Football Programmes Centre

Football Programme and Memorabilia Prices
Programme collecting is as popular as ever thanks largely to the growth of the internet that has made availability much more widespread. Whereas in the past collectors would need to attend fairs or auction houses to make their purchases, they can now buy rare programmes at the click of a mouse.
While the emergence of online auction sites has driven the prices of some common programmes down, the demand for rare issues has grown and the prices have increased accordingly. While recent programmes can be picked up for just a few pence in some cases, scarce issues are still attracting big money.
There is generally some dispute over the highest amount paid for a single issue but the record is currently claimed by the auctioneers Graham Budd. This particular auction house is well known for their ability to source rare issues and recently they sold a programme from the 1889 FA Cup Final for an incredible �19,000. The match was played at the Kennington Oval between Preston North End and Wolves and the single sheet programme was in remarkably good condition.
One of the rarest programmes from recent years comes from the 1973 European Cup Final between Ajax and Juventus. The match was played in Belgrade in what was communist Jugoslavia at the time and few programmes were issued for the game. There are conflicting reasons as to why this happened; some suggest that programmes were only issued for officials and dignitaries while another version claims that when the money was given to the printers that were due to issue the programme, they disappeared and took the funds with them.
Whichever version of events is correct, very few programmes were printed for this game and an original can fetch in excess of �3,000.
Even more recently, the 1996 FA Cup Final programme for the match between Liverpool and Manchester United sold out very quickly at the game and can now reach prices around �100.
Collectors and dealers alike look to current issues to see where the next rarity will come from. Games that are called off at short notice are worth looking out for and if you happen to be passing the ground in question then it`s certainly worth picking up one or two copies.
Modern day programmes as a whole are much bigger than issues from twenty or thirty years ago and there is certainly plenty to read at half time! Prices for Premiership programmes start around the �3 mark while they can be picked up for less in the lower leagues. While some fans will say this is expensive, the content is so much better these days and they truly represent good value.
Domestic Cup Final programmes are much larger too and these sell for around �10.00 on match days. While some collectors complain that they are difficult to store without damaging the covers, this argument is a little churlish when you consider just how much there is to read.
One thing is for certain, programme collecting can only increase in popularity and new collectors are picking up the hobby all the time. If you`re starting out with your collection it`s worth talking to other collectors and speaking to dealers who are always keen to offer footy tips on where to begin.
Continue