joker1982 Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Just wondered what the consensus is with matchday programmes these days? A lot of the content is already on social media etc so is it a dwindling product/harder sell? Or do people still like to buy them for a read after the games? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Gold Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Dying on its arse M8. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Depends - there are still some really good ones still out there - best I've seen recently has been Troon's which Is a great job of work, but kudos to anyone who does one. I think a greater proportion of fans still buy one at non-league level than they do in the SPFL - I heard recently some top division sides struggle to sell more than a couple of hundred to crowds well into four figures. I agree it's easy for a club to fall into the traps of either replicating their website on paper which adds nothing new, or else turning it into a local business directory by overloading it with ads which will make the club cash but will be a ripoff read for the fans. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr Happy Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Agreed with the Troon comment, it's a good programme. But the Clydebank programme is good too. I buy a programme at every game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joker1982 Posted August 19, 2019 Author Share Posted August 19, 2019 The Troon programme is good but they basically produced the same programme from last season at a match this season, they just updated the date and players etc. I only know because I bought both. Troon print their own programmes, in colour too, so not sure how they are actually making money on them. I agree about the overload with adverts, but without the programme the sponsorship packages at some clubs are probably a harder sell - so the programme serves a purpose from that aspect. But yeah sadly the punter gets less meat on their plate and instead its full of veg [emoji2373] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex-german exile Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Agree about the Clydebank programme. Had a look at Largs on Saturday, and it is excellent too. We've tried to improve ours this season, and it helps that we have got more contributers, and a photographer at most games. Still get a few collectors looking, but it's difficult, especially as printing costs are high if you want to produce a colour gloss prog. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 We finally took the jump this season after seasons of using an old laser printer and are getting them professionally done - they look night and day better, but the challenge is to keep it readable...if you're struggling for content the easy option now is always to fling in more match photos or whatever, but then it ends up like one of the SPFL ones that are turning folk off there,where it looks pretty but is short on content...it's always a balancing act. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Gold Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Last season against Cumnock we sold 59....thats when you know football programmes are toiling. Against Ayr then that was something different£££££ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 1 hour ago, Blackie Gold said: Last season against Cumnock we sold 59....thats when you know football programmes are toiling. Against Ayr then that was something different£££££ Oddly, Cumnock have never been big programme buyers - last season we did less than 40, our lowest of the season I believe. In 2016/17, I think we crept over 25 when a few were flogged online. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilsyth ranger Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Cumbernauld and Arthurlie had two realy good programmes when we played them lately. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForzaWishy Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 This thread certainly brings home how ancient and out of touch I am. When I was growing up I was an avid collector and in them days the problem was getting (senior) clubs to start producing, took me years to get an Alloa and (ironic given the comments above) Clydebank programme (think promotions in the late 70s finally spurred both into action). Junior progs were scarcely sighted, though I seem to remember EK Thistle and one Ayrshire team (possibly Troon?) producing regular publications of some kind in the 80s (there were also odd one-off issues, like a Shettleston prog for a testimonial v Celtic around that era). I certainly never remember Wishy issuing anything other than half-time draw tickets until their re-birth in 2002 (mibbe there was something produced during the glory days in the 20s and 30s, have never come across any evidence myself). Now some senior clubs are packing it in or producing on-line with all these other social media outlets providing the info that in bygone days would have gone into the programme. Given how expensive and (in my old codger opinion) full of glossy rubbish they had become that's understandable but it's good, particularly at junior level, there are still enthusiasts willing to put the effort in and clubs that back them (I doubt many make much profit even if just team lines and a few notes squeezed between adverts and homages to sponsors). I would buy as a memory aid for a match I've been to so TBH don't care much about the quality (probably the cheaper and more handmade the better IMO, used to love the old typed/duplicated efforts) although fair play to the editors who toil away lovingly. I'm guessing there are a fair few other folk who like a souvenir of games attended (don't think tweets or whatever facebook offers quite cut the mustard there ) so I certainly hope programmes survive, however archaic they may seem to young yins today! