While some clubs have also sparked anger by going digital only during the pandemic, enthusiasts who have been busy filling in their collections remain optimistic about the printed word
A glance at Steve Earl’s catalogue confirms the extent of a connection between England’s national team and match programmes. A mere £250 will secure you the necessary from a meeting with
Scotland in 1930. Programmes for matches that took place during the second world war remain for sale; some of them comprise four pages, but they were produced.
So there is historic significance to the
Football Association’s decision not to publish programmes for the three
England home fixtures taking place in this international window. “In light of the current climate and as a not-for-profit organisation, it isn’t financially viable for the FA to produce matchday programmes for the England fixtures that are behind closed doors,” it said.