Our latest programme review takes a look at Leeds United’s issue for the current season. The full review is included below and you can see the other Premier League issues and all our reviews to date here.
For Leeds’ first season back in the top-flight since 2003/04, the club has produced an 84-page perfect-bound, A5 sized programme.
The best of the original content in the programme is ‘Shaw’s Illustrated Compendium of Leeds United Characters’ – a continuing feature that sees Phil Shaw presenting various player and manager profiles, from past and present. There is also an eight-page player interview with one current member of the team, several one-page columns from various writers, and a two-page section for junior supporters. The programme certainly suffers from a lack of readable content and would benefit from one or two longer-form articles, perhaps delving into aspects of the club’s history.
The programme does better in providing a good range of club information. There are columns from the club captain and from the boardroom, while previous matches are covered over two pages, with a range of pictures sitting alongside the match stats and line-ups. There are a couple of pages of news from the Leeds United Foundation and a page from the Supporters’ Club. Each issue contains four pages on the club’s academy, with reports, results, and scorers, as well as a page on Leeds’ women’s team. Also included are several pages of stats, including the usual first-team results, line-ups, and fixtures summary, as well as a league table and a club roll-call.
Each issue contains seven pages dedicated to coverage of the day’s visitors. This is a well-presented section with an opening page that shows an image from a recent match, together with the club crest and key club information. In terms of content, there is a write-up of the club’s history, followed by player bios, information on the last meeting between Leeds and their opponents, a profile of the head coach, a squad list, and a graphic showing the formation in which the team lined up for their most recent match. The section also offers up ‘head-to-head’ stats for players for key positions on the pitch and a two-page article on players who turned out for both clubs. ‘A Moment in Time’ reproduces a photo from a past meeting between the teams, while ‘Memory Match’ delves into the archives to reflect on another match-up – including a report, pictures, stats, and the programme cover from the day. The section is concluded with ‘Ask Away’, which offers the opinions of one supporter of the visiting team.
The Leeds issue feels like a programme in need of a more distinct identity and voice, if it is to be compared to the best issues in the league, with the lack of any in-depth reading leaving a somewhat underwhelming impression.