Pirate programmes

[Cpfc jim]

I know these were very prevalent early doors but when did they stop becoming a thing ? latest one I've seen is for west ham Ipswich 75 semi and does anyone on here collect/specialize in them ?

[colchestersid]

Ditto - that 1975 semi final was probably the last of the "old" pirates

Of course with the internet, eBay and cheap printing they've come back with a vengeance. You get hundreds of these every year now from conmen in Belarus, Holland, Ukraine and closer to home, sorry to say.

[Sir Alf]

There was an “old” pirate a bit later than 1975. One printed for Chesterfield v Walsall FAC 2nd replay at Derby County in Dec 1976

[overlap]

A generic Pirate programme was produced for all of Manchester United's home games in the 1974/75 season, with the opposition un-named but merely listed as "opponents" and with the team line-up blank.

In Scotland one of the last pirates was the Celtic v Dundee 1973 Scottish Cup semi-final replay.

[garyspain]

They were still being sold at games in the Republic of Ireland well into the 1980's.

The main source of these was a guy who had a printing press near Tolka Park. Some are very collectable now and new ones still come to light. No official programmes done for some big friendlies and many FAI Cup semi finals. The pirate in my book then becomes very much in demand.

As for selling at games. The last I can recall is a Spanish guy. I'm pretty sure he was called Miguel and from Madrid. He produced and sold a number of pirates for British and Irish clubs and national sides away mainly in southern Europe. They normally had a barcode on the front and the English was pretty poor. I know he travelled as far as Stuttgart (2006) and Bari (2009) for our games. He was openly selling in the away end in Lisbon in 2000 but later was more careful and sold around the city early on matchday.

They are obviously still being done by ebay bandits but as they are never at the game I don't consider them in anyway relevant.

[slightfold]

For me if they were sold at the ground on the day of the match then they have some merit. I can remember going to some Wales matches in Cardiff and sellers on opposite corners, one shouting 'programme,' the other shouting 'official programme.' Many, especially the kids,who came to see the game never went to anything else and the were soon relieved of their tanners (2 & 1/2 pence in old money ) for the semi-cardboard pirate issue which was basically tat and more often innacurate in the line ups!

[Sir Alf]

How do we make a distinction between pirate programmes and fanzines that were specific to a match?

For example, in 93-94 I think West Ham did a fanzine-type programme called “Home Alone, The Peoples Programme”. They certainly did when Chesterfield played there in the FLC. Does that class as a pirate?

[garyspain]

Sir Alf wrote:

How do we make a distinction between pirate programmes and fanzines that were specific to a match? For example, in 93-94 I think West Ham did a fanzine-type programme called “Home Alone, The Peoples Programme”. They certainly did when Chesterfield played there in the FLC. Does that class as a pirate?

I think it is up to each collector to decide.

I'd certainly collect something like that.

[colchestersid]

I knew the guy that produced that (Gary) - it was sold at every game for a couple of years and he always explained to anyone who asked that it wasn't the official programme