2026 match programmes

[Hopping Mad]

Given the seemingly unstoppable demise of match programmes (a lot of rugby league clubs don't bother even with a digital offering, much less print), this could be a short thread. Here we go...

I've had confirmation from reliable issuers Barrow that they'll have a printed programme this season.

Midlands are also continuing in print. Production is in the hands of Curtis Sport, who have done Hurricanes' programme for the last couple of seasons.

Leeds did an A5 32-page programme (£3) for their Boxing Day friendly with Wakefield. Production handled, once again, by Ignition Sports Media. Suggests Leeds will be in print in 2026.

https://www.ignitionsportsmedia.com/collections/latest-programmes/products/leeds-rhinos-vs-wakefield-trinity-2025

I've emailed Keighley, to ascertain whether rumours of a return to a printed programme there are correct. Interestingly, Eccleshill United Football Club, who are now owned by Cougars and have relocated to Cougar Park, have been issuing printed programmes (A5, 16 pages, £2) during the 2025-26 Northern Counties East League season.

Among the amateurs, Hunslet ARLFC did a 26-page digital programme - free to download from the club's socials - for their 10/1 Challenge Cup tie with York Acorn. Last season, Hunslet ARLFC made available, on the gate, a few printed copies of their digital programme. I don't know whether that was the case for the York Acorn game.

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/84b96c65f9.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawPUhA9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeupUzlanrmenY5BjRMNPuQocySmWkNmaHFNsEg_Yq-xuxAdJbq8Vxm0bjhhI_aem_2ECIq1Su_pMIOqtWD2YlcQ

Edited January 14 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

Judging by publicity ahead of Sunday's Championship season-opener with Rochdale, Swinton will have a printed programme in 2026. Again, production is in the hands of Swinton Lions Supporters' Trust.

[Hopping Mad]

According to Gavin Willacy's No Helmets Required Guardian Sport Network column, Bedford Tigers issued a printed programme for their 11/1 Challenge Cup tie with Medway Dragons.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/no-helmets-required/2026/jan/13/joy-watching-amateur-clubs-first-round-challenge-cup-bedford-banbridge

 

Edited January 14 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

2 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

Judging by publicity ahead of Sunday's Championship season-opener with Rochdale, Swinton will have a printed programme in 2026. Again, production is in the hands of Swinton Lions Supporters' Trust.

Now confirmed by Swinton, who tell me Sunday's Rochdale programme is "already at the printers". Lions did a programme for last Saturday's (10/1) postponed pre-season friendly, at Heywood Road, against St Helens. Copies of that will be available to buy, on Sunday, alongside the Rochdale programme.

Edited January 14 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

The 'advertising' and 'gameday' sections of the club website indicate Wigan will have a printed programme in 2026. Cover price flagged as £4. Assume, continuing a trend of recent seasons, a paid-for digital version will be available also. Same appears to apply to Wigan's women's team albeit at half the men's cover price. MatchDayCreative, which services a number of non-league football clubs in the North West, produced Wigan's programmes last season.

Means the handful of pro/semi-pro clubs - Barrow, Leeds, Midlands, Swinton, and Wigan - to offer printed programmes in 2025 will do so again in 2026. Don't yet know the intentions of North Wales, who did a better-than-nothing printed (and digital?) magazine last season.

It'll be interesting to see if the likes of Bradford, St Helens, and York continue with a digital programme. In 2025, Bradford's was printable (at home or by a print provider), Saints's and York's were not.

Edited January 15 by Hopping Mad

[Celtic Roosters]

20 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

I've emailed Keighley, to ascertain whether rumours of a return to a printed programme there are correct. Interestingly, Eccleshill United Football Club, who are now owned by Cougars and have relocated to Cougar Park, have been issuing printed programmes (A5, 16 pages, £2) during the 2025-26 Northern Counties East League season.

Interesting that I went to watch Eccleshill this season and the title of their programme is "The Eagle and the Cougar". I won't visit clubs that don't sell a printed programme, even though I've stopped collecting them and given most of my collection away, so, I'll probably continue to watch Swinton home games this season. I won't make the Rochdale game unfortunately because I will be flying from Alicante. Going to watch football there on Saturday for my 70th birthday. Hopefully, I'll get copies of the St. Helens and Rochdale programmes at the next home game against Goole. If they go to the trouble of printing them I will buy them. I read them then leave them on the bus, train or tram, hoping it might spark interest for the person who finds them.

Edited January 15 by Celtic Roosters

[Anita Bath]

9 minutes ago, Celtic Roosters said:

Interesting that I went to watch Eccleshill this season and the title of their programme is "The Eagle and the Cougar". I won't visit clubs that don't sell a printed programme, even though I've stopped collecting them and given most of my collection away, so, I'll probably continue to watch Swinton home games this season. I won't make the Rochdale game unfortunately because I will be flying from Alicante. Going to watch football there on Saturday for my 70th birthday. Hopefully, I'll get copies of the St. Helens and Rochdale programmes at the next home game against Goole. If they go to the trouble of printing them I will buy them. I read them then leave them on the bus, train or tram, hoping it might spark interest for the person who finds them.

You have checked Alicante print programmes I suppose?

[Hopping Mad]

4 minutes ago, Anita Bath said:

You have checked Alicante print programmes I suppose?

Teamsheet only, in 2007, when I went to watch Alicante.  Although Alicante's groundsharers, Hercules, did a w/a programme that season.

[Anita Bath]

1 minute ago, Hopping Mad said:

Teamsheet only, in 2007, when I went to watch Alicante.  Although Alicante's groundsharers, Hercules, did a w/a programme that season.

