2019/20
2019/20 Programme of the Season Award
1st Place: Norwich City
2nd Place: Sheffield United
3rd Place: Bournemouth
Programme Reviews
Key
PP = Total Pages
Net = Total Pages Less Adverts
P = Perfect Bound
S = Stapled
Arsenal (v Bournemouth 06/10/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 70 net / P)
Arsenal’s issue is once again one of the most attractively presented programmes in the league. Boasting high-quality design and artwork throughout, including some imaginative presentation of stats and data, the issue is a pleasure to read. Unfortunately, the range of original content seems somewhat reduced since last season, when the programme included several features related to Arsenal’s 100th consecutive top-flight season.
In particular, the issue lacks much in the way of historical content. ‘Culture Club’ is a three-page retro feature that looks at connections between Arsenal and popular culture. In the Bournemouth issue for example, the column profiles winger Peter Marinello, who joined Arsenal in January 1970. Although he failed to make much of an impact on the pitch, Marinello enjoyed the limelight off it, appearing on Top of the Pops and being the poster boy for the Milk Marketing Board, among others. ‘At Home With’ has Arsenal players recording how their family lives have influenced their football careers. A little different to a lot of standard player features, the article is perhaps not interesting enough to justify the four pages afforded to it. A related ‘retro’ image sees an Arsenal star of the past pictured at home. Of more interest is ‘Arsenal Life’, which provides profiles of Arsenal staff members who have worked for the club for over 20 years. This offers an interesting insight into how football has changed off the field in recent decades. The programme also includes a current player feature, which incorporates some high-class photography, and a ‘Junior Gunners’ pull-out section.
The programme offers club information as extensive as any issue in the league, with detailed coverage of Arsenal’s various teams. ‘Arsenal Academy’ presents an in-depth 12-page look at the Gunners’ youth and development squad teams. The section includes a player interview with one ‘Young Gun’, which runs to three pages, while ‘Academy Alumni’ features one player who came through the Gunners’ youth ranks but who is now plying their trade elsewhere. There is a page of academy news, as well as match reports that include team line-ups and photographs, including one double-page image from the game. ‘The Breakdown’ shows results, fixtures, and tables for the under-23 and under-18 teams, plus a page of appearance records for the academy players. Arsenal Women are covered on two pages, with match reports, results and fixtures, and news from the squad.
The section on the visiting club, which is fronted by a striking graphic in the club’s colours, runs to six pages. These include profiles of various key players and a fact-file, as well as notes on the club’s form and transfer activity. There is a head-to-head image that contains various stats, a piece on the visiting club’s manager, and ‘Scouting Report’, which offers a detailed look at the club’s tactical set-up and ways in which the team’s players can be deployed.
Coverage of first-team matches is suitably detailed, running to four pages for each game. These include line-ups, match stats, and ‘first-half’ and ‘second-half’ reports, as well as images from the match. The coverage also includes ‘Chalkboard’ which adds some tactical analysis. Manager and captain columns are presented over three pages each, making use of full-page photography to accompany the text. There are three pages of club news in ‘Voice of Arsenal’, which are accompanied by ‘Picture of the Week’ – a two-page image which, in the Bournemouth issue, showed some of Arsenal’s young stars in recent Europa League action. There are also three pages on the work of the Arsenal Foundation and the club’s community work. As with the academy teams, ‘The Breakdown’ provides a beautifully presented stats section for the first-team, making good use of Arsenal’s colours and various different graphics to enliven the data.
There is not another programme in the league that is as well designed as the Arsenal issue. Nor is there an issue containing as much club information. However, this season’s issue perhaps just lacks the weight of original content to compete with the very best in the division.
Score 33/40 – always impressive, this Arsenal issue would be among the award winners with a greater amount of original content.
Aston Villa (v Everton 23/08/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 64 net / P)
For Villa’s first Premier League season since 2015/16 the club have produced a perfect-bound A5 programme. The issue retains the traditional ‘Villa News and Record’ title and features striking cover artwork, with an image of a Villa player against a backdrop displaying the player’s name, all nicely laid out in the club’s familiar claret and blue colours.
The best content within the programme comes in ‘Villa Vault’, which is a nine-page historical section. This opens with an eye-catching page design that shows Villa pictures from down the years together with items of club memorabilia, including matchday programmes. Each of the pages within the section is edged with a brown outline with the articles themselves presented as if on aged paper. This provides some differentiation for the section and adds to the retro feel. One of the articles – ‘Inside Out’ – is a programme collector’s ideal feature, selecting a Villa programme from a previous meeting with the day’s opponents. The article reproduces the front and back of the programme in question and comments on various of the articles and other contents. The feature also reports on the outcome of the game, with a focus on key players.
Villa Vault also includes ‘Where Villains No Longer Tread’, which looks at grounds that are no longer in existence and Villa’s fortunes there. Featuring a picture of the ground and a brief history, the article recalls various memorable visits and the last game played there by Villa. ‘100 Years On’ looks at the 1919/20 season, Villa’s first after the Great War. The feature reports on matches from the time, with a detail in the Everton issue that the players had to change trains five times on the way to their opening game of the season at Sunderland! It was perhaps not surprise that the team fell to a 2-1 defeat. ‘Numbers Game’ meanwhile sees Frank Holt selecting various topical facts related to the day’s fixture and date.
Other content includes Q&A, which is a five-page interview with the issue’s cover star. There is a section for Villa’s junior fans, which runs to four pages, while ‘Tayls Talking’ is a column from former Villa midfielder Ian Taylor. ‘Villa Rewind’ is a retro picture featuring a classic Villa image from the archives. For the Everton issue, the shot showed former Villa player (and later boss) Brian Little, scoring the winning goal in the 1977 League Cup Final win over the Toffees.
In respect of club information, there are columns from manager Dean Smith and club captain James Chester, while ‘Match Action’ looks back at recent games with several images from the day, match details, and commentary on the game. ‘Villa News Desk’ meanwhile provides news pieces and a diary of the season. The club’s under-23s have a page match report, with full line-ups and brief text, followed by results and fixtures for both them and the under-18s. The programme includes three pages on Villa’s women’s team, with match coverage, words from the head coach, and a results and fixtures page. ‘Stat Attack’ is a four-page collection of facts and figures for the first team, including results and fixtures, the league table, and player records.
Coverage of Villa’s matchday opponents comes in ‘Opposition Profile’, which is spread over nine pages. The section provides an impressive level of detail, all set within attractively designed layouts that utilise the club’s colours to good effect. The opening two-page spread includes some eye-catching design work, with a background of the club’s home ground and a large club crest. This also includes a fact-file, with the club’s honours, and a ‘SceneSetter’ articles that assesses the team’s form and recent progress. There then follow four pages of pen-pics of the visiting squad, simply laid out as if in a sticker album, with a more detailed write-up of one ‘Key Player’ and ‘The Manager’. ‘A Potted History’ provides a brief overview of the club’s past, including a memorable image. ‘Stat Attack’ offers a wealth of facts and figures about the visiting team, with ‘Player In Focus’ looking at some numbers for one key member of the team.
With a good mix of original content, club information, and visitor coverage, Villa have produced an impressive programme. Featuring some quality design and layout work throughout, the issue is very well presented and a pleasure to browse through. The ‘Villa Vault’ section is a real highlight, featuring various well-written historical articles.
Score 34/40 – an impressive issue with no significant weaknesses, the Villa News and Record maintains its reputation as a high-class programme.
Bournemouth (v Manchester City 25/08/19)
£3.50 (100 pp / 74.5 net / P)
Bournemouth’s ‘Matchday’ programme has been a strong performer in our rankings over the last couple of seasons, taking our Silver Award in 2017/18 and finishing in fifth position last time out. The programme has arguably improved further this season, mixing an impressive range of content (including several excellent historical features) with quality opposition coverage and club information. The issue is a perfect-bound 100-page B5 production, with a familiar look to the issues of recent years.
The best reading in the issue comes with ‘Dean Court Days’, which gathers together various historical articles over eight pages. These include ‘Picking the Cherries’, which picks up from last season in looking at each of the men who have managed Bournemouth down the years. This season opened with a detailed look at Harry Redknapp’s time in charge, spread over the first two issues of the campaign. The feature records in impressive detail Redknapp’s spell at the club, and the ups and downs that Bournemouth experienced in the Football League in the 1980s.
‘The Numbers Game’ marks 20 years since squad numbers were first made compulsory in the Football League, looking at the players who have worn various numbers for Bournemouth, together with stats showing things like who has made the most appearances wearing each number. ‘Next Moves’ examines players who have appeared for both Bournemouth and their matchday opponents, providing detailed profiles of each player with pictures of them in action for both clubs. ‘Champagne Cherries’ looks at key figures for Bournemouth down the years, with the player recalling key moments from their time at the club, in their own words.
