Collecting matchday programmes are a popular hobby for many sports fans, but not all of them know just how much each one could be worth on the market today.
So, what’s the history of the football programme and which versions have sold for the most money over the years?
The origins of the football programme
The Football League launched in 1888, alongside the same time as the first football programme. Unlike today, the aim of a programme was to keep score and it was made up of a single sheet detailing the teams and match date.
Aston Villa’s own ‘Villa News and Record’ was one of the first programmes to be published. Soon after, the football programme took on a weightier format of between four and eight pages, while the covers became more attention-grabbing and attractive. During and after World War II, a paper shortage cut the number of programmes that clubs could produce — making any that were released very collectible today.
The following years, the size layout of the football programme begun to go through some serious changes, with some clubs preferring the smaller option and others opting for the larger format. From a single sheet of basic info, the availability of saddle-stitch book printing and a growth in popularity turned football programmes into thick, glossy books crammed with trivia, statistics and high-resolution photos that fans loved to buy before every match.
Today, the football programme functions as normal, providing details on each team. Although today, the programme can also act as a mouthpiece for the club in question, especially to the older generation who might not have the likes of Twitter to see all of the updates, allowing managers and players to speak to fans via interviews and club statements.
The financial worth of football programmes
There’ve been plenty of examples where collectors have paid a lot of cash for a rare football programme. In 2012, a family from Ipswich managed to make around £46,000 by auctioning off a set of football programmes they stumbled across in their house, which goes to show how easy it is to not realise the treasure you have sitting around your home.
Only a few years ago in 2013, Sotheby’s New Bond Street auctioned off the oldest-known programme from an FA Cup final — Old Etonians vs Blackburn Rovers in 1882 — for £30,000, while a single-sheet programme from the 1909 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Bristol City went for £23,500 in 2012.
So, what are the editions that could land you some cash that has been sitting in your attic over the years?
The most expensive football programmes to date
Football programmes unmistakably have a huge impact on the matchday encounter for fans — but how collectible are they and which should you search for if you want to bag a truly special edition?
In the event that you’re looking for an imperative, collectible item; try finding the first Wembley final programme from 1923, which details the match between Bolton and West Ham United and is worth around £1,000. Alternatively, there’s the programme from the one and only time a non-English club lifted the FA Cup — Cardiff City vs Arsenal in 1927 — which ended with a score of 1-0 and has a value of about £2,500!
The matchday programme on the day England last won the World Cup – 1966 against West Germany – will understandably be a fortune. But be warned; there were three reprints of the original, so tracking down a bona fide version is tough. If you want to be sure you’re buying an original, check the weight and colouring — the reprints are more lightweight, while the front cover of the original is a deep, royal blue. Different paper types are also used for the team pages in the original, but not in the reprinted versions.
The matchday programme from the 1958 Munich air disaster (Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers) will be another iconic collectable unfortunately for the wrong reasons in this case, which can go at auction for around £10,000, or the programme for the first match following the tragedy — the 19th of February 1958’s game between Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday. In this programme, the club showed respect to those involved in the disaster by leaving the team page blank.
If you can’t stretch your budget that far, cheaper alternatives include a wartime England vs Wales international programme — which once sold for £750 — a 1932 Arsenal vs Manchester City — which reportedly made £520 — and a 1931 Exeter vs Leeds copy — which reached a decent £500.
Useful tips for collectors of football programmes
When starting out with your collecting hobby, keep the following four key features in mind to make sure you’re getting a good deal:
- Age — anything over 50 years old is most collectible.
- Condition — creases, missing staples and water damage all harm the programme’s price, so ask for a photo before you pay.
- Rarity — if there are many available, this will bring the value down.
- Popularity — programmes with an iconic footballer on the cover or detailing a famous match are the most prized and valuable.
Naturally, any cup final such as The FA Cup or Champions League will have significant financial value, as does any booklet that was perhaps the first or final edition of a player’s/manager’s career (i.e. the last game David Beckham played for Manchester United).
Teams in higher divisions and with a more decorated history will also possess more value — although, programmes from your team’s past will be more personally valuable to you. Sides such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, West Ham, and Arsenal are all highly sought after and are worth keeping an eye out for if you want a particularly valuable item.