Our series of current season programme reviews continues with a look at the issue from Chelsea. Read our review below and click here to see all of the 2019/20 Premier League programmes.
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.