‘Matchday’ offers several other impressive features too. For the Manchester City issue, the programme included a four-page article on Mel Machin, who managed both the Cherries and the Citizens to promotion. The article looks at Machin’s career as a player and manager, and featured words of tribute from various people associated with Bournemouth. The main current player feature runs to some ten pages that, as with other articles in the programme, are uninterrupted by adverts. This helps the flow of the article and provides a consistent feel to the issue. The feature includes photos of the player in a location of interest around the town, wearing a retro Bournemouth shirt. The programme also includes another four-page player feature, as well as ‘The Bourne Legacy’, which offers an interview with a former player who looks back on their career and notes what they are doing post-retirement. ‘Shared History’ recalls a moment from a past meeting of Bournemouth and their opponents, in the form of a full-page photograph with related commentary. The issue also includes a junior pull-out section with plenty of content, including a quiz, player Q&A, and a large poster.
The section on the visiting club is top-class and certainly one of the best in the division. The section runs to ten pages and is nicely presented in the visiting club’s colours. The content opens with a full-page photo of an opposition player, which is followed by introductory notes that include form notes, player details, and squad information. A stats page shows an honours board and club records, as well as recent match results. There are four pages of player profiles, offering an impressive insight into the visiting club’s squad and a picture of each player. ‘Unknown’ looks at some lesser known information about the club, with various notes from their history, while ‘Season in Six’ offers a look at the team’s recent fortunes through six images and accompanying notes. ‘Golden Goal’ recalls a famous strike from the club’s past through the eyes of a supporter, with several images from the relevant match included.
The programme is strong on club information and opens with articles from boss Eddie Howe, Chairman Jeff Mostyn, and captain Simon Francis. This is followed by a couple of pages of club news. Action from recent matches is shown over three pages for each game, with various photographs, a match report, full line-up details, and other stats, as well as a timeline of key moments from the game. This is typically well laid-out, with intelligent use of the shirt colours of each of the teams. There are two pages on Bournemouth’s women’s team, including a nice mix of content such as notes on recent matches a player profile, and details of results and fixtures. There are also two pages for the club’s under-21s and youth teams, with the latter including ‘honest match reports’ in the words of one of the players involved. The usual first-team season spread is nicely presented over two pages, while there is also a page of Premier League stats.
This is another very strong issue from Bournemouth, which impresses in all areas. The programme is packed full of interesting, highly readable features, with the historical content being a real stand-out. This is a Bournemouth issue that deservedly retains its place as one of the very best in the league.
Score 35/40 – consistently among the league’s best since promotion in 2015, thoroughly meriting a second award in three seasons.
Brighton & Hove Albion (v Tottenham Hotspur 05/10/19)
£3.50 (100 pp / 78 net / P)
The consistently impressive Brighton programme has taken third place in our awards in each of the last two seasons, and the club has delivered another fine issue for the 2019/20 season. The programme has undergone a re-design since last year, but remains a 100-page, perfect-bound issue, packed with quality content.
Several historical features stand out, with ‘Centurions’ being the pick of the bunch. This eight-page feature marks 100 years since Albion first won their place in the Football League, looking at famous players who have worn the Albion shirt down the years. This includes several images of the player in action, information on memorable moments in their career, and a ‘Did You Know’ panel that relates lesser known details about the player. The column also features words from the player, while ‘Centurion in Print’ reproduces covers and content from various Albion programmes that contained information about the player. For example, the Tottenham issue had as its subject former Albion star Gary Stevens, who spent five years with the club before a move to White Hart Lane following his man of the match performance in the 1983 FA Cup Final defeat to Manchester United.
‘Pride in the Shirt’ is a four-page article that, in each issue, looks at an Albion shirt from the past and a player from the time who is closely associated with it. The feature provides words from that player, as well as information on the shirt design and the season it was worn. The article also offers images of matches from the time and pictures of the club’s other kits from the season. ‘My Albion’ is another recurring feature that contains interviews with Brighton fans with a story to tell, such as those with extensive collections of Albion memorabilia. There are several features with current players within the Brighton issue. As with other parts of the programme, these feature some nice layout and artwork, combining well the images and text included. The main interview is with the issue’s cover star and covers eight pages. The issue also includes a junior pull-out section, called ‘Extra Time’.
Also attractively presented is the eight-page visitors’ section. This opens with a column that reflects on the club’s recent form, next to a historical timeline that traces key events in the club’s past. There are then three pages of pen-pics of the visiting squad, with a brief profile and biographical details alongside each player’s photo. ‘Stat Attack’ takes a numbers-based look at the club’s season to date, before a ‘Factfile’ column analyses one opposition player. Finally, ‘By Numbers’ is a two-page spread with various images of the club’s past and present, with each image bearing a number and some text outlining its significance.
In terms of club information, the programme includes two-page columns from manager Graham Potter and Chief Executive, Paul Barber. As with the issues of previous seasons, Mr Barber’s column offers an interesting insight into the sorts of challenge associated with running a club of Brighton’s size and resources. ‘Around the Amex’ gathers three pages of club news, while previous matches are covered across a two-page photo spread, with several images from each game together with the result and goal-scorer details. There are a couple of player interviews with members of Albion’s other sides, and the programme also features a report from a recent game from the women’s team’s league and cup campaigns. The issue does not include results, fixtures, and tables for either the Academy or women’s teams, instead directing readers to the club website. The programme does provide an extensive first-team stats section, including the usual two-page season spread, all deployed on a distinctive black background that marks out the pages from the rest of the issue.
The quality of the design work is one of the highlights of this Brighton programme. The ‘Centurions’ column is one of the most enjoyable reads in any programme this season, and indicative of the standards set by the team behind the Albion issue.
Score 31/40 – a well presented programme with plenty of worthwhile reading in each issue.
Burnley (v Norwich City 21/09/19)
£3.00 (80 pp / 57 net / P)
Burnley’s consistently excellent ‘Turf’ programme returns for the 2019/20 season with a new look. The programme is now presented in a square format, which the club previously used in the late 2000s. There has also been an increase in the number of pages since last season, with 80 pages – up from 68 – now included for the £3 cost.
Burnley’s programme has been one of the most impressively designed issues of the last few seasons and that quality has been adopted well to the new shape of the programme. Nowhere is this more in evidence than with the cracking cover designs used this season. These feature the outline of a football pitch with the names of the clubs in the centre circle and the two halves of the pitch given over to the shirt colours of the teams. This has worked particularly well where there is a strong contrast between the two sets of colours, such as with the Norwich City and Newcastle United issues. The programme also uses shirt motifs in certain sections throughout the programme, which help to provide a consistent feel to the issue.
The 2019/20 season is the 60th anniversary of the last time that Burnley were champions of England, and the programme marks the occasion with a retro section that looks back at the title-winning season. There are two pages of reports from various games, as well as pictures of news cuttings from the time, match images, and notes on other contemporary news events. Similar treatment is given to the 1999/00 season, when Burnley won promotion from the third tier of English football under the management of Stan Ternent. There are other noteworthy retro features also within the programme. ‘Snapshot’ reproduces a picture from the archives across most of a two-page spread, with associated commentary. The image used in the Norwich City issue is a black and white shot of Clarets legend Jimmy McIlroy running through a local park in his Burnley kit. ‘The Last Word’ meanwhile has a former Burnley player selecting highlights from their time with the club, as well as offering their thoughts on the current squad.
The main player feature runs to six pages, which here focuses on Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope. As elsewhere in the programme, the feature is provided with simple, plain backgrounds that makes the issue easy to read through and offers a clean feel throughout. ‘My Favourite Game’ sees one Burnley fan recalling their favourite memory of supporting the Clarets, while there is a two-page column from Tony Livesey, who here looks at former Burnley Chairman Bob Lord. There is also an article from ‘Clarets Player’ commentator Phil Bird and a feature called ‘Kitted Out’, which invites one Burnley player to showcase their favourite match shirts from their collection.
‘Turf’ is also strong on club information. There are columns from boss Sean Dyche, captain Ben Mee, and Chairman Mike Garlick, as well as two pages of news. Previous match coverage is presented across two pages, which gives plenty of room for an action picture from the game. This is complemented by a brief match report, stats, and line-ups. There are two pages for each of Burnley’s women’s team, youth side, and development squad, with match reports, player profiles, fixtures and results, and league tables. The first-team’s season spread is well laid out, with good use of club colours to present the information clearly. The Burnley issue this season also features four detachable cards as a fold-out from the back cover. These show memorable players and shirts from the past, each with details of their significance on the reverse.
The visitors section covers seven pages, which are typically well laid out with the opponents’ club colours to the fore. The first page provides a summary of the club’s season to date, as well as a few historical notes, which are followed by a profile of the visiting manager. A sidebar presents key club information, including the year of founding, ground information, recent form, and club record holders. There then follow four pages of pen-pics with one player identified as the visitors’ ‘Star Man’. The section is capped off with an ‘Icon’ article, which looks at a legendary figure from the visiting club’s history.
There is no better designed issue in the league than Burnley’s ‘Turf’ and the standards they have set from previous seasons are maintained here. As one of only four issues in the Premier League costing just £3 the Burnley programme provides excellent value for money, with a good range of readable features, extensive club information, and well presented visitors information.
Score 34/40 – our winner from the 2017/18 season, Burnley have delivered another high-class programme that impresses in all areas.
