Death of the football programme?

Not sure if other clubs have done it but Bradford City have just announced that they are axing their matchday programme.

"As from Saturday’s home friendly against Derby, the programme will be no more after the club reluctantly pulled the plug. Buying a matchday programme is a long-standing tradition in the English game, but in a more digitally-minded era with the rise of social media and online content, we feel as a club it is no longer efficient for us to continue producing a matchday programme."

Shame for those who still collect them. Personally, I'd rather pay 50p and get an A4 teamsheet with the two sides on, which is what programmes started as! I know you can get all the information on your phone, but the phone is a distraction and I'd rather just be able to look at a bit of paper to see the team.

I thought you had to do a programme in the efl for the first and last games of the season and the rest were optional,something like that? Rules changed whilst we were away perhaps..

Did Toontown think you had to have a programme for the first and last games ?

Quoted from golfer

Did Toontown think you had to have a programme for the first and last games ?

No, whatever gave you that idea!

Sad to read. In this day and age of screen media saturated technology it's always nice to go back to basics and read something physical. Likewise I've been collecting the world soccer magazine squad lists and interviews they do with managers prior to the world cup and European championships since 2010 and would hate for that to be finished. Likewise I have old Grimsby programmes from around 6 years back that I love to read from time to time.

The matchday programme hasn't been an EFL requirement for a few years.

Scunthorpe and Derby were a few of the earlier clubs to stop producing.

I've subscribed to our programme for years and I'd urge anyone who loves to get one to do the same. Its £50 for the season and an absolute steal. GTFC said that doing so would help sustain the programme. You get cup games etc included.



I was at Goole AFC the other night. What a programme they produce. If clubs of that stature can produce one then league clubs should be able to. For me its an essential part of the matchday experience but I realise I am in the minority.  

They became overpriced years ago.  I after a while I also found them boring.  Always the same format, with some stats on a player.  Tell me something interesting please.

I think Grimsby's programme is of very good quality so I'm happy buying it.

I'm biased in some ways because I've contributed to grassroots football programmes for a good while and very regularly in the last couple of seasons. I did write the GTST page in The Mariner for a few years but that was over a decade ago.

Goole AFC have a good print run and regularly sell out. A proper glossy with some really interesting articles. I write match reports for two local sides and one club, Harworth Colliery, puts them all in its programmes which it even produces for U21 matches.

Programmes don't have to be big affairs. I'd be happy for a slimmed down version at Town if it meant we still had one. I went to see my other local side, Club Thorne Colliery, play in an U21 game at Wombwell Town and the home side's four page programme was a thing of real beauty.

Doncaster Rovers Belles produce a teamsheet and have all the latest league news and stats on the back. A great effort. More like the original football programmes.

Not for everyone but I love getting a programme.

Quoted from toontown

I thought you had to do a programme in the efl for the first and last games of the season and the rest were optional,something like that? Rules changed whilst we were away perhaps..

Past EFL regulations had stated, "that each club was to have one half page of their programme available to benefit the Football Foundation and a full page of advertising to promote League initiatives."
In June 2018 EFL clubs voted that printing programmes are up to each club to decide.

They are collectable, and in 2014, a copy of the 1901 FA Cup final programme between Tottenham and Sheffield Utd was sold for £19,000 at auction.

Quoted from 800

I think Grimsby's programme is of very good quality so I'm happy buying it.

I'm biased in some ways because I've contributed to grassroots football programmes for a good while and very regularly in the last couple of seasons. I did write the GTST page in The Mariner for a few years but that was over a decade ago.

Goole AFC have a good print run and regularly sell out. A proper glossy with some really interesting articles. I write match reports for two local sides and one club, Harworth Colliery, puts them all in its programmes which it even produces for U21 matches.

Programmes don't have to be big affairs. I'd be happy for a slimmed down version at Town if it meant we still had one. I went to see my other local side, Club Thorne Colliery, play in an U21 game at Wombwell Town and the home side's four page programme was a thing of real beauty.

Not for everyone but I love getting a programme.

