Salford City can confirm that production of a matchday programme for games at The Peninsula Stadium has ended.
Sales figures have been declining for the last few seasons and regrettably reached a critically low level in the 2023-24 season which prompted an internal review. An average of just 250 programmes were printed per game last season, with average sales of just 100 despite an average attendance of 2,779.
After considering the time and resources required to put together a matchday programme, the costs of printing and selling, and the appetite for a programme based on the sales figures from the last few years, it was concluded that as a product it was becoming increasingly less viable. Most supporters now consume matchday information from our digital sources and clearly the demand for a matchday programme for every match has diminished.
We have always been proud of our match programme at Salford City - each one showcasing a unique cover design thanks to the brilliant creative skills of Head of Marketing & Brand, Andrew Gordon. We are exploring other ways that the talent and creativity that is required to produce the matchday programme can be put to better use to reach a wider audience.
We understand and appreciate the sentimental value of a programme as a match collectible. A plan has also been actioned for teamsheets to be more widely available and distributed free of charge to all supporters attending games at The Peninsula Stadium, and we have already started developing ways of making it more than just a teamsheet, which we hope to bring to you as the season progresses.
Our thanks go to everyone that has supported the programme over the years, and in particular those that put in so much time and effort to create it. We will forever be grateful to our long-standing printers Matchday Creative; to the anonymous writer of Frankly Speaking for their wide range of knowledge, opinions and anecdotes of times gone by; and of course to Andrew for a phenomenal range of inspired and creative covers that helped to make the programme stand-out throughout the leagues.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN NOW?
- All supporters will be able to pick up a teamsheet free-of-charge each matchday;
- Our paper usage will reduce by 92% in this particular area, with another significant reduction in paper printing coming by issuing digital tickets as standard (printed tickets are available on request and in-store);
- Significantly more resource can be put into improving and increasing content on our website, app, SCFC TV and social media.