Chelsea (v Liverpool 22/09/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 68 net / P)
Chelsea retain the perfect-bound programme they introduced last season. Slightly ‘taller’ than a standard B5 issue, the programme is attractively presented, with neat and tidy layouts across the issue. The programme uses small but perfectly readable text to provide plenty of information and content in the space available. The issue includes several longer-form articles that together add up to an impressive amount of readable content.
The 2019/20 season marks 50 years since the club’s first FA Cup triumph and in each issue this season the programme contains a five-page column looking back at the 1969/70 campaign, when Chelsea also achieved a then record-equalling finish of third place in Division One. The opening page of the feature is set out in a design that echoes Chelsea’s programme from the time, while the article itself is written by club historian Rick Glanvill and looks at the key moments and talking points from the season. Making good use of retro images of players and match action, this is a terrific, well-written feature that successfully evokes one of Chelsea’s most memorable campaigns.
The issue includes several other retro features. ‘Dream Team’ sees a former Blues player with a connection to the day’s opponents selecting his combined eleven made up of former team-mates. ‘Secrets of the Dressing Room’ is another feature running to five pages, in which ex-Chelsea players and coaches lift the lid on behind the scenes stories from their time at the club. For example, in the Liverpool issue Dennis Wise looks back on some memorable moments from his time in the Chelsea dressing room, including memories of clashes against the red half of Merseyside. ‘Stargazing’ sees Chelsea favourites from down the years recalling the time they found themselves lined up against one of the game’s all-time greats. In the Liverpool issue, former Blues keeper Eddie Niedzwiecki, who grew up as a Reds fan, remembers facing up against one of his childhood heroes in the shape of Kenny Dalglish. ‘When The Dust Settles’ is a full-page image from the Chelsea archives, which here shows the gates of Stamford Bridge advertising greyhound racing at the stadium.
‘The Journey Home’ is another well-written six-page piece that takes as its starting point a connection to Chelsea’s matchday opponents or a member of the club’s squad. In the Liverpool issue, the feature explored the fierce domestic and European rivalry that developed between Chelsea and Liverpool in the 2000s, particularly when the clubs were under the respective management of Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez. There is also a two-page photographic feature entitled ‘The Pride of London’, which looks at how supporters of the Blues spend their matchdays, and a seven-page player article, under the heading of ‘Players Voice’, which tells the story of one Chelsea player in their own words.
The Chelsea issue is strong on club information. Manager Frank Lampard and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta contribute columns, while the section called ‘Many Teams, One Club’ looks at the latest news on Chelsea’s various sides. This includes a couple of pages of news, results, fixtures, tables, and player stats for the development squad, under 18s, and women’s teams. All make good use of photographs to complement the text and stats content, whilst the section also includes a supporters’ message board and two pages for junior Chelsea fans. ‘Stats Centre’ provides a whole host of facts and figures for Chelsea’s first-team, together with a Premier League table and a two-page season spread.
The section on the visitors to Stamford Bridge opens with an introductory piece from former Blues winger Pat Nevin, in which he provides a tactical analysis of the opponent’s team, and what it might mean for how Chelsea will approach the game. The section continues with the visitors’ recent line-ups and results, key club details, and the result the last time the two clubs met at the Bridge. The visiting team’s players and manager are shown with basic biographical details, together with some comparative stats for the two teams. In related content, ‘Through the Lens’ offers a four-page photographic look back at previous meetings between Chelsea and their opponents.
This is an impressive programme from Chelsea, with a strong focus on historical content. The issue features some extensive articles and in-depth club information, as well as showcasing some quality full-page photography. With one of the lowest proportions of advertising content in the Premier League, this is a programme with a great deal to commend it.
Score 32/40 – containing some excellent longer-form writing, this is one of the best Chelsea issues of recent times.
Crystal Palace (v Aston Villa 31/08/19)
£3.50 (80 pp / 63 net / P)
The Crystal Palace issue is reduced in size for the 2019/20 season, down from 88 pages to 80. This has understandably had an impact on the amount of space available for features, with the number of pages of content falling from 73 to 63. This is something of a shame given the range and quality of content provided by Palace in recent seasons.
The best reading in the issue comes with ‘Palace XI in Time’. This is an excellent historic feature from club historian Ian King, which recalls memorable matches from the past. For the Villa issue, the article looked at a meeting of Palace and Villa in the FA Cup back in January 1962, which Villa edged by the odd goal in seven. This is presented with images from the time, the starting eleven from the day, and comments on the match and its aftermath. Dan Fifield has contributed a column to the Palace programme for a number of years now and this season he looks back 30 years to the 1989/90 campaign – the club’s first season back in the top-flight after a spell in Division Two, under the management of Steve Coppell. The feature recalls the highs and lows and the memorable moments of the campaign.
The main player feature is with each issue’s cover star. This is spread over eight pages, uninterrupted by adverts, and including several photographs alongside the text. ‘Famous Five’ sees a member of the Palace squad selecting a five-a-side team based on certain criteria, while ‘Cuppa in the Canteen’ sees another member of the Palace squad interviewed. ‘Copers Cope’ is a four-page photographic feature from the club’s training ground and ‘Step Back’ is a retro photograph with notes explaining its significance. ‘Soaring Eagles’ meanwhile looks ahead to Palace’s next away fixture. In the Aston Villa issue, the focus was on the club’s upcoming trip to Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium. The article includes some striking photography, notes on the opponent’s history and famous fans, as well as information on travel arrangements and where to get a drink in the area. There is a three-page junior section within the programme, which includes a quiz to keep younger supporters occupied, while there is a two-page supporter message-board.
The visiting club are afforded eight pages of content. These kick-off with a smart full-page graphic featuring the club’s crest and a picture of a key player. An introductory article includes form notes and a brief look ahead to the day’s fixture, which is followed by a page of stats that provides details of the last meeting of the two teams. This page includes the club’s home and away kits as well as a classic shirt from the past, which is a nice touch. ‘Amateur Analysis’ offers a look at the club’s tactics, with notes on the roles of key players and details such as the formations used. ‘Opposition in Numbers’ gives various information snippets about the club’s past. Interestingly, the section does not feature any player information such as pen-pics. Perhaps this is a factor of such information being so widely available online, with the approach leaving plenty of space for other types of article.
In terms of club information there are columns from manager Roy Hodgson, captain Luka Milivojevic, and chairman Steve Parrish. Previous match coverage focuses on photographs from the day, with only very basic information about the fixture included. The programme includes columns from under-18s boss Paddy McCarthy, and similar notes on Palace’s women’s team. The issue also includes a page of fixtures, results, and tables for the under-23s, under-18s, and women’s teams, while there is a two-page season spread for the first team as well as a page of Premier League stats.
Despite the reduction in size, the Palace programme delivers a decent amount of reading. Credit is also due to Palace for trying something a little different to the norm in terms of coverage of their matchday opponents. The issue uses predominantly plain designs, with plenty of use of white space and simple backgrounds. Indeed, the only colour used, outside of the visitors’ section, comes from photographs. This is a programme that still does a lot right, but the overall impression is of an issue that is less than it has been in recent seasons.
Score 24/40 – with ten fewer pages of content than last season, this Palace programme suffers by comparison to the club’s previous efforts and this season’s best issues.
Everton (v Wolverhampton Wanderers 01/09/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 62 net / P)
Following a few seasons of rather inconsistent issues, the traditionally strong Everton programme shows clear signs of improvement for the 2019/20 season, mixing detailed features and club information with clean, unfussy design work.
Most of the content is current in nature, with the main feature being ‘The Big Interview’ with one Everton player. This covers eight pages, with plenty of text to justify the feature’s title. Another article covers a former Toffees star over five pages, which are rather frustratingly broken up by advertising content, giving the article a somewhat disjointed feel. The actual design work on the feature pages themselves is though well laid-out. Another three-page article again includes a good proportion of text, with credit due to the writers and editor for not overloading features with images in order to fill space.
Other original content includes an interview with one members of Everton’s staff, providing an interesting background to the operational side of the club. In the Wolves issue the person featured was Charlotte Renshaw – Everton’s First-Team Player Care Manager, who describes her role in helping new signings to settle and adjust to their new life off the pitch. The EFC Heritage Society also has a page, which focuses on various items of Everton memorabilia. In the Wolves issue, the article featured two programmes from games against the visitors in 1982 and 1984, providing the opportunity to comment on the improvement in the side as Everton moved in to their successful mid-1980s period. The article reproduces the back pages of both issues, showing the respective line-ups from each game. There are also four pages of content aimed at Everton’s younger fans, including a player Q&A and a quiz.
The opposition section is also impressive. Covering eight pages in all, the section opens with a page that includes form notes, some ‘Did You Know’ facts, and basic club information. ‘Pages from History’ is a retro feature, which for the Wolves issue reproduced a double-page picture of the club’s famous Molineux stadium, taken in 1958 when Wanderers were league champions. The image is wonderfully evocative of a past era and perfectly complements the current content in the section. There is a full-page profile of the visiting club’s manager, which offers more than the standard pen-pic used in many clubs’ programmes. This is followed by four pages of player profiles, with images and stats in football-sticker style, as well as a club honours board.
