The craze around football memorabilia seems to be reigniting once more. But, many fans now aren’t sure of what to watch out for and how much an item they already own in storage might be worth.
In this guide, we’ll study which football programme editions have sold for the highest money and give you advice on how you’ll start collecting rare footy programmes today…
Football match programmes: what’s the history behind them?
The launch of the league in 1888 saw the discharge of the primary printed football programme. Unlike today, the aim of a programme was to track the score and it had been made as a one off sheet detailing the teams and match date.
If you recognize plenty about your football match history, you will have heard of the Villa News and Record for Aston Villa — one amongst the primary programmes released. In the years that followed, the programme for football matches took a more prominent role and included up to eight pages, while the front cover featured more imagery to attract the attention of the passing fans.
More recent programmes provide information about players on a particular team. Nowadays, footy programmes are just part of the marketing mix that is created by a football club, but still acts as a place for the club to talk directly to its supporters through manager interviews and player features.
What price to obtain an old programme?
Many collectors are prepared to spend a good deal of cash on certain football programmes. Back around 2012, a family of programme collectors near Ipswich were able to generate over £45,000 from auctioning their collection that was collecting dust at their home. Not only does this show how much football programmes are worth keeping, but also how much value is actually attached to them.
If you already have an interest in footy programmes, you might know that one recently sold for £30,000. Auctioned by New Bond Street, it came from the 1882 FA Final between Old Etonians and Blackburn Rovers, and is believed to be the oldest programme ever put up for sale.
Similarly, in 2012, the only sheet programme from 1909 between Manchester United and Bristol City sold for £23,500.
Football programmes of high value
Football programmes are a big part of a match day for many fans, but are they collectable?
Research indicates that the primary Wembley final programme dating back to 1923 between Bolton and West Ham United is worth just £1,000. As well as that, a programme from 1927 which is from the game against Cardiff City and Arsenal, with Cardiff winning 1-0 to become the only non-English side to win the FA Cup, sold for over £2,000 recently.
Although it might be surprising, programmes from matches that were abandoned or cancelled for any reason can also be a bit of a collectors item. One such game was in 1958, when Manchester United v Wolves was cancelled as a result of the air disaster in Munich.
However, once rescheduled, another programme was created where the club showed relevancy to those involved within the disaster by leaving the team page blank, but the original from the cancelled match has been valued at £10,000.
Some key advice for brand new collectors
Certain teams typically hold greater cost than others when it involves programme collecting — although, programmes from your team’s past are going to be more personally valuable to you.
Sides like Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, West Ham, and Arsenal are all highly wanted and are worth keeping a watch out for if you wish a very valuable item.
The same goes within the current betting for the Premier League, where those same sides are battling it out at the top end of the highest division in the country. Football prediction sites like Freebets.com show the most recent odds for the Premier League with Manchester City because the current 1/500 favourites for the title after opening up a large gap in top spot, but Manchester United did beat them at the Etihad recently and can be hoping to cause an enormous shock within the title race at 150/1.
Along with keeping an eye fixed out for those big teams, you’ll be able to grab yourself an honest deal when it involves football programmes, by keeping the subsequent in mind:
Age — if it’s over 50, then chances are it’s worth more than you paid for it.
Rarity — if there are many available, this can bring the worth down.
Popularity — programmes with an iconic footballer on the quilt or detailing a famous match are the foremost prized and valuable.
Condition — creases, missing staples and water damage all harm the programme’s price, so kindle a photograph before you pay.
Begin collecting programmes at any match you head to — especially if it also specifies a special event, like the last time a player plays.
