programme - home and away. I probably don't read them as avidly afterwards as I used to because lots of the stats appear on-line. I didn't get one at the Man Utd game as there was a queue about 200 yards long and I'm regretting that I couldn't be bothered to wait now. Often select an old one at random from the hundreds in the cupboard and dream of seasons past and remember players I'd forgotten. Mainly I think how lucky we are now compared with some of the dross served up over the years and some of the crap grounds we played at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiale Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 I think the cover art of our programmes is top notch and was nice that they brought it upto date. Personally, I just buy them as a memento for the big games, thought the Man City one with for example was very good and certainly value for money. Whether it's a tradition worth keeping, I doubt it, they are probably not cheap to make/produce and how many do they sale ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChippenhamRed Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 15 hours ago, ZiderEyed said: Thing is, £3 is scandalous for what people will only treat as a memento of a game. Can go and see a whole non-league game for that. Think you've got it spot on there. Pretty sure you'd have to go an awful long way down the non-league pyramid to pay £3 for a game?! Chippenham Town was £11 this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgbbcf Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 I have a program from every game for my son from all the home and away games. they are that little bit of memorabilia that goes on a shelf, gets signed by the players when we can. the price is not relevant, its less than a pint or a pie, it would be a shame for it to go, but i see there is a lot of the wasted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 Just way too expensive these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderEyed Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 12 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said: Pretty sure you'd have to go an awful long way down the non-league pyramid to pay £3 for a game?! Chippenham Town was £11 this year. £11! I paid 4 quid for clevedon I think, maybe less for RGST, been to a few under 18s games that were basically free. Lower down you go the more of a laugh it is tbh. £3 is still a fair wedge for a bit of paper im gonna chuck in a drawer when I get home though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolfOfWestStreet Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 Print media is on its arse, not surprised. I havn't bought one in 9 years, they appear expensive for content you can usually find online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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