The programme includes all the standard club information one would expect. There are manager and captain columns, both accompanied by full-page photographs. These are followed by a two-page action shot from a recent game and a couple of pages of club news. There is a two-page fixtures and results section included in the middle of the programme – in the way that many old stapled programmes used to, before the section was typically pushed to the back of the programme in the era of perfect-bound issues. This is accompanied by a page of stats relating to the day’s fixture and a separate page of appearance and goalscoring records. There is a page on the club’s community work and a three-page section of fan pictures called ‘All Together Now’. The programme includes plenty of coverage of Everton’s other teams, with a two-page section on the under-23s, including detailed notes on recent games and player development. There is also a page each for the under-18s and Everton Ladies, followed by a page of stats for each of the three teams.
There is much then to admire about this Everton issue. Although there is something of a bias towards current player and club content, this is broken up by a couple of retro features and a genuinely interesting behind the scenes feature.
Score 28/40 – offering a quite different look and feel to most top-flight issues, Everton’s programme would score more highly with a greater depth of content.
Leicester City (v Newcastle United 29/09/19)
£3.00 (84 pp / 63 net / P)
Leicester have an established track-record of producing high quality programmes and this year’s issue is certainly no exception. The programme for 2019/20 is an 84-page perfect-bound A5 issue, with 63 pages of content – up from 56.5 last year. The club have put the space available to good use, with some high-quality articles, including a terrific heritage section that includes various historical pieces.
‘City Heritage’ is a 13-page section that offers some excellent reading. The features provided include a five-page interview with a former player. For the Newcastle issue, the player profiled was former Foxes winger Matt Piper, whose career was restricted by an injury that forced his early retirement in 2006 at the age of just 24. This is an interview that offers an uncommonly personal and reflective insight into its subject. As part of Leicester’s ongoing partnership with De Montfort University’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture, this season’s Foxes programme includes a page on ‘Football’s Pioneers’ – players who contributed to the growth and development of the game.
Perhaps the pick of the features in the Heritage section is ‘Programme Vault’ which, during the season, is examining Leicester’s matchday issues over 100 years of league and wartime football since the club was reconstituted in 1919. The section includes images of a home or away issue for each season, with notes on its significance, as well as a larger column that traces the evolution of the Leicester programme during the years in question. This is a truly top-notch feature that must serve as a valuable resource to collectors of Leicester issues.
‘The Transfer Record’ is another impressive column, looking at those players whose purchases saw Leicester break the club’s transfer record. The articles recall the player’s arrival and career at the club and include various images from the time. ‘Classic Encounter’ sees club historian John Hutchinson looking back at a memorable game against Leicester’s matchday opponents. The articles sets the game in context and provides a detailed match report as well as line-up details and photographs of key participants. Hutchinson also contributes ‘The State of Play in the Fosse Era’, which looks at the state of football nationally and locally in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the club was still known as Leicester Fosse. In the Newcastle issue, the focus was on Scotsman Andy Aitken, who captained Newcastle and became player-manager of Leicester Fosse.
The visitors’ section opens with a two-page photograph from a recent game, with the club’s nickname spread across the bottom of the pages. The section contains nine pages of information about the club in all and opens with notes that set the scene for the day’s fixture with analysis of the visiting club’s recent form. Various stats are provided, some of which show comparisons between key players in the opponent’s ranks and their equivalent figures in the Leicester team. There is a full-page profile of the visiting manager, with a sidebar that shows his playing and management career record. The section does not cover all the visiting players – rather it identifies ‘The Main Threat’ and a ‘Key Three’ group of players to watch. ‘In Their Words’ sees one member of the visitors’ camp reflecting on recent results and looking ahead to the day’s clash with the Foxes. The most interesting of the columns in this section is ‘One of Their Own’, which profiles a former or current player from the opponents who came through the club’s academy before making their name in the game. For the Newcastle United issue for example, the feature looked at Paul Gascoigne, examining his early development at St James’ Park before his move to Tottenham Hotspur in 1988.
Other related content includes ‘Mutual Friends’, which profiles players who have turned out for both Leicester and their opponents. ‘The Last Time’ meanwhile recounts the last meeting of the two sides, alongside various stats from meetings of the clubs down the years. The main player feature in the issue is an interview that runs to nine pages, five pages of which are taken up by pictures, with the article also providing basic career stats for its subject. There is also a short two-page Junior Foxes section for younger fans.
The programme also includes all the usual club information. There are columns from manager Brendan Rogers, Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, and club ambassador Alan Birchenall, as well as four pages of club news dotted throughout the issue and two pages on the club’s work in the community. Each issue provides coverage of Leicester’s women’s team, as well as the Academy and Development teams, with results, fixtures, and updates for each side. There are three pages of first-team stats, including a very nicely presented season spread that makes use of the club’s blue and gold colours.
This is another very impressive issue from Leicester that maintains the high standards the club has set for itself. The various historical features are a pleasure to read, with the ‘Programme Vault’ article being one of the best of any issue in the Premier League.
Score 31/40 – a typically strong programme from the Foxes, containing several fascinating and well-written historical pieces.
Liverpool (v Arsenal 24/08/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 65 net / P)
The Liverpool programme for 2019/20 is a well-presented issue that displays some innovative design and layout work, which nicely complements some worthwhile reading. The bulk of the content featured is current, but there are some welcome retro touches also included.
The best part of the Liverpool programme remains ‘The Big Read’. This feature is spread over six pages, with the longer-form article set alongside various pictures that complement the text. For the Arsenal issue for example, the feature was titled ‘On the Road’ and looked at Anfield Road and the buildings and people that shape its character. Written with some style and with a clear passion for the subject matter, the article provides a consistently high-quality read.
‘Back Story’ is a retro feature that recalls a game against the day’s opponents. In the Arsenal issue, the article looked back to the opening weekend of the 1964/65 season, when Liverpool’s fixture against the Gunners was the first fixture shown on BBC’s Match of the Day. The article includes some images from the day and a write-up of the match. Another page of historical content comes within the seven-page ‘Anfield Extra’ section. As well as interviews with famous Liverpool supporters and several pages of fan pictures, the section offers up ‘Retro Reds’, which includes a look at an old ‘Anfield Review’ programme, with a picture of the cover and some of the inside pages. The page also includes a retro image that, for the Arsenal fixture, displayed a newly-roofed Kop end, which had been renovated for the 1966/67 campaign.
There are several articles within the programme that feature interviews with current Liverpool players. The longest of these is spread over five pages and features the player appearing on the programme cover. This article is an example of the creative page layouts that are used within the Liverpool issue, which include clever use of red shading on some of the images used. Two other four-page articles also make use of this design work.
The programme provides a five-page section on the visiting club, which opens with an innovative double-page spread. This shows the club details, a head coach profile, and a picture from a recent game that adds notes on the players depicted. There is a page on the visiting club’s form and prospects, which is followed by a double-page spread that displays brief pen-pics of the opposition squad. The content is all nicely presented with effective use of the opponent’s club colours.
There is a decent amount of club information provided in each issue. This includes two-page columns from boss Jurgen Klopp and captain Jordan Henderson, both of which offer more detail than many such articles in other programmes. ‘Countdown to Kick-Off’ features news from around the club, while previous matches are covered with text about key moments, match stats, line-up details, and photos – again making use of red shading on some images. There is a page for Liverpool’s women’s team, including a short player profile in a bar at the foot of the page. The Academy teams are afforded similar coverage, with a double-page photo spread also included. A separate page provides results and fixtures for the under-23s, under-18s, and women’s team. The first-team stats section is comprehensive, with a page of current season stats, a separate chart of career records, a league table, and the usual two-page results and fixtures spread.
There is plenty to like about this Liverpool programme, with the articles and features sensibly laid out in a way that gives the issue a logical flow. The design work shows flair and creativity without being overly fussy, giving the programme a consistent feel. The issue lacks only the depth of readable content that the best programmes in the league offer, with Liverpool’s illustrious history offering plenty of scope for the kind of historical content that would enable the issue to rank among the league’s best.
Score 30/40 – an improvement on the last few seasons, it is only the limited opposition coverage that prevents the programme competing for our awards.
Manchester City (v Brighton & Hove Albion 31/08/19)
£3.00 (84 pp / 62 net / P)
This season sees Manchester City celebrating their 125th anniversary and their programme has been adapted to mark the occasion. The issue is now presented in a landscape format, roughly A5 size, along the lines of the style of programme the club used in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The covers created during the season have featured various notable moments, players, and memories from City’s history.
The best feature within the programme is ‘125 City Timeline’. This is an attractively laid out feature that explains City’s history and notable moments through a mix of text and images. For the Brighton issue the programme covered the years 1900 to 1904, which included City’s first FA Cup triumph in 1904 – the first major trophy won by a Manchester club, as the programme makes a point of highlighting! The section includes pictures of various items of City memorabilia, including a season ticket from the 1900/01 season and a programme cover from 1st December 1900 – priced at one penny! This is a beautifully presented feature, offering an alternative to the often text and stats heavy features that often appear to mark significant anniversaries.
