Our review of the 2019/20 Liverpool programme is now available. The full review can be read below, while all of the current season Premier League issues can be viewed by clicking here.
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 Another page of historical content comes within the seven-page ‘Anfield Extra’ section.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.