Ending of Match-Day Programmes

[CambridgeRover]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19496764.blackburn-rovers-replace-matchday-programmes-monthly-magazine/

 

Rovers have announced that matchday programmes won’t be produced for the upcoming season and instead be replaced by a monthly magazine.

The magazine will be introduced on September 1 and include interviews with current and former players, as well as behind the scenes coverage and Junior Rovers competitions.

Edited August 6, 2021 by CambridgeRover

[oldjamfan1]

It’s a shame I suppose but not really surprising. Times have changed and I can’t remember the last time I bought a programme at a game.

[Roverthechimp]

3 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

It’s a shame I suppose but not really surprising. Times have changed and I can’t remember the last time I bought a programme at a game.

Totally out of touch myself so wonder how it is with other clubs that have similar or lower attendances? 

[1864roverite]

It’s a move forward if you ask me, match day programmes are a thing of the past

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

How many editions did the last Rovers monthly magazine last for ? I think I had them all bar one and I had eleven.

Edited August 6, 2021 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[JacknOry]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

How many editions did the last Rovers monthly magazine last for ? I think I had them all bar one and I had eleven.

Yeah I don't think a monthly magazine will last either. World has changed, Everything is online now. Doesn't bother me much personally, but I do feel for the collectors.

[Miller11]

I buy fanzines, programmes at away games, occasional print magazines like WSC or Fourfourtwo, and I’m really enjoying Turnstile magazine that’s 2 issues in and is bloody brilliant.  I gave up buying our programme regularly as it was crap.

Printed media still definitely has a place… has to be good though. Obviously it’s far easier to bin it completely and suits the general approach of everything at the club at the moment.

[JPTSwindon]

25 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

I buy fanzines, programmes at away games, occasional print magazines like WSC or Fourfourtwo, and I’m really enjoying Turnstile magazine that’s 2 issues in and is bloody brilliant.  I gave up buying our programme regularly as it was crap.

Printed media still definitely has a place… has to be good though. Obviously it’s far easier to bin it completely and suits the general approach of everything at the club at the moment.

What’s the Turnstile magazine?

[JHRover]

Let's see how many of the 24 Championship clubs actually do away with a programme.

Anyone who has purchased a programme at away grounds will know that it is feasible to produce a decent standard product and sell it at £3.

Here however we have a can't do attitude.

Can't have a club shop in the town, can't put season tickets on sale, can't get new kits on sale, can't can't can't.

Rapidly wondering why they even bother opening the doors. Would be easier and cheaper to not bother.

[CheshireRover]

7 hours ago, JHRover said:

Let's see how many of the 24 Championship clubs actually do away with a programme.

Anyone who has purchased a programme at away grounds will know that it is feasible to produce a decent standard product and sell it at £3.

Here however we have a can't do attitude.

Can't have a club shop in the town, can't put season tickets on sale, can't get new kits on sale, can't can't can't.

Rapidly wondering why they even bother opening the doors. Would be easier and cheaper to not bother.

If your penultimate sentence was read out loud by a Londoner, the ending would sound like they’re describing the Coventrio.

Edited August 7, 2021 by CheshireRover

[Miller11]

9 hours ago, JPTSwindon said:

What’s the Turnstile magazine?

It’s an independent fanzine sized magazine devised by a Rovers fan. 2 issues so far which have both been superb. Really good production quality, great articles, retro feel.

On Twitter at @turnstilesmag and available at https://turnstilesmagazine.bigcartel.com/

Tends to sell out quickly, but I highly recommend.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I went to Rochdale v Newcastle last season in the FA Cup. I bought a programme for my grandson. It was a really brilliant read, full of interesting stuff. I believe it’s produced by enthusiasts at the club. If they can do it why can’t we ?

[Wheelton Blue]

Probably because the powers that be can't be bothered, nor are they imaginative enough to try other options.

[Roverthechimp]

12 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Yeah I don't think a monthly magazine will last either. World has changed, Everything is online now. Doesn't bother me much personally, but I do feel for the collectors.

Think this argument can work both ways - it is now a world where a small volume printed product can be knocked out cheaply and quickly. 

Sure it is essentially a "memento" product but put som exclusive articles in it (player interviews etc) and possibly a "programme lottery" and sorted. Copy and paste match reports from website but add an exclusive interview with the MOM.