Another retro feature is ‘Dream Team’, which has one ex-City player selecting their all-time favourite City eleven, while details of the image used on the programme cover are provided in a column that explains the significance of the picture to City. ‘Access All Areas’ is the first of two photographic articles, which in the Brighton issue showed a kit photoshoot that featured various City players against a backdrop of the Shanghai skyline. The other such feature is ‘Showcase’, which sees club photographer Victoria Haydn sharing some of her favourite shots over six pages. In other content, Manager Pep Guardiola offers his pre-match thoughts, while Club Ambassador Mike Summerbee pens a two-page column on the issues of the day. ‘The Life of Riley’ is another two-page article, this time written by BBC 6 Music DJ Marc Riley.
The City issue is strong on club information and news, with four pages on the club’s women’s team and two-page interviews for a member of each of the academy and elite development squad sides. There is page from the Official Supporters Club, plus two pages of fan notices and a two-page kids’ section. ‘The Match’ is a stats and facts page previewing the day’s fixture, which includes a head-to-head record and details of previous meetings. The stats section at the back of the programme provides a page for each of the women’s team, academy side, and development squad. These pages include fixtures, results, tables, and appearance details. ‘For The Record’ includes full line-ups for each team’s recent results. For the first-team, there is a squad roll-call, league table, various facts and figures, two pages of careers stats for one City first-team player, and the usual results and fixtures spread.
‘Visiting the Etihad’ turns the focus on City’s matchday opponents, opening with a very nicely presented two-page spread that includes a backdrop of the visiting club’s ground alongside some commentary on their recent form. This is followed by notes on the club’s players over two pages and a roll-call for the squad. The visiting manager’s stats as a player and boss are provided, as well as details of the club’s last ten games. In related content, ‘Moments in Time’ provides a predominantly photographic look back at previous City games against the day’s opponents.
The City programme is attractively laid-out, with a clean, uncluttered feel throughout, and no overly fussy design work anywhere. As with the last few season’s issues there is a strong lean towards photographic content, but the features marking the club’s 125th anniversary provide some weight to the written content. The timeline feature is especially well presented and a welcome addition to the columns that are familiar from previous years.
Score 27/40 – without much in the way of any longer-form writing, the City programme still has the feel of a corporate brochure, but one which is at least very nicely designed.
Manchester United (v Crystal Palace 24/08/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 60 net / S)
The familiar look of United’s square-shaped ‘United Review’ heralds the arrival of another high-quality club publication. This is an issue that makes excellent use of the programme shape, packed with attractively presented photography and design work and featuring several interesting articles.
There are several readable retro features. One of the best is ‘Classic United Review’, which looks at an issue of the club’s matchday programme from the past. For the Crystal Palace issue, the focus was on United’s first fixture back at Old Trafford following the Second World War. The stadium had been badly damaged during the Manchester Blitz of March 1941, during which time the club shared Manchester City’s Maine Road ground. The feature includes pictures of the programme cover, as well as several of the pages inside, while the accompanying text highlights notes from the programme and the outcome of the day’s fixture.
‘My Football Life’ is a new article for the 2019/20 season, featuring the reflections of a former United player, who looks back on memorable moments from their time with the club. The feature covers three pages and includes pictures from key career moments and a personal honours board. ‘In His Prime’ looks at a peak season for one United figure from the past. In the Palace issue, the article looked at Mark Hughes and the 1993/94 season, when the Welshman scored 22 goals as United secure a league and cup double. ‘From the Archives’ meanwhile takes a picture from United’s past and tells the story behind it.
In terms of contemporary content, there is a two-page article from club legend Paddy Crerand, in which the former United star discusses developments with the team. This season, Crerand’s column includes ‘Paddy’s Hall of Fame’, in which he selects some of the world’s greatest players. In the Crystal Palace issue, Crerand reflects on the respective merits of wingers Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews, opting for the former as his choice for the week. There are two features with current players, covering five and four pages respectively. The first – ‘Player Interview’ – includes an opening page that shows a picture of the player in question, alongside his key stats, followed by a nice mix of text and photography. The second feature includes stats showing the player’s performance in a recent fixture.
Opposition coverage is spread over six pages, opening with an eye-catching design that shows several photographs taken in and around the club’s stadium on a matchday, alongside the club crest and key club details. ‘State of Play’ looks at the latest talking points from inside the visitor’s camp, while there are a whole host of stats, including a form guide, most recent line-up details, recent meetings at Old Trafford, and a couple of ‘Did You Know?’ items. Rather than providing pen-pics for each member of the visiting squad the programme offers profiles of ‘Four to Watch’, with basic biographical details for the other players, as well as brief notes on the club’s manager. ‘Opposition Interview’ contains the thoughts of a figure associated with the visiting club. In addition to the club specific content, there are three further pages that look back at classic meetings between United and their visitors, including notes on the matches, photographs, with a nice touch being the inclusion of programme covers from some of the games. ‘Match Preview’ looks ahead to the day’s matchup, with various short articles and head-to-head stats over three pages.
Club information is suitably comprehensive. There is a column from boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, opposite a full-page image from a recent game. ‘Big Picture’ shows photographs from a recent United fixture, while the centre pages of the issue feature a poster with a double-page picture. The programme includes a three-page junior section and the same number of pages covering the work of the club’s Community Foundation. There are pages for United’s Academy and women’s teams, containing results and fixtures and reports on recent outings. ‘Need to Know’ is a diary-type feature, spread over two pages, that looks ahead to forthcoming key dates for each of United’s teams. The issue includes a page of Premier League stats, with a league table and a results and fixtures grid, as well as notes on the day’s fixtures. In terms of first team stats, there is a page showing current season appearances and goals, a separate chart of career statistics, and a well laid-out double-page season spread.
We have come to expect quality issues from United and this season’s effort is suitably impressive. The excellence of the design work is clear throughout, with the page shape lending itself well to expansive layouts and high-class photography. The various historic features provide the best reading in the programme although, with a high proportion of advertising content, the issue feels a little light on reading compared with the very best in the league. Nevertheless, with detailed club information and a decent amount of coverage of the visiting club, ‘United Review’ remains a classy programme.
Score 32/40 – always a pleasure to look through, ‘United Review’ would be among the league’s best with a greater weight of original content.
Newcastle United (v Manchester United 06/10/19)
£3.00 (84 pp / 61.5 net / P)
The Magpies’ programme is largely unchanged from last season, being a perfect-bound A5 issue with 84 total pages and 61.5 pages of content. The most impressive features are presented in an eight-page historical section in the second half of the issue, which includes several articles of interest.
‘The United History Blog’ looks at Newcastle past and present with club historian Paul Joannou. This looks at links and past meetings between Newcastle and their matchday opponents. ‘Magpies Around The World’ considers Newcastle’s meetings with foreign clubs down the years, while ‘United’s History in 100 Objects’ focuses on various items of memorabilia that are of significance to the club. ‘Window Into The Past’ is a fascinating feature that reviews lesser known moments from Newcastle’s history. The focus in this issue is on the 1948 inter-league fixture between the Football League and the Scottish League, which took place at St James’ Park in March 1948. The article reports that the official attendance was 64,938 with between 30,000 and 50,000 supporters left outside the ground and unable to gain admission!
‘Re-United’ is another well-executed feature, which looks back at past issues of Newcastle’s programme to delve into aspects of the club’s history. With 2019/20 being United’s 25th Premier League campaign, there is a two-page article on some standout moments from those years, while a separate piece looks at United programme covers from the past and the stories of the respective seasons from which they are drawn. ‘The Graduates’ then looks at those players who first made their names plying their trade at St. James Park.
In terms of other content, there is a seven-page interview with the programme’s cover star, which includes some eye-catching artwork to accompany the standard text and photographs. For the Manchester United issue, the subject was goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who reflected on his career to date with Newcastle, as well as the club’s prospects. ‘Flying Visit’ is a new five-page feature for the 2019/20 season, which turns the spotlight on those players who spent only a brief time with Newcastle. The Manchester United issue featured ex-Swedish international Andreas Andersson, who made 32 appearances for the Magpies after joining from Milan in 1998.
In terms of club information, there are columns from head coach Steve Bruce and captain Jamaal Lascelles, and two pages of club news. ‘Match Action’ is spread over three pages, with stats and line-up details, brief notes, and a two-page spread of pictures from the game. The issue includes a couple of pages on the work of the Newcastle Foundation and there is a three-page junior fans section. ‘Academy Roundup’ runs to four pages, with commentary on recent matches, alongside results, fixtures, and tables, and an interview with one member of the academy teams. The first-team stats section includes a page of ‘squad statistics’, the Premier League table, and a two-page results and fixtures spread.
The visitors to St James’ Park are covered over six pages, which kick off with an opening article that examines the team’s form, nicely headed by the club’s crest and sitting alongside a full-page picture from a recent match. The section continues with notes on the team’s last give matches, followed by pen-pics of the opposition squad and manager. These are nicely colour-coded to denote each player’s position and features their respective national flags. Unfortunately, the programme misses the kind of content that can raise such sections above the ordinary, such as tactical analysis, historical notes, interviews, and fan pieces.
