Special Issues

This page features special issue programmes produced by Premier League clubs.

These issues have generally been related to a club leaving their home ground or celebrating particular achievements. There have also been more sombre occasions, such as West Brom’s superb programme commemorating the life and career of the late Cyrille Regis. Here is a selection of these programmes. Please leave a comment and let me know of any other special issues that should be included here.

Programme Reviews

Key

PP = Total Pages

Net = Total Pages Less Adverts

P = Perfect Bound

S = Stapled

Arsenal’s last match at Highbury (v Wigan Athletic 07/05/06)

£5.00 (100 pp / 83 net / S)

Supplement (68 pp / 68 net / S)

Arsenal marked their final fixture at Highbury with a beautifully produced 100-page programme. Costing £5 the main issue was presented together with an ‘A-Z of Highbury’ supplement.

Like the other Arsenal home programmes from 2005/06, the colour scheme for this programme reflected the darker ‘redcurrant’ shirts adopted by the Gunners for the season in honour of their first season at the stadium in 1913.

Alongside the regular matchday content, the programme contained a ‘Historic Highbury’ section, which featured more than 20 pages of themed content. This included reproductions of pages from Arsenal’s first Highbury fixture, against Leicester Fosse.

The special Highbury supplement ran to an advert-free 68 pages, and featured a host of historical information about Arsenal’s time at the stadium.

This is one of the finest programmes produced by any club in the Premier League (or any other) era, serving as an excellent tribute to Highbury, and full of history for supporters young and old, whether Arsenal fans or not.

Arsene Wenger’s last home match as Arsenal Manager (v Burnley 06/05/18)

£3.50 (82 pp / 68 net / P)

Supplement (64 pp / 64 net / S)

Arsenal marked Arsene Wenger’s last home game as Manager with a special edition programme for their fixture against Burnley.

Like the special issue produced for their final fixture at Highbury, this programme included a supplement covering Wenger’s time at the club. This supplement is 64 pages long, and includes two pages on each of Wenger’s seasons in charge at Arsenal. These pages include a write-up of the Gunners’ fortunes each year, together with team stats and a full-page image from the season.

The programme itself, which was sold at the regular season cover price of £3.50, retained the layout of the other issues from the season, and featured tributes to Wenger from legendary Arsenal figures such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Pat Rice. There was also a tribute from long time adversary Sir Alex Ferguson. All in all, a fitting tribute to a Manager who arguably had more impact on the Premier League than any other.

Leicester City crowned Premier League champions (v Everton 07/05/16)