This set of fixtures featured the return of Fulham to the top-flight. The Cottagers picked up our Gold Award for the best programme in the Premier League back in the 2018/19 season, so we are looking forward to seeing what they produce this time around. The cover for the game against visitors Arsenal featured a striking image of the club’s Craven Cottage stadium. Another recent award winner – Sheffield United – also issued their first programme of the season. The Blades picked up our Silver Award in 2019/20, and the cover for their fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers bore a picture of striker Billy Sharp against a couple of retro images – with a nicely designed sepia-tone background.
Elsewhere, there were striking new programme designs from Crystal Palace, for the visit of Southampton, and Brighton & Hove Albion, for their match against Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur’s cover for the game against Everton also sported a tidy new look. The covers produced by Liverpool and West Ham United looked more in keeping with last season. One programme we always look forward to seeing is the West Bromwich Albion issue, which has been one of the most consistently impressive in the country over the last decade. This year’s first issue for the game against Leicester City featured a retro style cover, perhaps in recognition of the club marking 120 years at The Hawthorns.
We will start posting reviews of this season’s programmes in October and announce our Programme of the Season Award later in the season.