The historical features are the real highlight of a programme that otherwise feels a touch light on content. The opposition section is also somewhat limited, although what is there is certainly well handled. Whilst these points mean that the Newcastle programme is perhaps not among the strongest in the division, it is nevertheless a nicely designed issue that is well worth reading.
Score 29/40 – some excellent retro features standout from this Newcastle issue, which would be improved with more detailed opposition coverage.
Norwich City (v Watford 08/11/19)
£3.50 (116 pp / 82 net / P)
Norwich City have produced one of the most highly regarded programmes in the Championship over the last few years and the issue they have put together for their return to the top-flight is an impressive one. The programme retains the title ‘OTBC’ – relating to the Canaries’ famous ‘On the Ball City’ song, said to be the oldest football song in the world still sung today. The issue runs to 116 A5 size pages and uses these to deliver some high-quality content.
Among the best features are those included within a section called ‘1902’ in reference to the year of the club’s founding. Running to 14 pages across various articles, the section looks back at memorable games and players from Norwich’s history. ‘City’s Greatest Premier League Games’ revisits highpoints from the Canaries time in the top-flight. The article provides a write-up of the match, words from one of the participants, and a ‘match facts’ sidebar that includes the programme cover from the day. ‘My Top Three’ invites one former player to select various top three lists, including favourite goals, opponents, and memories, while ‘What If’ offers a hypothetical look at which might have happened if certain moments in the club’s history had turned out slightly differently.
‘One City Strong’ is a section that offers various items of fan-related content, including a message board, notes on the Canaries Trust, and ‘Junior Canaries’ pages. ‘Fan Talk’ is a consistently well-written piece that offers the thoughts of one Norwich fan on a pertinent subject of the day, whilst ‘Community Hero’ introduces a local figure whose work in the community is worthy of recognition. The section also provides updates on the work of the club’s Community Sports Foundation.
The programme also includes a column from manager Daniel Farke, while ‘Norwich City Talk’ offers the pre-match thoughts of BBC Radio Norfolk commentator Chris Goreham. There is a seven-page player feature, made up of an interview with one member of the Norwich team, which features several photographs. ‘Fantasy Dinner Party’ invites one Norwich fan to pick their ideal personalities to come to dinner – with the requirement that each visitor should have a connection to the Canaries. ‘Premier League Talk’ sees Totally Football Show editor Nick Miller writing on the latest from around the league, while ‘My Canary Memories’ has one former City layer looking back at key moments from their Norwich career. ‘Academy Talk’ features words from Academy Manager Steve Weaver, which precedes four pages of reports and stats from the club’s under-18s and under-23s. There are also three pages of stats for the first team, including a well laid-out fixtures and results spread and the league table.
‘Matchday’ is a ten-page section on the visiting club, which provides a welcome range of content. The section opens with a full-page picture of one opposition player, before a squad list offers notes on each member of the visiting team, together with pictures of key figures in the squad. ‘Last Game’ looks at the team’s previous fixture and the formation and players used, while ‘The Lowdown’ provides analysis of the visitors’ season to date, with tactical notes and key figures. ‘Numbers Game’ offers more stats from key moments and figures in the club’s history and ‘Seven Things You Might Not Know About’ selects various lesser known facts about the visiting club. ‘Travel Diaries’ is an interesting inclusion, exploring the “footballing history and culture of the area of each visitor to Carrow Road”. This is an informative and innovative piece that offers something a little different to much of the standard fare usually seen in opposition coverage. Overall, this is an opposition section that offers plenty of reading, incorporating plenty of use of the visiting club’s colours.
OTBC is well designed throughout, avoiding any overly fussy layouts and utilising Norwich’s distinctive yellow and green colours to attractive effect. The programme cover design is worthy of special mention, benefiting from creative artwork that features one Norwich player and one member of the opposition team depicted in retro kits. The issue offers a good range of reading, with some features that feel notably different from those provided by many clubs. This is a fine programme, with much of the content, such as the ‘One City Strong’ section, giving the impression of a club firmly rooted in its local community.
Score 36/40 – the pick of this season’s issues, ‘OTBC’ is a high-class programme packed full of reading and with some of the best design work in the league.
Sheffield United (v Leicester City 24/08/19)
£3.50 (100 pp / 82 net / P)
The Blades’ programme for their first top-flight season since 2006/07 is a 100-page A5 issue, titled ‘UTB’ – Up the Blades. With just 18 pages of advertising, UTB contains the joint-most pages of content of any issue in the league. These are used to good effect, with an impressive range of features, and an emphasis on retro articles that cover several points in the club’s history.
The historical articles are scattered throughout the issue, with many having a connection to the day’s opponents, Leicester City. ‘Fables & Folklore’ has Blades historian John Garrett discussing various matter relating to connections between United and Leicester. Here he recalls United’s promotion at Filbert Street in 1992 as well as various players to have turned out for the Blades and Foxes. Within the article, the author remembers Scotsman John Lang, who signed for Sheffield United for £75 in 1903. Lang stayed with the club until 1909 before another £75 transfer fee took him to Leicester Fosse, and one of his Scotland junior caps now resides at Bramall Lane.
Another former player to have appeared for both clubs was Alan Birchenall, who is the subject of a two-page photograph headed ‘From the Vault’. ‘Heroes and Villains’ looks at players that have hit the headlines in match-ups between United and Leicester down the years, while ‘Goalkeepers Union’ profiles notable keepers that have represented the Blades. Another player who connects the Blades and the Foxes is defender Colin Hill, who is the subject of a six-page interview, in which he looks back on the promotions he achieved with both clubs.
‘Team of the Year’ offers something a little different, recalling seasons in which United players have made the PFA Team of the Year. The feature recalls the PFA team, the Blades’ season, and the season in general – an imaginative piece that is well executed. ‘Cover Story’ looks back at past Sheffield United programmes, including images of the covers and information on the players and events featured. ‘Your Memorabilia’ meanwhile invites Blades fans to show off the United-related artefacts they have collected down the years. The programme also features the original artwork of Blades fan ‘Arty’ Bianco, with this issue including his ‘Pop Art’ style picture of former United striker Brian Deane heading home the Blades’ first ever Premier League goal against Manchester United in 1992.
In terms of more contemporary content, UTB includes several features with current players. ‘The Big Interview’ takes up eight pages, uninterrupted by adverts, and featuring plenty of text. The subject in the Leicester programme is new signing Luke Freeman, with the article including a career timeline and highlights. Other interviews include a discussion with midfielder John Lundstram, who had scored United’s winner against Crystal Palace the previous week, and defender Enda Stevens, who reflected on United’s positive start to life back in the big time.
Coverage of visitors Leicester City is spread over nine pages, with the section opening with a two-page spread that features a background image of the club’s stadium together with a large club crest and some introductory words on the club’s prospects. The next two pages provide a profile of Leicester’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, and an informative ‘Talking Tactics’ piece. ‘Ones to Watch’ picks out key Leicester players, here turning the focus on to ‘leader’ Johnny Evans and ‘match winner’ Jamie Vardy. These articles benefit from some nice design work, presented on a clipboard backing in the style of opposition scouting notes. The section also covers ‘Greatest Goal Scorers’, ‘All-Time Great’, and ‘Last Time We Met’. There is then a two-page feature looking back at memorable campaigns for the Foxes and a final section that provides various facts about Leicester’s stadium. This is a very well put together section, with a range of articles that could perhaps only be improved by more notes on the visitor’s squad.
The programme includes extensive club information. There is a column from manager Chris Wilder and several pages of news. ‘Snapshot’ is a photograph from a recent game, while there is a page of coverage for each of United’s under-23s, under-18s, and women’s teams. These include brief updates alongside fixtures and results – under the strapline “We’re All Blades Aren’t We?” Coverage of previous matches is well presented, with various photos from the games accompanied by line-ups, match stats, and ‘The Story’, which provides a brief commentary on key events from the match. The programme also includes ‘The Story so Far’ – a diary-style record of results and other developments at the club. A detailed stats section at the rear of the programme includes Premier League stats, appearance and scorer records, tables, and a two-page results and fixtures spread.
The number of features in the Sheffield United issue makes this programme an impressive read. With more than a dozen well-written original articles, and a welcome mix of historical and contemporary content, UTB contains a wealth of information about the club, past and present. With detailed club information and an equally impressive visitors’ section, all complemented by some well thought out design touches, this is an admirable effort from the Blades.
Score 35/40 – a strong runner-up in this season’s awards, Sheffield United have marked their return to the top-flight with a programme that delivers plenty of interesting reading.
Southampton (v Chelsea 06/10/19)
£4.00 (84 pp / 64.5 net / P)
This season’s Saints programme feels very similar to last year’s issue, benefiting from a strong consistent design. This starts with a well-designed cover that includes some striking photography and continues with the use of various recurring motifs through the issue.
