But many aren’t new to the game at all. Well-versed in the advantages of working with a prestigious football club is Cheltenham-based In2Print, who this year celebrates its 15th consecutive year of working with Sky Bet League 2 team Cheltenham Town FC. Though the club isn’t quite the stuff of Premier League, In2Print is still very proud to be involved.
What did the job entail?
“When I first started getting involved with the club they were in the Vauxhall Conference league so the programme was much smaller then,” said In2Print client manager Ade Prewer. Now In2Print produces 23 72-page A5 league game programmes per season for Cheltenham Town FC, plus three more for pre-season friendlies and additional publications for any FA Cup matches that they play. The programmes have varying run lengths between 750 and 1,000 copies per issue depending on the category of the game.
How was it produced?
The programmes are printed using metal plates on a five-colour B2 Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 and finished on a Horizon StitchLiner. The platemaking is direct to plate and the company uses vegetable-based inks and no chemicals. “We are sent the PDF proofed artwork from the club on Thursday at midday and the job, which involves the pre-press manager, a printer, two finishers and a dispatch person, takes five hours from start to finish,” said Prewer.
What challenges were overcome?
Retaining such a high-profile contract for 15 years has been the result of a close partnership that extends beyond programme printing. “We’ve managed to retain the contract by building up a wonderful relationship with the club and sponsoring it in a number of ways,” said Prewer. Over the years the firm has put its name on the match ball, the players’ kit, teamsheets, fixture cards and on a display board behind the goalpost.
What was the feedback?
“The In2Print team put their heart and soul into the printing and making the programmes look good and they’ve been fantastic to work with over the past few years,” said Cheltenham Town FC media and communications officer James Brown.
