To effectively launch a football programme collection, an individual needs to choose a specialisation to his or her collection. There are thousands of programmes available in the United Kingdom, and even more worldwide. To give a collection some sort of purpose a theme should be adopted to avoid unwanted accumulation and to keep to a preferred budget.

Of course, it will sometimes be the case that you come across a programme that joins or crosses two themes at the same time. These are likely to prove to be valuable purchases in future years as they represent a special or historical occasion, which will revive memories for soccer fans from across the world in the future.

A football programme is a good way to record a memorable event at a specific game. This could be in the form of an achievement such as a player milestone, which is featured in the programme. Player milestones come in many formats, such as an appearance record, a goal getting record, the final match of a players career, a number of years of service by the manager, and much more.

The darker side of football is also often recorded in the programme. These historical events interest collectors who see them as poignant reminders of the past. They are sought after and valuable as a result. The tragedies at Hillsborough, Ibrox and Bradford have collectible programmes connected with them, not only for the match itself, but also the subsequent commemorative matches.

A notably collectible set of football programmes to own are those associated with the Munich Air Disaster involving the Man Utd team and Busby’s Babes. The programme from the game against Partizan Belgrade who Manchester United were playing on the tragic trip can sell for over £1000. A similar amount can be achieved for the programme against Sheffield Wednesday straight after the disaster, where the players list wasn’t filled in for the Manchester United team.

Notable events are usually reflected in the content and style of the programme. Important football programmes to get hold of are final matches in an old stadium, or the first issue within a new one. Most programmes of this type are easily available with interesting articles and historical information, making them a gem in any football programme collection.

Programmes can mean different things to different collectors. You may value a prticular programme highly due to entirely personal reasons and memories which they may conjure up. For others the pursuit is one of passion, understanding more about the history and traditions of a football team that they support. Whatever your reason, collecting football programmes is a very rewarding hobby, and comes highly recommended to any soccer fan.