We’ve provided the following update on our matchday programme, the Mag, ahead of the 2023-24 season.
We're very proud of the Mag, which we're pleased to say won its second successive National League Programme of the Year award last season.
As the world’s oldest professional football club we’re also staunch advocates of the traditional aspects of our game, with matchday programmes being a leading example.
However, they generate only a modest profit over the course of a season and take considerable time and resource to produce to a sufficiently high standard.
While National League clubs are obliged to produce a programme, in the EFL they have been optional for several years and, following our promotion, we’ve been considering whether our efforts could be more effectively deployed in other areas of the club's media and communications operation.
As part of this process, we were keen to listen to supporters’ views and therefore invited 2023-24 season ticket holders to complete a survey via email last month. Around half of the near-700 respondents were keen to see the publication continue, with the other half being either neutral or against.
The results of the survey have helped guide us towards the following decision for 2023-24:
- We will continue to produce a 32-page programme for home league fixtures
- For some back-to-back home matches, we may decide to produce one programme to cover both matches
- We may decide to not produce a programme for any hastily-rearranged league matches
- A programme will not be produced for our first-round Carabao Cup tie against Lincoln City, nor either of our home EFL Trophy group stage matches. Cup games thereafter will be considered on a match-by-match basis
- A programme will be produced for our home friendly against Nottingham Forest, but not for the visit of Stoke City
Media and Communications Manager and Mag Editor Nick Richardson said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views on what I know for many is an emotive subject.
“With several EFL clubs having already decided to cease production, and others considering their options, it’s clear that the future of matchday programmes is uncertain.
“In a world where print costs are rising and the appetite for digital content is ever-increasing, the value of programmes is a subject of much debate and something we must continue to assess.
“However, particularly for what will be a landmark season for the club, we feel it’s right for us to continue at this time.
“I’d like to thank our production partners Ignition Sports Media for their ongoing support, along with our fantastic contributors.”