In the piece, ‘Are paper football programmes on their way out?’ the BBC flagged the changes forced on some clubs because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A small number of clubs have dropped their matchday programme altogether, or switched to digital editions because of the flexibility to accommodate last-minute changes.
However, for many teams the programme remains an important part of the supporter experience.
Bishops Printers in Portsmouth produces a wide range of programmes for sporting and other events, such as theatre shows.
Managing director Gareth Roberts flagged the current situation with rising print and paper prices as a potential factor in future decision making at some football clubs.
He told Printweek: “It’s a timely piece because we’re currently in dialogue with all our Clubs and the scale of their cost increases for next season are a real shock to them – because whilst we’ve been putting up ad hoc prices in line with rising raw material and energy costs, we’ve protected the Clubs from the direction of travel because I commit to season long pricing and felt I should honour that.
“The Clubs will have to think carefully about their sale price and also the extent to which they give out complimentary hospitality copies, which are a large percentage of some of the Clubs’ demand,” he noted.
“I do think that the rising cost of print does accelerate the decline in print like this though. Perhaps not now, but sooner than I would like.”
Despite the price pressures, Roberts also pointed out that for most of the firm’s customers programmes were still “recognisably a profitable venture” and a useful media outlet in terms of putting club messaging directly into the hands of supporters.
“At this stage I don’t think any of the ones we deal with will actually stop the production of a printed programme,” he added.
The BBC article also included comment from Reach Sports, part of media PLC Reach. It publishes programmes for a number of Premiership clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, and offers one-off purchases or season-long subscriptions via its webshop.
Rare and vintage football programmes can be worth hundreds, and sometimes thousands of pounds.
In 2013 a programme from the 1882 FA Cup Final between Blackburn Rovers and Old Etonians was sold at auction by Sotheby’s for a record £35,250.
