To effectively start a football programme collection, an individual needs to choose a theme to their collection. There are thousands of programmes available in Britain, and even more worldwide. To give a collection some sort of purpose a theme should be adopted to avoid needless accumulation and to keep to a designated budget.
Of course, it will sometimes be the case that you come across a programme that joins or crosses two themes at the same time. These are likely to prove to be valuable purchases in years to come as they signify an important or historical event, which will revive memories for football fans from across the world in the future.
A football programme is a great way to record a memorable event at a particular game. This could be in the form of an achievement such as a player milestone, which is featured in the programme itself. A player milestone could come in many formats, such as an appearance record, a goal getting record, the end of a players career, a number of years of service by the manager, and much more.
The sadder side of football is also often recorded in match programmes. These historical events attract collectors who see them as poignant reminders of the past. They are sought after and valuable as a result. The tragedies at Bradford, Ibrox and Hillsborough have collectible programmes connected with them, not only for the day itself, but also the subsequent commemorative matches.
A notably valuable set of football programmes to own are those associated with the Munich Air Disaster involving the Manchester United team and Busby’s Babes. The programme from the match against Partizan Belgrade who Manchester United were playing on the tragic trip can sell for over £1000. A similar sum can be obtained for the programme against Sheffield Wednesday directly after the disaster, where the team list wasn’t filled in for the Manchester United team.
Notable events are usually reflected in the content and style of the programme. Important football programmes to get hold of are final games in an old stadium, or the first issue within a new one. Most programmes of this type are abundant with interesting articles and historical information, making them a gem in any soccer programme collection.
Programmes often mean different things to different collectors. You may value one programme highly for entirely personal reasons and memories which they may conjure up. For others the pursuit is one of passion, finding out more about the history and traditions of a football team that they follow. Whatever your reason, collecting football programmes is a highly rewarding hobby, and comes highly recommended to any soccer fan.