Doncaster Rovers Belles produce a teamsheet and have all the latest league news and stats on the back. A great effort. More like the original football programmes.

Wasn't there a Fanzine being printed in the "Roy of the Rovers" style?
I don't think it was a Club project as the Cartoons/Articles were irreverant.
From memory, they were not rude nor nasty just poking fun at the players/manager/board etc.
I never saw anybody sell them, they just were read whilst waiting for the KO.

Quoted from GrimPol

Wasn't there a Fanzine being printed in the "Roy of the Rovers" style?
I don't think it was a Club project as the Cartoons/Articles were irreverant.
From memory, they were not rude nor nasty just poking fun at the players/manager/board etc.
I never saw anybody sell them, they just were read whilst waiting for the KO.

SWWF.
Sing When We're Fishing.

I don’t buy them many longer but appreciate the tradition and the massive efforts contributors take in writing stuff for free in their own time.

As I kid I used to get Shoot magazine and in the small ads there was Steve Earle football programmes. You could get a massive bundle for £10 or so.

What you got was completely random but in a time when there was only 3 TV channels  and football once a week on a Saturday night these programmes kept me occupied for hours. I remember the Mick Mills testimonial was a rather good read.

My son buys them every game with his pocket money to add to his collection I hope they don’t stop doing them he would be devastated if he missed a copy on match days

Quoted from ginnywings

SWWF.  
Sing When We're Fishing.

Please can somebody find the brilliant “Hull speak” guide that was in one edition!  

Two teams in the National League only produced a digital programme last year-Dover and Barnet. In the 2019-20 season only Stevenage did so. I'm with Thornemariner on this to the extent that along with Tintowner of this parish we have found someone who will do a professionally printed copy of the digital. Problem solved!

Quoted from gtfcmd

My son buys them every game with his pocket money to add to his collection I hope they don’t stop doing them he would be devastated if he missed a copy on match days

They’re definitely ace for the younger fans. My fondest memories of going to BP as a child with my dad or nana was getting a programme before the game.

Just make for a nice trinket/keepsake whilst being informative and entertaining for pre-game/HT and the ride home! Especially as the signal in BP is so poop!

Just another good match day experience taken away, much the same as walking up to the turnstiles and paying with money.

The game's gone.

It is a shame that football programmes are slowly going, was always a big part of the football experience when you start going as a youngster. I always used to get them, I still buy occasionally now as the quality of the programme Jack Johnson and others provide for our club is outstanding.

Going back a few decades I used to like the ones with the team line ups on the back but with a small description of each player of both sides underneath. Couldn’t do that now given the numbers involved etc.

Times and things change - harder to justify the need for a programme given you can get all the content you need online. That said I’m very much in the camp of tradition - and I’ll be buying one first home game this season - those who have got out the habit of getting one - pick up a copy, think you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to how good it is.

Quoted from barralad

Two teams in the National League only produced a digital programme last year-Dover and Barnet. In the 2019-20 season only Stevenage did so. I'm with Thornemariner on this to the extent that along with Tintowner of this parish we have found someone who will do a professionally printed copy of the digital. Problem solved!

Did Dover definitely do one? If so I didn’t get it 😢

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

Did Dover definitely do one? If so I didn’t get it 😢

I printed off the Dover and Barnet ones. One was £1 the other if I remember correctly was free.

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

I printed off the Dover and Barnet ones. One was £1 the other if I remember correctly was free.

Exactly this.

sodomist, I’ll have to see if I can find it.

Yeah found it here. 👍🏼 https://issuu.com/doverathleticfc/docs/issue_13_dover_v_grimsby_hr

Another one for anyone, one I never found, Cambridge away in the 19/20 season. Was that online?

Quoted from lee65

Please can somebody find the brilliant “Hull speak” guide that was in one edition!  

Just been back to 2011 Fishy where some people are talking about scanning some SWWF old back copies.
GrimRob and wigworld were involved in Scanning and Archiving some old copies.

I just can't get around this forum to find anything

Mansfield aren't producing a programme this season either.

I find it a real shame.