It's not bloomin rocket surgery 😈😜

[matt83]

 

Why is it a non league outfit in tier 7 of the football pyramid can produce a match day programme. Yet Rovers don’t have the resources or inclination to do so. 🤔. Tin pot rovers. In fact I wonder of all the professional clubs how many have decided they can’t or won’t do match day programmes. 

[Mattyblue]

‘Doesn’t bring in a profit’.

Neither does giving 4 year deals to the likes of Pears, or an extra year to Smallwood… or keeping Swag on 300k, but hey ho.

[HowieFive0]

...but ..the flip side is ..Does anyone actually buy a programme  ..??? ..ive not seen anyone in recent times in the ground actually perusing  a programme. If no ones buying you can see why the club aint bothering anymore.  (And i work in the print industry !)

[Mattyblue]

From the FF minutes…

’AB asked about sales of the new monthly club magazine following the withdrawal of match day programmes. SW stated that sales had been very poor and that most copies were used in the corporate lounges. The fact was that most fans now got all the content they needed about the club online and hard copy publications were simply not economically viable.’

 

…so get rid of a £3 programme, but replace it instead with a publication at double the price, and  it isn’t selling well? 

Some real sales gurus down there, evidently.
 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Mattyblue

[Miller11]

Having got the latest copy of the magazine, I’m not surprised it isn’t selling. At 6 quid it works out at about 20 pence per word. It’s really poor.

[Herbie6590]

5 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Having got the latest copy of the magazine, I’m not surprised it isn’t selling. At 6 quid it works out at about 20 pence per word. It’s really poor.

I reckon there may well be a market for a “magazine” - 4000 Holes & Turnstiles testify to that (see also The Blizzard for general football writing); the issue is the content.

Match day programmes obviously can’t compete with the interweb world in terms of topicality so a magazine worth reading needs to contain sufficient “timeless” pieces with perhaps a modicum of reference content e.g. fixtures, appearances, stats, PSAs etc in order to make it a worthwhile purchase.

The reason that 4KH & Turnstiles can be published successfully is that the contributors aren’t paid & the editing/production is done as a labour of love. I dare say if the issues were charged to cover commercial rates of all those involved the cover price would be hefty.

I’d consider buying a quarterly if the content was more akin to the long reads in The Blizzard/The Athletic. 

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

From the FF minutes…

’AB asked about sales of the new monthly club magazine following the withdrawal of match day programmes. SW stated that sales had been very poor and that most copies were used in the corporate lounges. The fact was that most fans now got all the content they needed about the club online and hard copy publications were simply not economically viable.’

 

…so get rid of a £3 programme, but replace it instead with a publication at double the price, and  it isn’t selling well? 

Some real sales gurus down there, evidently.
 

I suspect it was always the plan. Replace it with a product at a price nobody will pay, then say that isn't viable either but 'we tried and it just wasn't workable'.

Echoes of our transfer policy...

[JHRover]

3 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I suspect it was always the plan. Replace it with a product at a price nobody will pay, then say that isn't viable either but 'we tried and it just wasn't workable'.

Echoes of our transfer policy...

Precisely. The monthly magazine was only ever a stop-gap. A temporary compromise rather than immediate abandonment of a publication. 

Then when that doesn't sell well - and lets be honest it was never going to do - use that as evidence of why the whole thing needs scrapping.

Job done - less effort and input required, no risk of any sort of financial hit, another Waggott cutback successfully implemented.

Of course the point behind running a matchday programme isn't to make money. Never was, or at least not in the last 20+ years. If you are a 1st, 2nd or 3rd division club and the money gained or lost from programme sales is a concern then you really should have bigger things to worry about. 

If we cast our eye around the Football League the simple reality is that the large majority of clubs continue to produce matchday programmes and either make ends meet or absorb whatever loss there is because there are other benefits from selling them - publicising the club, increased coverage for sponsors, maintaining a valuable tradition - things that Mr Short Sighted won't have any interest in but will then scratch his head with bewilderment when it limits our appeal to advertisers. 

[Upside Down]

7 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I suspect it was always the plan. Replace it with a product at a price nobody will pay, then say that isn't viable either but 'we tried and it just wasn't workable'.

Echoes of our transfer policy...

And every other policy.....