It is currently a requirement that the 72 English Football League (EFL) clubs produce a programme for home fixtures. The clubs are set to vote on whether that will remain the case for the 2018/19 season onwards at the EFL’s AGM meeting in June.
In a statement the EFL said: “A number of clubs have asked the EFL if the mandatory publication of a match programme can be addressed as a result of an overall decline in sales and the proliferation of digital and social media, which has the ability to deliver the same content in a more cost effective manner.”
It said that irrespective of the outcome of the vote, the EFL would continue to produce match programmes for the finals of the Carabao Cup, Checkatrade Trophy and Sky Bet Play-Offs.
The news has resulted in an outpouring of comments on social media, with many commentators stating that the tradition should continue and that their programme collections are full of memories.
Tony Incenzo of TalkSport and Sky TV tweeted: “Football programmes shouldn’t be stopped. They are part of the matchday experience & football's heritage. What is the best way to remember the first football match you ever went to? Look at the programme & all your memories come flooding back.”
SAVE
— TonyIncenzoTalkSPORT (@TonyIncenzo) May 1, 2018
OUR
FOOTBALL
PROGRAMMES
Football programmes shouldn't be stopped. They are part of the matchday experience & football's heritage.
What is the best way to remember the first football match you ever went to? Look at the programme & all your memories come flooding back
Some fans also shared pictures of their personal collections, such as Middlesborough fan Chris Fountain, who posted an image of his impressive array of bound volumes.
Sad times if they go, I’d be very disappointed if my club @Boro stopped producing them. #bbcfootball #keepthetradition #geek #UTB pic.twitter.com/4RPV0vM1YY
— Chris Fountain (@ChrisUTB) May 1, 2018
However, some EFL clubs have said they are losing money on their programmes, despite the abundance of affordable short-run print options.
Darren Goodson, director at Premier Print Group in east London, which produces fast turnaround programmes for a variety of clients including football clubs, commented: “It’s surprising to hear that because football programmes should be relatively cheap to produce. It probably the time and effort to put it together that costs more.”
Football programmes date back to the late 1800s. Rare and historic football examples can fetch tens of thousands of pounds at auction.