18 years ago…..every rugby league team had them then.

[Hopping Mad]

The 2026 corporate hospitality blurb on the North Wales website references a match programme as a feature of the club's match etc sponsorship packages. Printed, presumably.

[Celtic Roosters]

1 minute ago, Anita Bath said:

You have checked Alicante print programmes I suppose?

No. My Son is paying for us to go to Alicante for a short break for my birthday. It's just coincidence that we found out Hercules are playing. It's tier 3 in Spain so I will be surprised (pleasantly) if there is a printed programme? I've had programmes in Spain before though so, you never know? I'm more hopeful of getting a pin badge. I don't collect them but I found out (on Christmas day) a pal in my local pub collects them. Since then I've brought him badges from Athersley Recreation, Bottesford Town and Brigg Town so it would be nice to get one from Hercules.

[Celtic Roosters]

7 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

Teamsheet only, in 2007, when I went to watch Alicante.  Although Alicante's groundsharers, Hercules, did a w/a programme that season.

What does w/a mean?

[Hopping Mad]

14 minutes ago, Celtic Roosters said:

What does w/a mean?

Included with admission.

Bit surprised Keighley Cougars-owned Eccleshill United have bothered with a programme, of any description, this season because their crowds at Cougar Park have been abysmal - even worse, if that were possible, than they were at Plumpton Park, Wrose. Presumably, programme sales reflect their attendances. When I went, in October, for a game against Horbury Town, the crowd was just 57. In previous years, Silsden FC then Steeton FC had similar problems attracting spectators to their games at Cougar Park. I suspect Bradford City, Burnley, and Leeds United cater adequately for Keighley residents who want to watch football.

Edited January 15 by Hopping Mad

[Celtic Roosters]

14 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

Included with admission.

Bit surprised Keighley Cougars-owned Eccleshill United have bothered with a programme, of any description, this season because their crowds at Cougar Park have been abysmal - even worse, if that were possible, than they were at Plumpton Park, Wrose. Presumably, programme sales reflect their attendances. When I went, in October, for a game against Horbury Town, the crowd was just 57. In previous years, Silsden FC then Steeton FC had similar problems attracting spectators to their games at Cougar Park. I suspect Bradford City, Burnley, and Leeds United cater adequately for Keighley residents who want to watch football.

Thanks for that. It was about October/November when I went. The crowd was over 100 but it was a FA Vase match against a Lancashire side and they brought a few. I got a programmes at Horbury United, Steeton and Silsden by the way. I mentioned before that I did geta printed programme is Spain - it was Sevilla .v. Valencia last season.

[Hopping Mad]

Programme-less Doncaster will content themselves with free teamsheets this season. According to the club website blurb for tomorrow's visit of Championship rivals Halifax: Teamsheets will be available from members of the club staff on the concourse and in the restaurant from approximately 2.15pm.    

[Hopping Mad]

Brighouse Rangers issued a printed programme for their weather-delayed (17/1) Challenge Cup tie with Lock Lane.

[Hopping Mad]

The rumour about Keighley reintroducing a printed programme is correct. Ahead of today's (18/1) visit to Cougar Park of Championship rivals Goole, the club's socials are advertising the availability of a printed programme. Price is £3.

[Hopping Mad]

8 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

The rumour about Keighley reintroducing a printed programme is correct. Ahead of today's (18/1) visit to Cougar Park of Championship rivals Goole, the club's socials are advertising the availability of a printed programme. Price is £3.

Turned out to be an A5 28-pager.

[Sampson for Knighthood]

Hunslet did a printed teamsheet free for the game against Dewsbury today 

[Dovster]

14 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

Turned out to be an A5 28-pager.

Great to have it back.

It appears it just needs someone to put the effort in.

Lots of Adverts, which I assume helps pay for the publication costs.

[Celtic Roosters]

On 15/01/2026 at 11:24, Anita Bath said:

You have checked Alicante print programmes I suppose?

 

On 15/01/2026 at 11:29, Hopping Mad said:

Teamsheet only, in 2007, when I went to watch Alicante.  Although Alicante's groundsharers, Hercules, did a w/a programme that season.

Hercules did have a printed programme on Saturday. I think Hercules are Alicante? There are no signs around the ground for any other team other than Hercules and their full name on the programme is Hercules de Alicante CF?

[Hopping Mad]

15 minutes ago, Celtic Roosters said:

 

Hercules did have a printed programme on Saturday. I think Hercules are Alicante? There are no signs around the ground for any other team other than Hercules and their full name on the programme is Hercules de Alicante CF?

Hercules's full name is Hercules de Alicante. CF Alicante (who I saw in 2007) folded in 2014. A new club, CFI Alicante, adopted their colours and badge, and now play elsewhere, at a much smaller ground.

[Hopping Mad]

21 minutes ago, Dovster said:

Great to have it back.

It appears it just needs someone to put the effort in.

Lots of Adverts, which I assume helps pay for the publication costs.

With a programme, you need somebody who really wants to edit it, and do the unglamorous shifts of finding advertisers. I say that having retired recently after almost 40 years in journalism, so I know what is required. Covering sport is generally a young person's game (the anti-social hours are a killer), and inevitably many of today's club media officers are accustomed merely to providing the few characters/sentences required by social media. 

[Hopping Mad]

Deleted

Edited January 23 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

Thatto Heath will be doing a programme for next weekend's Challenge Cup tie with Widnes. But it's digital only, I'm afraid.