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Post by Baxtinho on May 1, 2018 10:03:24 GMT
Just curious what everyone thought about the upcoming vote regarding having matchday programmes (or not).
For me personally, they're an outdated medium and probably don't cover their own costs anymore. Having said that, I understand the twee nostalgic value of a matchday souvenir - but even in that case, do people go back and read them at a later date?
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Post by curlywurly on May 1, 2018 10:36:30 GMT
I'm not a programme collector, but I really hope that this is not the end of the printed programme. There is clearly a large amount of information available via electronic media and that clearly satisfies many, but there is still a market for the printed programme. To answer your question, yes plenty of people do go back and read them at a later date.
There is no doubt that Keith Brookman does a fantastic job with the programme, together with an army of contributors and they still sell - although probably in lower numbers than previous decades.
Some clubs offer an electronic version of the programme as well, but it is difficult to find the evidence that there is as big a market for these as for the printed version. The logic being that if your preference is information on your mobile phone, you probably won't want to pay for this if you can get most of it for free. It does provide an additional route for advertising income, but again the evidence that this pays off is limited.
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Post by barumgas on May 1, 2018 10:50:59 GMT
Does the club make a reasonable profit from sales?
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Post by Rovers 12th Man on May 1, 2018 11:01:27 GMT
From what I have seen (this is based on no figures whatsoever), we must be selling less. I used to get a programme every game and used to be in a queue of about 3 or 4 people to get one from the bloke outside the ground. Despite walking in at the same time and in the same place, I rarely see anyone buying one from him, including myself and it looks the same with the mobile sellers in the ground. I used to spend £3, read it for 10 minutes then stick it in a box at home and I just didn't want to be spending nearly £70 a season on it anymore. I know for some it is all part of the match day experience but times are changing, including in football and most of what is written in there can be found online for free anyway.
That being said, Keith does a fantastic job with ours and I would be sad to see it go even if I don't buy one anymore (except for play-off finals etc).
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Post by curlywurly on May 1, 2018 11:02:51 GMT
Does the club make a reasonable profit from sales? Not sure. Something you would have to a ask Keith Brookman or Tom Gorringe, but I doubt it makes as much now as it did 10 years ago. The programme offers advertising space, so the combination of sales and advertising income would have to exceed production costs.
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Post by lpgas on May 1, 2018 11:09:33 GMT
I looked on the Boreham Wood website a few months ago as their is a lad there that I used to teach (Bruno Andrade). They had an on line programme which was very good. You could look at it or download it. Seems sensible to me as we have supporters all over the place
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Post by peterhooper57 on May 1, 2018 11:18:14 GMT
Love a match day programme. Whats Keith Brookman going to be doing if this change goes through, after all fella been winning awards for his pirate programme for the past 30 years ?; he would then only have his rovers biased away game BBC radio commentary as well as his welcome to BRFC interviews to fall back on. Keep the programme, and keep Keith employed !
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Post by mjhgas on May 1, 2018 11:21:07 GMT
Quite telling on Saturday - we had a box with ten people in - there were 9 programmes left at the end! No one read them and no one took them home - even to give to a son/ daughter. Shame really - and a waste of paper!
Used to be great getting a programme as a kid, but social media has taken over.
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Post by warehamgas on May 1, 2018 11:42:53 GMT
Quite telling on Saturday - we had a box with ten people in - there were 9 programmes left at the end! No one read them and no one took them home - even to give to a son/ daughter. Shame really - and a waste of paper! Used to be great getting a programme as a kid, but social media has taken over. A real shame if it goes. But mjh’s example shows that things change and perhaps people don’t want a programme like people used to. I always get a programme at the Mem because it is a really good read and is one of the best in the country but I’m obviously in a minority. I don’t get this idea that because it’s online people don’t need one but as in many areas of life I know I’m a dinosaur and out of line with others. Ours has always been very good with lots of community stuff in it and opportunities for sponsors and advertisers to publicise themselves so I would think we would keep doing one but time will tell. At the moment it’s just up for discussion and clubs will give their views and I suppose in the end if a club makes money through their programme they will still do it and if they don’t they won’t. UTG!
