End of the match day programme?

[Super_horns]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43955431

Sign of the Digital age and clubs trying to cut costs.

Would you miss them ?

 

[Bobbin']

I’m bit of hypocrite in the fact that I stopped buying them years back but would still miss having a flick through someone else’s or walking down the road to The Valley hearing the shouts of ‘programmes!’ They are all part of the day at the football in my opinion.

Feel a bit guilty about not buying them now but unfortunately with all the news that’s in them so easily accessible via club sites and twitter etc it was always going to happen and I don’t blame the clubs.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

I haven't bought a programme at a 'regular' game for many years, certainly not since widespread usage of the internet. I have bought one for the odd England games I've been to, and other one offs like a playoff final and suchlike. But for the every week club games there's just no point spending the money. I guess the same goes for many people. Even my dad in his mid 60s, who for decades bought programmes religiously up until a few years back, doesn't bother any longer now he's more comfortable with technology.

I'd imagine most people who do still buy them do so mostly to maintain a collection? It'd be unlikely anyone buys them to gather the latest club news and opinions, team sheets etc as used to be the case? Sadly just the way it's gone.

Printed fanzines have gone the same way at many clubs. Anyone know if their club still has a fanzine in print / buys it? They've been replaced by unofficial club forums, websites and social media groups.

 

[Bobbin']

We do have a fanzine, ‘Voice of The Valley’ I don’t buy one myself but believe it’s quite popular at the minute but that could just be because a lot of it is based around the impending takeover etc. It may not be so popular once it’s done and dusted.

 

[MagpieBee]

We've got a print fanzine too "Thorne in the Side" - I probably get one every year or so if there's an interesting interview in it, but mostly just ignore it.

Like others, I don't buy programmes any more (maybe one or two a season at most), more likely to buy them at away games than home - if the clubs need to cut costs they could just double up - cover two fixtures in one issue, then they'd only have to do half the number of issues?

 

[FishyMackem]

I quite like our programmes as they have these style covers at the moment which I love. Always good to have a flick through and read the interviews etc and stats but like others have said, you can get all that online. I'd buy it more often if it had more features/games in it.

 

[Stagat]

^^ Aye, that's a cool cover. The ones Wolves did the other year were great also. I think you need to do something like that and also have more evergreen content in there, for want of a better term.

You can't give people the latest news so fill the programme with researched original articles (actual interviews, historical season rundowns done in hindsight, old match reviews, whatever) that people can't find elsewhere coz you wrote them and you might have a chance.