Programmes stay or go

[clifford 969]

For me it's part of the match day experience but as more clubs drop how long will mr h keep them going

[Curly Wurly 19]

He'd lose revenue if he did so I can't see that happening.

[moorside roughyed 2,912]

Me, personally I got fed up of them a while back so I stopped buying them. It probably depends on how many they sell. Wouldn't it be better to get the program via a season long subscription by email. It'd save the club having to print the programs and there'd be less waste ie unsold copies(just an idea). 

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

When I was younger (up to mid-teens) I used to be a fervent collector of RL programmes and would keep them filed and listed in order (ie I had every Oldham home game going back from the mid-1970s to the early 1950s ... including the ones they produced in newspaper form in about 1972 and which you could have delivered to your house via your local newspaper shop prior to the match). However when something called work got in the way I then didn't have the same time to devote to them and eventually sold them.

I assume there are still people who collect programmes these days but I tend to agree that in the past they were useful to find out information about the club whereas these days such news can easily be found via the internet. Furthermore the list of players for the teams are no longer useful as the programmes usually just show a full squad from which the team of the day will be selected.

Therefore, unless the cost of programmes can be more than met by advertisements then I really don't see any great use for them ... and even if those costs can be met then what percentage of the programme would just be adverts in comparison to useful information ? (ie: Would I be buying a programme just to look at lots of adverts and very little "fresh" news I hadn't already read about elsewhere ?)

Perhaps re-employ that young boy who used to walk around the ground with the winning "Golden Gamble" raffle ticket numbers chalked onto a blackboard and have him doing it instead with the list of players for the day ! 

(NB: That young boy would be about 70 now)

Edited January 20 by RL does what Sky says

[Pigeon Lofter 314]

36 minutes ago, RL does what Sky says said:

When I was younger (up to mid-teens) I used to be a fervent collector of RL programmes and would keep them filed and listed in order (ie I had every Oldham home game going back from the mid-1970s to the early 1950s ... including the ones they produced in newspaper form in about 1972 and which you could have delivered to your house via your local newspaper shop prior to the match).

I'd forgotten about that newspaper....wasn't it called Oldham Rugby News?

Back in the early/mid 70s I was a (lottery) ticket agent  for the club in Chadderton, going door to door selling sealed instant bingo cards which in turn got me free admission at Watersheddings. The guy in charge of commercial operations was a guy called Alan Taylor ( I think) and he was always coming up with new angles to raise money, a good guy it seemed. He would have been responsible for that newspaper in some shape or form. He had a little office in the old pavilion, next to the treatment room.

There was a small room (alcove) tucked away under the main stand  at the back near the tunnel that used to sell old club programmes at half time during games, and probably for a few minutes after the match too. I used to buy a handful every game, and to this day have no idea what happened to them as I moved to London and left them all behind. My mother probably slung them out after I stopped visiting the north west and that was that. It was a mighty collection and would have been worth a few bob, even back then.

Memory Lane is a good place to revisit every now and again.

 

[RogerT 1,164]

Batley went electronic last season fully with the match day magazine, they tried it out the season before.

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

26 minutes ago, Pigeon Lofter said:

I'd forgotten about that newspaper....wasn't it called Oldham Rugby News?

Back in the early/mid 70s I was a (lottery) ticket agent  for the club in Chadderton, going door to door selling sealed instant bingo cards which in turn got me free admission at Watersheddings. The guy in charge of commercial operations was a guy called Alan Taylor ( I think) and he was always coming up with new angles to raise money, a good guy it seemed. He would have been responsible for that newspaper in some shape or form. He had a little office in the old pavilion, next to the treatment room.

There was a small room (alcove) tucked away under the main stand  at the back near the tunnel that used to sell old club programmes at half time during games, and probably for a few minutes after the match too. I used to buy a handful every game, and to this day have no idea what happened to them as I moved to London and left them all behind. My mother probably slung them out after I stopped visiting the north west and that was that. It was a mighty collection and would have been worth a few bob, even back then.

Memory Lane is a good place to revisit every now and again.

Click on this link ...

https://orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/document-archive/

It will take you to the "Documents Archive" section on the Oldham RL Heitage Trust website.

Once there then type the name of a team Oldham played in 1972 into the "Search" box (ie Widnes).  Once at that page then look for their home game on 22 October 1972 and then click on the "View" box on the right.

A copy of the programme (ie newspaper) will appear. As a coincidence in that particular edition there is a full page article about Frank Foster who died just a few weeks ago.

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

1 minute ago, RogerT said:

Batley went electronic last season fully with the match day magazine, they tried it out the season before.

How did that operate and has it been a success ?

[RogerT 1,164]

Registered my name and email address and I get it automatically on either the Saturday or at the latest very early Sunday morning once my head clears.

The beauty about it is the squad named by the coach is on for that match, barr any late changes.

I believe the club thinks it's a success and are doing it again.

All aspects of Batley Bulldogs are covered right down to the cheerleaders.

Cheers Roger.