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Post by curlywurly on May 1, 2018 11:45:31 GMT
Quite telling on Saturday - we had a box with ten people in - there were 9 programmes left at the end! No one read them and no one took them home - even to give to a son/ daughter. Shame really - and a waste of paper! Used to be great getting a programme as a kid, but social media has taken over. Don't worry, the community department distribute all the unwanted programmes to the local kids, while you eat cake
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Post by curlywurly on May 1, 2018 11:53:59 GMT
I looked on the Boreham Wood website a few months ago as their is a lad there that I used to teach (Bruno Andrade). They had an on line programme which was very good. You could look at it or download it. Seems sensible to me as we have supporters all over the place The potential to reach exiles through an online programme is a potential selling point and many Premier League and other EFL clubs do offer online versions. Most of these are produced through a handful of digital media outlets who, not surprisingly, indicate that this is a big money spinner for the club, through sales and additional advertising revenue. Like all things football, there is probably a big discrepancy between the haves and the have nots. Additional revenues for League 1 clubs are not likely to be that great, whilst the top six could make big money from an electronic programme. As the Rovers programme is produced electronically before the print run, it would not be too great a change to also offer this online IMO.
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Post by pirate49 on May 1, 2018 12:22:41 GMT
I wonder if our programme has actually become too jampacked with content. There's no doubt that it's an excellent product and KB is to be praised for the fantastic effort and time which he puts into it. However I don't buy it, unless it's for a significant game. As someone else has said, £3 per home league game plus pre-season and Cup (not too many of those ) knocks on the door of £80. Perhaps a slimmed down version selling at £1.50/£2.00 might be a better idea.
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Post by Qatar Gas on May 1, 2018 12:24:09 GMT
As an overseas fan, if I could buy and read the program online I would do from time to time.
I assume if not so many are being sold these days that less are being printed? Just thinking of it from an environmental point of view. Are the unsold ones being recycled? Can future copies be printed on recyclable paper etc?
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Post by Henbury Gas on May 1, 2018 12:30:36 GMT
As an overseas fan, if I could buy and read the program online I would do from time to time. I assume if not so many are being sold these days that less are being printed? Just thinking of it from an environmental point of view. Are the unsold ones being recycled? Can future copies be printed on recyclable paper etc? I Understand Bristol Sport Mans football dept 1982 recycle their programmes into the male Offensive as toilet paper. Quite appropriate i think
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Post by 2nd May 1990 on May 1, 2018 12:34:38 GMT
The club was recently lauded for its season ticket advertising video, in which the matchday programme was integral to the storyline. Let’s hope we keep ours going. It was always a good read.
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Post by legas on May 1, 2018 12:56:00 GMT
As an overseas fan, if I could buy and read the program online I would do from time to time. I assume if not so many are being sold these days that less are being printed? Just thinking of it from an environmental point of view. Are the unsold ones being recycled? Can future copies be printed on recyclable paper etc? I Understand Bristol Sport Mans football dept 1982 recycle their programmes into the male Offensive as toilet paper. Quite appropriate i think That's not true - they don't use toilet paper South of the river.
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Post by gasandrew on May 1, 2018 13:29:37 GMT
Will be sorry to see the printed version go but can understand the thoughts behind it.I know I am in a minority but I have kept a programme of every game I have seen snce the 1950's bar 1 which had sold out at Eastville.For many fans attending away games it's part of the I was there ritual for a small number of people. The programmes I buy could be read online but are read by quite a number of people at home amongst the magazines on a weekend. Also, on away games , a few of us bring a selection of old programmes to pass around which creates a lot of nostalgia for us old uns
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Post by inee on May 1, 2018 14:07:08 GMT
Shame if it does disappear as i enjoy having a read at home ,another part of football going
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Post by inee on May 1, 2018 14:07:46 GMT
As an overseas fan, if I could buy and read the program online I would do from time to time. I assume if not so many are being sold these days that less are being printed? Just thinking of it from an environmental point of view. Are the unsold ones being recycled? Can future copies be printed on recyclable paper etc? I Understand Bristol Sport Mans football dept 1982 recycle their programmes into the male Offensive as toilet paper. Quite appropriate i think eww shiny ars e wipe
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Post by rememberhalifax on May 1, 2018 14:33:15 GMT
KEEP THE PROGRAMMES! Its the same argument about real books or E books, the latter were all the rage for a few years, now the trend is back to the paper versions,you can't beat the feeling of turning those real pages, its the same with the programme, its great to scan through before kick off ,and pick up through out the following week, its also good bed time reading for those of us with nothing better to do! before storing, ready for when you want to check on past times, yes i know you can do it on line but it aint the same!long live the programme especially ours!
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