One of the key features of this year’s Southampton programme is the coverage of the away team. Each issue contains a section called ‘The Away End’, which is accessed by flipping the programme to reveal a second ‘cover’. This shows an image from a recent game played by the visitors. Inside there are nine pages of coverage for the opponents, opening with a page of useful information for travelling supporters (including the time of the last train home!) An eye-catching two-page spread provides various details about the club, set against the backdrop of a picture of their stadium tinted with the club’s colours. The pages show the club’s honours, recent form, and the team’s overall record at St Mary’s. ‘Moment in Time’ reproduces a picture from the archives that shows a past clash between Southampton and their visitors. There are pictures, but no biographical detail, of the opposition squad, with one player singled out as ‘One to Watch’, together with brief notes on their form, while the club’s manager is afforded a similarly brief profile. ‘Tactics Board’ shows the likely formation the team will take-up, while ‘The Team Talk’ provides a more in-depth assessment of the way the team plays.
The best content in the issue comes in a nine-page retro section called ‘The Rest is History’, which contains several historical articles. The section opens with a well-designed page that features a shot of the club’s old ground at the Dell, as well as several legendary figures (including Le Tissier, Keegan, and Channon) from the club’s past. ‘Derby Daze’ is a look back at clashes with local rivals Portsmouth and Bournemouth, with the aid of various press clippings from down the years. For the Chelsea issue, ‘Inside the Memory Box’ featured the recollections of Jim McCalliog, part of Saints’ FA Cup winning side of 1976.
One of the best features from last season’s programmes was ‘That Reminds Me’, which continues this year, looking back at the life and career of a former Saint. This season, the article is on occasion replaced by ‘Searching for Ex-Saints’, which looks at how the club’s official historians have happened upon information about past players, often quite by chance. ‘Diamond Saints’ goes all the way back to the 1959/60 season, when Southampton won the Third Division title. The feature contains details of each match played during the victorious campaign and offers player profiles and news on other footballing headlines from the time, including the fortunes of Saints’ matchday opponents.
The main player feature in the programme runs to eight pages, although this is a rather photograph heavy article, with only the equivalent of two pages of text included. ‘Best of the Saints’ is a two-page feature that invites one former Southampton player to recall his best moments at the club. There is a seven-page junior section, which is contained within the regular pages of the programme, rather than being a separate pull-out.
There are columns from manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, captain Danny Ings, and former player Francis Benali, while ‘Inside SO14’ offers a couple of pages of club news. ‘Inside Staplewood’ has a couple of pages of news from the academy, which for the Chelsea issue looked at the work undertaken to identify and support talented youngsters at various age groups. There are also two pages on Southampton Women, with news, reports, and fixture details, and four pages on the Saints Foundation. In addition, there are a couple of pages of very basic player profiles, before the usual double-page season results and fixtures spread.
The team behind the Southampton programme deserve credit for trying something different with the double-cover for each issue and the design work throughout the programme is worthy of credit. The historical articles are well worth reading but, while the programme remains the only one in the league to cost £4, the issue lacks the weight of content to justify the cost.
Score 30/40 – this Saints issue is worthy of note due to some creative design and classy photography, which complement several interesting features.
Tottenham Hotspur (v Southampton 28/09/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 62 net / P)
The Spurs programme has reduced in size for the new season, going from a 100-page issue last time out to an 84-page issue for 2019/20. With the advert count also being quite high, the programme has only 62 pages of content, with only three issues in the league containing fewer pages.
Nevertheless, there are some worthwhile features included in the programme. ‘Local Hero’ is an interesting two-page article that recalls the career of a player spotted by Tottenham’s youth scouts, who went on to star in the Spurs first team. In the Southampton issue for example the player featured was Tony Marchi, who made his Tottenham debut as a 17-year-old in April 1950. ‘Super Sub’ is an occasional feature, that looks back at a match in which a substitute has made a memorable impact. For the Southampton issue, the focus was on Ronny Rosenthal’s performance in a 1995 FA Cup tie at the Dell, in which he came off the bench to score a hat-trick. The article includes a report on the game, match stats, and words from the player himself. ‘Back Post’ is related to the day’s fixture, with club historian John Fennelly looking at connections between Spurs and their matchday opponents, in the shape of various players who had either played for both clubs or who had memorable achievements against them.
The Saints issue also contained a two-page column about Spurs legend Steve Perryman, who had made his debut for the club 50 years previously. The article included a couple of pictures from Perryman’s time at the club and a ‘Factfile’ box with key highlights and landmarks from his career. ‘Euro Zone’ is a welcome addition for this season, being a two-page feature that looks ahead to Euro 2020 by providing analysis of countries that will be taking part in the tournament. This includes information on their record in the competition, key players, and any Spurs connections in the squad.
The main current day content in the Spurs programme is a five-page player feature. This is rather heavy on use of photographs, with only just over a page and a half of text. ‘1882’ is another current player article, which takes the form of a Q&A, and which takes its title from the year of the club’s founding. There is also a junior supporter pull-out section called ‘Junior Match Zone’ that includes a poster, competitions, and a message-board for younger fans.
The visitors’ coverage is spread over six pages and is comprised predominantly of player pen-pics and bios. The section is presented with a large club crest and basic club information, as well as brief notes on the team’s manager. Alongside the various pen-pics are stats that show details such as the club’s ten-year record and goal times. One player from the visitors’ ranks is singled out as ‘One to Watch’, with a more detailed write-up, while other squad members have only basic biographical information. Whilst certainly packing in a lot of detail into the opposition coverage, the overall feeling of the section is rather busy, with the layouts resulting in a somewhat cluttered appearance.
In terms of other related content, ‘Scene Setter’ previews the day’s fixture through a form guide, details of previous meetings, and an extensive collection of stats, with some creative graphics that include the opposition club’s previous line-up and formation.
There are the usual notes from the manager, while previous matches are covered in great statistical depth in ‘Action Replay’. This includes various images from the game alongside full match details and a host of stats. Academy coverage is spread over six pages, with three each for the under-23s and under-18s. The depth of coverage of each team is excellent, with match reports, pictures, tables, stats, and player profiles. Similar coverage is given to Tottenham’s women’s team, with each of the three sides’ pages individually colour coded but benefiting from similar layouts to give a welcome feeling of consistency. There are then three pages of first team and Premier League stats.
This Tottenham programme is perhaps a little thin on readable content, with most of the articles included being quite short, with the amount of photographic and statistical content feeling a little too much like padding. Some of the articles do hold the readers interest but the overall weight of content feels rather light.
Score 28/40 – this Spurs issue feels rather fragmented, lacking a coherent flow, and relying more on statistical content than written features.
Watford (v West Ham United 24/08/19)
£3.50 (84 pp / 69 net / S)
Watford’s programme, titled ‘The Hornet’ was one of last season’s most improved issues and there is plenty to like about this season’s issue too. The highlight of the Watford issue is a 16-page nostalgia section called ‘Golden Memories’. Printed on sepia-toned paper and featuring various articles running through the centre-pages of the programme, the section contains an excellent range of reading.
‘Prequels XI’ runs through a selection of players who have made significant contributions to previous clashes between Watford and the visiting club. There is then a two-page feature with homegrown Hornets defender Adrian Mariappa, who has now completed ten years’ service with the club. This offers a rather more in-depth and revealing focus than the standard player features in many programmes. ‘Overseas Opponents’ uses memorabilia, photographs, and programme excerpts to reminisce about matches that Watford have played against foreign opposition. For example, in the West Ham issue the feature recalled a 1971 friendly fixture against Bohemians of Prague, including images of the programme from the day. ‘The Number Game’ looks at players who have worn a particular shirt number for Watford, in the 20 years since they were first used by the club.
‘Lost Acquaintances’ is a nice inclusion, profiling those clubs that Watford have faced down the years who are no longer in the Football League. Given Watford’s history of playing in the lower leagues before their rise under Graham Taylor, the feature certainly has plenty of clubs to draw on, with Merthyr Town and Aberdare Athletic profiled in the West Ham issue. ‘Yellow Brick Road’ offers something different, looking at 50 years of albums from Watford’s Honorary Life President, Sir Elton John. ‘Ten Years in the Rookery End’ is a piece from the team behind the Watford podcast ‘From the Rookery End’, which looks back on an eventful decade for the club. ‘Story of a Season’ concludes the retro content, recalling notable campaigns from Watford’s history, with a mix of stats, commentary, and pictures. The eight features that make up ‘Golden Memories’ are all well-presented and offer some excellent reading for Hornets fans.
As well as the historical content, the programme offers some current features too. ‘In Their Own Words’ is the main player article in the programme. Spread over seven pages, the individual concerned reflects on their pathway into football and their career to date. ‘My Favourite Goal’ sees one fan writing about their most cherished Watford goal, including pictures of the fan and the goal in question, while ‘Near and Far’ profiles Watford’s various supporter groups from around the world. There is a 16-page ‘Junior Hornets’ section stitched into the centre of the programme. This includes a host of features to keep younger fans occupied, including news, stats, and puzzles.