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

10 minutes ago, RogerT said:

Registered my name and email address and I get it automatically on either the Saturday or at the latest very early Sunday morning once my head clears.

The beauty about it is the squad named by the coach is on for that match, barr any late changes.

I believe the club thinks it's a success and are doing it again.

All aspects of Batley Bulldogs are covered right down to the cheerleaders.

Cheers Roger.

The cheerleaders are covered .... oh well, what a pity ! 

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

Just to let everyone know that Roger T has sent me a copy of the Batley electronic programme they produce. It is full of good content and by registering his e-mail he is sent a copy either the day before or on the day of the match so that it is as up to date as possible.

It would also be good for programme collectors as they can still store it on their computer and save filling up all the cupboard space at home. 

Seems like a good idea.

 

[Dave Naylor 2,155]

8 hours ago, RL does what Sky says said:

Just to let everyone know that Roger T has sent me a copy of the Batley electronic programme they produce. It is full of good content and by registering his e-mail he is sent a copy either the day before or on the day of the match so that it is as up to date as possible.

Batley have a Matchday Magazine page on their website where you can view past issues.  They're all web-based pages from Mailchimp so the magazines that subscribers receive will be effectively an email version of the same.

I'd like Oldham to make the change and produce a digital type programme.  I'd prefer it to be a PDF document which you could view on your computer or mobile device.  It'd be set out just like a printed programme but produced without the cost of printing.

I don't know the exact figures but the club must make a loss on programmes or at best break even.  I think somewhere in the region of 50-100 are produced depending on the game and even at £3.00 a pop, you're probably just about meeting the cost of production.

 

 

 

 

 

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

11 minutes ago, Dave Naylor said:

Batley have a Matchday Magazine page on their website where you can view past issues.  They're all web-based pages from Mailchimp so the magazines that subscribers receive will be effectively an email version of the same.

I'd like Oldham to make the change and produce a digital type programme.  I'd prefer it to be a PDF document which you could view on your computer or mobile device.  It'd be set out just like a printed programme but produced without the cost of printing.

I don't know the exact figures but the club must make a loss on programmes or at best break even.  I think somewhere in the region of 50-100 are produced depending on the game and even at £3.00 a pop, you're probably just about meeting the cost of production.

Thanks Dave. As you will have seen earlier in the thread. Roger T from Batley got in touch about their programme and, as with many things, any idea is always worth looking at.

When you say about "the club must make a loss on programmes or at best break even", I assume you are referring to Oldham and not what Batley do ?

[Dave Naylor 2,155]

Just now, RL does what Sky says said:

When you say about "the club must make a loss on programmes or at best break even", I assume you are referring to Oldham and not what Batley do ?

I was.  

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

Just now, Dave Naylor said:

I was.  

Of course I also assume that some printed programmes may be required in case any away fans want one.

[Dave Naylor 2,155]

The Oldham club could make programmes available to all.  That's what Leigh do on their website in the lead-up to games.  You can see a few listed here if you scroll down.

https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/v2/blog/category/ticket-news/

[RogerT 1,164]

I think that's the main reason Batley have gone done that route.

[The Art of Hand and Foot 749]

Back in the day , as kids, we would try and get as many of the players to sign the programmes. Especially the away players. Can't do that with e-programmes. 

[FailsworthYed 259]

1 hour ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

Back in the day , as kids, we would try and get as many of the players to sign the programmes. Especially the away players. Can't do that with e-programmes. 

Me too, memories of players signing and getting pie over my programme. 

[RL does what Sky says 1,344]

5 hours ago, FailsworthYed said:

Me too, memories of players signing and getting pie over my programme. 

I used to get signatures on my programme and got Jackie Pyecroft over mine ! 

(A scrum-half in the 1960s for those who don't know)

Edited January 20 by RL does what Sky says

[Dave Naylor 2,155]

Uh oh...

We WILL have programmes in 2020

WHILE some clubs have previously ditched the sale of match-day programmes, and others will follow suit in the coming season, Oldham RLFC has decided to continue with the sale of traditional programmes as a service to fans.

Read more

[RogerT 1,164]

I remember Jackie Pyecroft playing for Batley after Oldham, unless I was seeing things he pretended to feed the scrum scooted to the rear still with the ball and away, the ref non the wiser.

Edited January 21 by RogerT

[john in oz 90]

You’re right Pigeon Lofter - Alan Taylor was in charge of commercial matters in the 1970s. I think he’d had a similar role at Everton FC prior to coming to Oldham. I was a pools agent at that time and used to take the money up to his office in the old pavilion on a Friday afternoon. Had an attractive blonde lady assistant if memory serves correctly !

i was an avid programme collector when I first started following Oldham. There was a newspaper called Rugby Leaguer and a fellow called Tom Webb had a programme swapping column under his nom de plume “Arellicus”. Tom was from Oldham and I think was a schoolteacher. I played cricket ( at a very low level ) with his son Bob who definitely was a schoolteacher and played rugby with one of the local amateur clubs - can’t remember which.

 

 

Edited February 3 by john in oz
Typo