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombo Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I'm a old traditional collector,in that if I am at a match and there is one on offer, I want one as a memento, irrespective of quality or cost. Particularly when my own club, Vics, are playing opponents for the first time, home or away. Unfortunately due to being held up in traffic missed out on a programme at our recent game at Gartcairn as they were sold out by time we got there.Also agree with previous posts about sponsorship revenue for small clubs like ourselves when producing a programme. T 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 As a matter of interest, what's the consensus of what people want out of a match programme? There are certain pages that clearly need to be static from issue to issue, more for the benefit of visitors rather than regulars - club history/honours etc. and obviously the ads aren't going anywhere. On top of that I doubt anybody would get away with not running the bread and butter stuff...league tables, a page of the day's fixtures and so on, but what particular features aside from those attract you to buy, read and maybe even want to hang on to an issue of a programme? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beith19 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 For the amount of time it takes to produce a good one, not something basic compared to the sales/income for the club you get I don't think it is worth it unless its a special/occasion match. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeverleyHills Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 We decided to produce a 32 page Full Colour A5 Glossy this season, we are in a fortunate position that we have a team in place who are involved in marketing, print and paper on a day to day basis, so putting this all together to produce a quality(in our opinion)production would be easier for us than most clubs.We have sold out on each game to date and have printed 70/70/70/100 copies on our four home games, we can sell at £1 which more than covers the printing cost. The feedback has been excellent and its all down to the content which include 8 pages of ads and this is where we make our money. This year we have moved our social media through twitter, Facebook and our website to another level but like most clubs we have an ageing support with not many social media literate, hence the reason to produce a programme, if any clubs are interested in producing a programme contact george.watson@paper.co.uk who would be happy to have a chat on best ways of maximising income and increasing the profile of you're club. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Queen's Park stopped producing a paper copy of their programme a few years ago. The usual reasons - not enough contributors, too many given away (the sense of entitlement not to pay for things in the senior game is ridiculous), not enough sold. If we could make it clear itself at 100 copies, that sounds great. Maybe next year, but it does need commitment.A lot of people had a go at the club at the time for stopping the programme .... the same people who didn't buy it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFW Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 The Scottish non league programme scene is probably in as healthy a state now as it has been for a number of years, see link below for a site I run catering for such collectors. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460380410929222/?ref=bookmarks My own passion is Talbot, although I now only collect matches from the Junior and Senior Cups when we play, plus the tickets, team sheets as well that you sometimes get. Have got a nice wee archive of Talbot programmes, going back to when they first produced them in the 1971-72 season, and they were the old foolscap sized single sheets issues and I have nine different ones, plus two further from the 1972-3 season. There was then a significant gap up until the 1980-1 season, and I have twelve different ones from this season, and the following season they only produced one programme for some strange reason vs Irvine Meadow. 1982-3 season saw a number of issues, but not a full season although most games from 1983-4 onwards saw programmes produced. Pride and joy of the collection are the, so far, 32 different programmes from each of our senior Scottish Cup ties, which will be 33 with our visit to Camelon a week on Saturday. Already have my pre order in with Camelon for ten programmes plus teamsheets as I have a regular number of folk who also want programmes from all our Junior and senior Scottish Cup ties. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troon Portland Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 I put together the programme for Troon & it’s a labour of love, that’s for sure! I do enjoy doing it though. I kind of feel things like a programme should be part of going to a football game, that’s why I took it on when the last editor gave it up. These things should be kept going.Hats off to anyone that puts a programme together, that’s really giving up time for the sole benefit of your club. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troon Portland Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 The Troon programme is good but they basically produced the same programme from last season at a match this season, they just updated the date and players etc. I only know because I bought both. Troon print their own programmes, in colour too, so not sure how they are actually making money on them. I agree about the overload with adverts, but without the programme the sponsorship packages at some clubs are probably a harder sell - so the programme serves a purpose from that aspect. But yeah sadly the punter gets less meat on their plate and instead its full of veg [emoji2373]Which game was that for? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugent4nil Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 At Arthurlie we do a 24-28 page full colour issue at every home game. Reports on any games sinse our last home game, players stats, season to date, opposition and Arthurlie honours, sponsorship opportunities, secretary's welcome, todays squads, code of conduct, etc. This season we have also given a page to two local charities to promote their work. As RH said its a labour of love but also enjoyable, its just that ONE person who pulls you for one errors in 28 fkn pages that does my knitting in! haha 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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