 |
According to the Guardian some clubs lose money on producing the programmes.
"A number of clubs have asked the EFL if the mandatory publication of a
match programme can be addressed as a result of an overall decline in
sales and the proliferation of digital and social media, which has the
ability to deliver the same content in a more cost‑effective manner," said the EFL in a statement.
Mansfield chief executive Carolyn Radford said she recognised why some clubs wished to stop having to produce a programme.
"We’d always have a programme because it’s a voice from the club to
the fans and it’s something some people keep religiously,” she said.
"It’s part of the fabric of the club and an important piece of memorabilia, a collector’s item. I know we’re moving more online, but it’s different having something to hold.
"It costs us more to produce than it raises, so I can see commercially why some clubs would want to get rid and I think if it was no longer compulsory a lot of clubs, particularly in the lower leagues, would drop out. But it’s still an important part of football’s history."
During the past season Hereford FC have produced a glossy 64 page programme for almost all games at a cost of £3.
It's thought around one in five spectators purchase a programme which suggests Hereford sell around 520 per game. Given 23 home League games and 7 cup matches the gross income from match programmes last season would have been around £46,800.