Rhodes Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Anyone interested in SSML programmes and who they think has the best one, Broxbourne Borough, Leverstock Green and Hoddesdon Town always do massive programmes of War and Peace proportions and although they're padded out with adverts you have to give them credit for the effort they put in. People don't seem so interested in programmes these days unlike when I was growing up and collecting them a programme was sacred, now players just leave them in the dressing room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRS67 Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I will always get a programme, I think the clubs that put effort into theirs at this level should be commended, as it has to be a real love, to put in the effort to produce something special. I like the fact that match programes at this level are normally not just a run of the mill effort made by a publication company, as in the higher leagues and the pro game. Same goes with websites, check out the websites for the football league clubs and they are all made by the same company, all using simallar layouts. Then check out some of the sites that non league clubs put online and they are each individual and have their own look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lato Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I am biased as I used to do the RMFC programme but I always thought the Hoddesdon Programme was vastly overated. It was very much a case of quantity over quality. I counted it once and there were seventy pages in it that were totally superfluous - I mean who needs a seven page history? and details of how the reserves did last year spread over two pages. I also had little time for any programme that just used copies of league tables from the bulletin and copied fixtures from it. I know it could be argued that there is no point duplicating work but it at least shows the effort if it looks like your own work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhodes Posted July 16, 2006 Author Share Posted July 16, 2006 Thanks for those views, I am big on programmes and did the Haringey Borough one up until recently putting a lot of time and effort in starting up to three days prior to a game. Many programmes are padded out by adverts and that's okay as long as the rest of the content is good, Hoddesdon's is over the top but fair play to them for going that extra mile. I don't think many SSML Club's, if any, have Club shops and I think a bit more effort should be made in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWK Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Personally I always like to get a programme from any game i attend, in SSML Division Two you dont have to issue a programme but I would like every team to do so-at the very least it is a record of a game being played. It doesnt necessairily have to be big, even a 4 page programme would do (front page, team sheet, league table and results maybe) but any extra effort is always appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBFC11 Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Brox have got new programmes this season very nice to. they are like Hertford Towns, they alwats put a good programme together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manorborn100 Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Programmes shouldn't be more than 30 pages. Those that are should be <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/ban.gif" alt="" />, I've got a bad back don'tcha know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhodes Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 We can't all be Hoddesdon Town's Manorborn, in their case it's 300 pages not 30. AWK you're a man after my own heart, I feel the same about programmes in that they're sacred and should be treasured, I have about 60,000 in my collection and have been collecting since I was 5. I did the Haringey Borough programme up until last season and always went that extra mile dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's, nobody takes a pride anymore do they. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manorborn100 Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 HOW MANY!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhodes Posted July 22, 2006 Author Share Posted July 22, 2006 Er what do you mean, well 300 pages was a slight exaggeration but it often seems like it, Jane certainly goes that extra mile with Hoddesdon's programme and you have to give her credit. I would like to see Hoddy return to the Premier Division, their ground is small but they have a Premier League reputation and care about their Club which is of course one of the oldest around. I'll be starting a small shop on matchdays for Kentish Town to raise a few quid, nothing major but with old programmes, magazines, books and videos etc, football videos I hasten to add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWK Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 I know Broxbourne have a highly rated programme, they always do well when it comes to awards and finished 21st in non league football in the soccer club swap shop ratings. Hoddesdon finished 7th, both of which are great achievements especially considering they are up against the likes of Exeter City etc who will have better resources at there disposal. I have not seen a Hoddesdon programme though, I will have to try and get my hands on one in the coming season but in regards of programme size you can over do it. About 3 seasons ago Kings Langley done a huge programme, it was very well written and had some excellent information in it, but I was still reading it a week after the match before eventually giving up!! The problem was it had news going back from the beginning of the season and it looked like they just kept everything that was in the previous programme and just added to it for the next one, I like my programmes to have all the latest information in it myself without going over old ground that would have been in a previous issue. 