In contrast to the amount of original content included, the section on the visiting club is rather underwhelming. Covering just five pages, the section opens with an attractively designed page featuring a large club crest and basic notes on the visiting team. There is a squad list that contains basic biographical information on the visiting team’s squad, and short profiles of the club’s manager and two of their key players. With a large proportion of the five pages given over to graphics and photographs, there is a distinct lack of written material on Watford’s opponents.
The programme includes an impressive amount of club information. Especially noteworthy is the extensive coverage afforded to the Watford Ladies team. The section includes six pages of match reports and photos, details of results and fixtures, a player Q&A, and a separate player interview. This is an impressive amount of coverage for the team, particularly considering that Watford Ladies are only a third-tier side, playing in the Women’s National League South. Many other clubs do not offer this depth of coverage for women’s teams playing in the top two divisions of the women’s game.
Elsewhere, the head coach has his say, while there is an extensive and typically honest column from club captain Troy Deeney. News updates from the club are provided in ‘Voice of the Vicarage’, and there are four pages on the club’s community work. Previous matches are covered over two pages, with a wealth of match stats, the team line-ups, and pictures from the game. ‘Academy News’ contains updates from the club’s various age-group teams, with results and fixture charts for the under-23s and under-18s. The issue includes several pages of first-team stats, including two pages of pen-pics, and a first-team season spread that makes good use of the club’s colours.
The improvement in the Watford programme over the last couple of seasons has been marked, with the historical content and range of club information provided standing out. It is only really the limited opposition coverage that prevents this issue from scoring more highly and taking its place among the league’s best issues.
Score 30/40 – perhaps the best range of content of any issue in the division, Watford’s programme would be ranked higher but for its rather cursory opposition coverage.
West Ham United v Sheffield United 26/10/19)
£3.50 (116 pp / 79 net / P)
West Ham have increased the size of their programme for 2019/20, with ‘Hammer’ now being a mammoth 116-page issue. Even allowing for 37 pages of advertising there are 79 pages of content – the third highest figure in the league, and up from 70 last season.
‘Hammers History’ offers eight pages of historical features, the best of which is ‘My West Ham Scrapbook’, which sees one former player reflecting on their time at the club. For the Sheffield United issue, which coincided with Black History Month, the subject was Clyde Best. The Hammers legend recounts his arrival at the club in 1968 and several highlights from his career, as well as the challenges of finding his way in the game. Each of the memories is accompanied by images of West Ham memorabilia, such as programmes and press clippings. This is a high-quality feature that allows the player the space to discuss their memories on and off the pitch, offering a valuable insight into their recollections.
‘Black Hammers’ takes up the theme of Black History Month with a look at two important figures in the club’s history – John Charles, England’s first black international – and Jack White, who never appeared for West Ham but who had emerged from the East-End football scene, making his name in the area playing for Canning Town and Barking Town. ‘Added Time Tunnel’ is the least interesting of the three features in this section, taking a sideways look at some lesser known events happening on this day in years gone by. Given the space available in the programme it is perhaps a little disappointing that there are not more pages devoted to historical features, but the ‘Scrapbook’ article is certainly a thoroughly enjoyable read.
In terms of present-day content, the main player interview in the programme takes up five pages and features some striking photography alongside the text. There are columns from former Hammers striker Tony Cottee, author and fan Steve Blowers, and head of TalkSport Lee Clayton, each covering several subjects in a more in-depth approach than many similar columns manager in other clubs’ issues. The Evening Standard’s Ken Dyer also contributes a column, while the issue includes a two-page section for junior West Ham supporters.
The visitors’ section is spread across six pages, opening with a full-page graphic that sets the club’s crest against a background of one of their colours. Opening notes discuss the team’s form and record in recent seasons, before a page of ‘Best Ever’ features look at the visiting club’s finest player, season, and result, including some contemporary images with each item. The section continues with pen-pics of the team’s manager, while ‘Three to Watch’ and ‘Meet the Visitors’ profile the squad over two pages. In related content, ‘5 Things to Look Out For’ considers some of the topics related to the day’s fixture, including key players and tactical analysis.
There is extensive club coverage within the programme, including two-page columns from the manager and captain, and a couple of pages of club news. The programme also includes several pages of supporters’ information, with updates from the ‘Official Supporters Board’ and news from the Supporter Services Manager, as well as three pages on the work of the club’s foundation. Coverage of West Ham’s junior teams is contained in ‘The Academy of Football’ – an eight-page section that takes in reports, interviews, and player profiles with a depth rarely seen in most programmes. There are also fully five pages of coverage of West Ham’s women’s team, with details of recent matches and player features. For example, the Sheffield United issue includes an extended interview with recent signing Jacynta Galabadaarachchi, who discusses here fledgling career and early months at the club. There are then two pages of stats for each of these teams, including tables, results, and fixtures. In addition, there are four pages of first team and Premier League stats.
There is much to admire in this Hammers programme. The depth of coverage of the club’s various teams is very impressive, and a couple of historical features provide some excellent reading. However, the overall feeling with the programme is of a slightly disjointed issue, which may be a consequence of the amount of advertising and the way this breaks up several of the sections and features. Much of the content stands comparison with the best issues in the league but, overall, the programme lacks the kind of consistent ‘feel’ to mark it out as an award winner.
Score 31/40 – some of the best club coverage of any programme in the division, with extensive features of the academy and women’s team, and information on supporter and community liaison.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (v Burnley 25/08/19)
£3.50 (100 pp / 76 net / P)
The Wolves programme for 2019/20 has been reduced in size from last season, now appearing as an A5 issue. The page count has also dropped slightly, down from 108 to 100 (plus a ‘Young Wolves’ pull-out section). However, the changes have in no way diminished the quality of what was already a very impressive programme.
The cover once again features the outstanding artwork of Louise Cobbold, whose painting of Morgan Gibbs-White adorns the front of this issue from the game against Burnley. Given the quality of the image it is fitting that the only other detail on the cover is the crests of the two opposing teams. Gibbs-White is the subject of the main player interview in the programme, spread across seven pages, which makes note of the midfielder having scored his first goal for Wolves in a recent Europa League tie. Gibbs-White, who hails from Staffordshire, talks of his development at the club and his experiences with England’s youth teams.
‘The Archive’ is a terrific collection of retro content, featuring various articles over its ten pages. Fronted by a page that features a picture of Derek Dougan, the section opens with ‘Programme Vault’. This gathers programme covers from previous meetings with Burnley, ranging from 1953 (and a classic Wolves cover featuring an illustration of Molineux) to 2019 (and Burnley’s excellent ‘Turf’ issue). ‘Inside the Museum’ sees club historian Pat Quirke examining some of the items in the cabinets of the home of Wolves’ history. Here the article features a poster, dating from 1876, that invited people local to St Luke’s school in Blakenhall to attend a meeting with aim of establishing the club that would become Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1879. ‘Golden Goals’ examines classic Wolves strikes in the words of the player responsible. In the Burnley issue, the goal in question was Willie Carr’s last minute penalty in the 1981 FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham, which took the tie to a replay. ‘My Wolves Scrapbook’ meanwhile sees a former player – in this issue midfielder Simon Osborne – recalling key moments from their time wearing the Black and Old Gold.
In other original content, ‘Kitted Out’ features one Wolves player presenting a range of shirts that are significant to his career. There are six pages of fan-related features, including a profile of one Worldwide Wolves branch in each issue, and a column from former Wolves winger Robbie Dennison. In the Burnley issue he reminisces about the 1988 Sherpa Van Trophy final victory against Burnley at Wembley, in which he scored.
Club information is comprehensively presented. The programme features characteristically brief notes from Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo (with just three sentences in this issue) as well as somewhat fuller columns from club captain Conor Coady and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell. Both latter articles are accompanied by photos from Wolves’ recent draw with Manchester United, as does ‘Premier League Snapshot’ – a two-page image showing Ruben Neves’ goal from that match. The programme also features a couple of pages of club news, whilst ‘Academy’ is a section focusing on Wolves’ under-23 and under-18 sides, with a mix of news, match reports, and player features. It is good to see a club’s younger players being recognised with the kind of content usually reserved for the first-team. The programme also has two pages on Wolves Women, while towards the back of the issue is a six-page section that features first-team stats and previous match coverage, including match facts, line-ups, and action shots.
The section on visitors Burnley covers 12 pages, with six of these specifically on the Clarets. These pages include recent form, pen-pics of the eleven players who started Burnley’s last game, and a ‘depth chart’ that shows the players available to the club in each position. ‘The Opposite Camp’ is a two-page feature with Burnley Express reporter Chris Boden, who discusses the club’s form and prospects, while ‘Foot in Both Camps’ profiles Paul Cook, who played at both Molineux and Turf Moor during his career. ‘Snapshot’ features a memorable (at least from Wolves’ perspective) clash from the past, which here recalls the 3-0 win enjoyed by Wolves in 2001.
Just as with last season’s programme, this is another excellent all-round issue from Wolves. Featuring a good balance of historical and current content, together with extensive club information, good opposition coverage, and engaging design, Wolves have produced a high-quality programme that impresses from cover to cover.
Score 34/40 – only just missing out on recognition in our awards, this is a packed Wolves issue that offers an excellent blend of content and some classy design and artwork.