For those who are interested, Watford have stopped printing matchday programmes. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/25353581.watford-announce-end-physical-matchday-programmes/
Joining Blackburn and Swansea in the championship who stopped printing matchday programmes a couple of seasons ago .
Yes I think so, It’s a shame really as a City home and away programme collector for many a year now, but unfortunately it’s a sign of the times.
Yes,I think it's down to cost as well.They probably don't know how many to print,more than likely print too many and get left with 1000's to flog in the shop for 10p a whip... I remember the old shop behind bunkers in the early 70's,old programmes,enamel badges and sew on patches were about the only thing they sold
Also sold ‘silk’ scarfs which we wore tied round the wrist in Rollers fashion. Oh, and those bizarre clacky things you fixed to your bike spokes which made an irritating noise when they hit your spokes.
We stopped them at a club I was working at, replaced them with an online version behind a pay wall that you can read on your phone or device. It upset about 15 old farts for a few weeks but they soon stopped complaining and the costs saved and profits made were making it totally justifiable. It had benefits in that the team could be uploaded to it as and when it was ready, the table and other teams results were added before people had even got home from the game and there was interactive content which give people something to do at half time.
The first programme shop was down Queensgate Street, off the Boulevard, ran by Norman Lovett. It was half a programme shop and half a green grocers. He also ran the British Programme Collectors Club from there. I was the, or one of the Hull City representatives which meant I sent the home programme to the member who supported the club we were playing and he did the same to me when City played there. It cost ten first class stamps to join the club. I first became aware of Normans delightful programme shop when I saw an advertisement for it in Soccer Star, this was maybe 1968? I visited the very same day and he was still setting the shop up with piles of cardboard boxes of programmes stacked amongst the sacks of spuds and carrots. I rummaged through the boxes and picked out half a dozen Doncaster Rovers programmes dated 1930 with an elastic band around them and asked a very flustered Norman how much he wanted for them. He said sixpence each and I bought them all. I went straight home and advertised them in the Soccer Star programme section which was free to do in those days and got £5 each for them! Norman later moved his programme shop to the last shop on Anlaby Road, Silver Cod side, near the railway lines and it flourished for a while. The programme shop on North Road was owned by someone else and I believe he started off selling from the basement of YPI on George Street. He had a deal with City where he bought all the surplus reserve team team sheets and these were one if his best seller's in later years. The Hull City matchday programme for 1966/67 was voted the best in the league by Soccer Star.
Thanks for the info, I went to North Road and the basement of YPI George street on many occasions, the guy in question is Bill Chester.
The one near Cod was a regular bike trip with mates late 60’s pretty sure he opened Sundays it was a really popular place especially as City were flying .
That was an argument from people who collect them. Unfortunately though it was costing the club a fortune to produce a match day magazine.
Modern Times... We don't get tickets for Rock concerts anymore either,it's a real shame in terms of looking back at fond memories or handing stuff down when you pass.
Yeah this is a big thing for me, people don’t even flinch about it, but I have tickets and with each ticket, it reminds me of something, good for the memories!
Yes,I remember the silk scarfs,I had one but they got tatty awful quick. Remember all the lasses having them for Donny Osmond,David Cassidy,Bay City Rollers(as you've said)...****,they even had Mud,Showaddywaddy,G*** G******,Marc Bolan....etc.