60,000!!! thats some collection you have got there Rhodes, I know what you mean about taking pride in making a programme, but overall i would say the SSML in pretty good. Ive seen a few programmes from the UCL and there not of the same standard and even Football League programmes with all the expence that goes with them can still be littered with silly mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupwotcoup Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 The trouble is these days is that most clubs give their programmes to outside agencies, so all they are interested in is quick turnover, with little attention to detail. I was the editor of Romford's programme for about three years, and people don't realise how much effort it takes. The Saturday issues were always done at the printers, but midweek versions were photocopied in the office, then half of Monday night was taken up with collating, folding and stapling. Did save me a fortune on the buying front though! Talking of programmes..read footnote! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manorborn100 Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 My comment of "HOW MANY" was in reference to your collection of over 60,000. If they were all Hoddesdon programmes you'd need a warehouse the size of Amazon's distribution centre to store them. I agree material should be relevant and current, which is where I think Hoddesdon go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTFCew Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 Quote: coupwotcoup said: The trouble is these days is that most clubs give their programmes to outside agencies, so all they are interested in is quick turnover, with little attention to detail. Ware do that - they use the same person as Enfield and a few other clubs. It is good though -it depends on what information the club sends to the agency I suppose. I am quite lucky as a couple of people regularly send me articles for the Hertford prog. One thing I do like in a programme is the team sheet on the back page. We have all our covers done at the start of the season, then over print the match details and teams each week. A couple of seasons ago I printed all the programmes out at home on a laser printer. I used to spend all Saturday morning printing, folding and stapling as I had to produce about 80 on average. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupwotcoup Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 I agree re information, but not doing things in-house means more chance of cross communication, henceforth the balls-ups that appear. I think they are doing a static cover at Romford this season..first time in 14 years if memory serves me well - with just the badge. Pretty dull from a personal point of view. We always had an action shot on the front before (a new one for each match), so now will become a collectors' nightmare, having to go through each one..grrrr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhodes Posted July 22, 2006 Author Share Posted July 22, 2006 Yeah pre printed covers are a pain in the rear end as it's sods law something changes the day they're delivered and you're lumbered for the season, many Club's have no choice though. I can certainly relate to HTFCew's comment as I have spent many a long and happy hour or three folding pages and stapling them into a pre printed cover, I also used to take my own photos, get them developed, photocopied in colour at work and then run off back to back for the programme, that's dedication but I have noticed not many Club's in the SSML carry match photographs and the players appreciated it, well some of them. I also agree that the teams/line ups should ideally go on the back cover but it's surely not possible if the covers are pre printed, how do you over print the match details and teams each week HTFCew, doesn't that make it look a bit like a dogs breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTFCew Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 It's done on a laser copier and looks OK. We leave a space on the front for match details. The back is pre printed with boxes for the teams etc, I produce the over printing details and it is photocopied onto the covers. We have match photos in B&W inside the programme, but I have a digital camera which makes things easier - they are on our website as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhodes Posted July 22, 2006 Author Share Posted July 22, 2006 Thanks for that, you not at a pre season game then today HTFCew, are Hertford Town playing. Your programme is probably going to be one of the best for content this season, some such as Broxbourne Borough and Leverstock Green are packed with adverts but the content is still pretty good. AWK is in for a shock if he hasn't had the pleasure of seeing a Hoddesdon Town programme, as I said it makes War and Peace seem like a quick read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTFCew Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 I have had the "pleasure" of carrying round several Hoddy progs - never managed to read one all the way through though! We try to keep ours simple - current tables, fixtures, results, league news etc, player profiles, visiting team history etc, last match report + pics, then one or two articles which hopefully will interest everyone - not just the home team. It's only in the last couple of seasons that we've had any adverts to speak of - this year it will depend on how our new commercial guy gets on. All I've been sent by the league so far is the Molten one - will there be many other compulsary ones? Our first friendly is next Saturday - away at Standon & Puckeridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWK Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 We were thinking of doing a pre printed front cover, i did mention that if it was done right we could still put the match details on the front and team sheet on the back but I dont think they believed me!!! I will mention the Hertford programme then and see if i can get them to do it. Normally the sponsors of the league are the only compulsary advert you have to put in and as far as im aware that hasnt changed this season. Sounds like this Hoddesdon one is huge, hats off to them if they can afford to do it though it does sound like they have a lot of what i would class as "filler" pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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