Page 8 - Deal Round Up June 2019

As we know, the Non-League pyramid is again in the process of being restructured by The FA and
while at the moment the temporary changes have made the play-offs at Step 3 and 4 not ideal, in
the end it will be for the better. Contrary to what some people may think, The FA do care about Non-
League football, as we have experienced first-hand working closely with the organisation through
the paper. Perhaps because we have always been used to the structure of Non-League, we take
it for granted. Another comment said: “Organization defines the English League. Everything in its
place. The result is excellence.”
When you see crowds of 1,628 at Step 5, eight tiers below the Premier League, as Worksop Town
had recently for their top-of-the-table clash with Penistone, it is something to be proud of. We’ve
had several messages from Brazilians wanting to know more about the leagues and if they can buy
the paper – Non-League is only getting bigger and better!

Save The Match Day Programme By Matt Badcock
YOU HAVE to wonder how we will be reading football programmes
in the next five years. Will we even be reading them at all?
Change and progression is vital for the future health of the game
but there are many aspects that will leave traditionalists misty-
eyed recalling how things used to be.
Programmes have long seemed under threat and with more
leagues – including the EFL – giving clubs the option to produce
one or not, there is a gradual decline.
A way of clubs putting out their own news, interviews with players and managers’ notes, they’ve
always been an ideal way of interacting with the fanbase. Not to mention the sponsors being able
to put their product in front of people on a weekly basis.
By many accounts, sales are falling and combined with the increase in costs, you can understand
why clubs are exploring other options or dropping them altogether.
When Football League clubs have voted on a decision to stop them being mandatory, it can be
expected to filter down.
Perhaps programmes will become increasingly digital. Clubs across the country and even the world
are already experimenting with online editions, the use of QR codes on tickets to bring the latest
copy direct to your phone, it will be fascinating to see how they evolve.
But there’s always been something special about the hard
copy that you can touch, roll up into a pocket and browse at
half-time or on the train home from a game.
Lovingly put together by programme editors giving up their
spare hours to produce a product they are proud of.
It’s easy to underestimate how much time goes in each
week to programmes, the hours of writing, liaising with the
opposition and carefully proof-reading for errors.
Perhaps I’m one of the dying breed who still enjoys seeing what clubs can produce. We must not
forget how demanding it is for volunteers in Non-League to put all this together, let alone when the
weather hits and scuppers all that hard work.
It will be interesting to hear your thoughts. The fact you are reading this column sent out by The
NLP, hopefully shows programmes will be around for a while yet.

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