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St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20



DaveH
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Aug 8, 2019, 4:51 PM

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St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
As on another thread on here somewhere, I decided that we would take advantage of the Southern League relaxing their physical prog rule last season and go online only.

I produced a 4 pager with the essentials that kept the home fans without access to the web happy. However some away supporters and a few ground hoppers didn't really like the idea.

This season I believe I've come up with a viable solution. I've produced and had printed a 16 page 'shell' (only 2 pages of adverts) with plenty of reading material which isn't specific to any match. This is to accompany the 4 pager, thus giving you a full 20 page prog. All for the low low price of £1.

I will also sell the 4 page essentials on it's own (as it seems silly for the home fans to buy the same item 20+ times) for 50p.

There will also be the online programme available from our website which is of course free.


paulh66
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Aug 8, 2019, 5:51 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
In Reply To

I produced a 4 pager with the essentials that kept the home fans without access to the web happy. However some away supporters and a few ground hoppers didn't really like the idea.
Out of interest, what was it that away fans didn't like?

Good luck with the new approach, it'll be interesting to hear your observations later in the season on its success and viability.


DaveH
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Aug 8, 2019, 5:58 PM

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Location: Sutton in the Isle
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Re: [paulh66] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
In Reply To
Out of interest, what was it that away fans didn't like?

Good luck with the new approach, it'll be interesting to hear your observations later in the season on its success and viability.
The simple fact we didn't have a full prog on sale. Ironically the biggest grumble was from Needham Market fans, whose club no longer produce a programme either!!

Cheers. I'll let you know.


Chris1963
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Aug 26, 2019, 11:55 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
In Reply To
This season I believe I've come up with a viable solution. I've produced and had printed a 16 page 'shell' (only 2 pages of adverts) with plenty of reading material which isn't specific to any match. This is to accompany the 4 pager, thus giving you a full 20 page prog. All for the low low price of £1.
Excellent idea. At Walton Casuals today, the home team also produced a similar programme, consisting of a glossy colour 24 page shell (about half of which was advertising) with a match-specific 16 page insert on black and white paper inside it.


DaveH
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Aug 27, 2019, 6:36 AM

Posts: 148
Location: Sutton in the Isle
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Re: [Chris1963] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
In Reply To
In Reply To
This season I believe I've come up with a viable solution. I've produced and had printed a 16 page 'shell' (only 2 pages of adverts) with plenty of reading material which isn't specific to any match. This is to accompany the 4 pager, thus giving you a full 20 page prog. All for the low low price of £1.
Excellent idea. At Walton Casuals today, the home team also produced a similar programme, consisting of a glossy colour 24 page shell (about half of which was advertising) with a match-specific 16 page insert on black and white paper inside it.
I do believe it’s a good compromise. However at our last home game, an away fan asked for 3 copies and looked quite bemused when I was stapling the inserts in the shell. He then grunted at me “you should do a proper programme.” I then explained the reasons why we didn’t and the loss we made on it to which he responded “you should get more advertisers then.” What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that. A pro-programme persons first line of defence is that you’ll lose advertisers if you don’t print. Actually we have more people now looking at our programme online than when we solely printed.

As far as the club is concerned we satisfy the league requirement by issuing online. I print off a version of the prog at my own time and expense and when I receive disgruntled comments like that I do wonder why I bother.


DaveH
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Aug 27, 2019, 3:20 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
I received an email from Southern league advising that the printed prog needs to include a couple of league adverts and the sponsors logo on the front. As I'm not willing to shell out another £60 for a set of amended programme shells I'm afraid we'll be online only from now on.

I thought that as our official programme is online and that this is merely a supplement that I could get away without needing the league adverts etc as I got them printed before I knew what they were as it's cheaper with a longer print turn around. It would appear that i was mistaken!


(This post was edited by DaveH on Aug 27, 2019, 3:40 PM)


northstandexile
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Aug 28, 2019, 1:55 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
Don’t call it a programme. Sell it as something else, a magazine?

I can’t see what they can do if you continue with printing your ‘magazine’ and publishing your programme on line.


DaveH
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Aug 28, 2019, 2:07 PM

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Re: [northstandexile] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
I see what you're getting at and it's appreciated, however they have 'programme' on the cover, so I doubt if i could get away with it.

To be honest I've had enough of it now, plus the fact I don't want to spend any more money on it.

However, if anyone is planning to make a visit and would like a programme of some kind, drop me a PM a day or so before hand and I'll get one done on the 'black market'!


northstandexile
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Aug 28, 2019, 2:14 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
What are their sanctions if you continue to sell your paper programmes?

Chuck your club out of the league? Sue you personally?

Refuse to give your club league sponsorship monies?


DaveH
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Aug 28, 2019, 2:21 PM

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Re: [northstandexile] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
Good point. I guess the club would be fined. However club officials have advised me that I can no longer sell them, unless they're amended to conform to the league regulations, which would mean getting them reprinted of which I'm not willing to do.


Chris1963
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Aug 28, 2019, 4:16 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
Would it be possible for you to print a 4 page black and white 'wraparound' to resolve the problem? The front cover would have the sponsors logo along with the match details and date, and the remaining three pages would include the required two adverts, with the remaining page(s) perhaps having squads or a league table.


(This post was edited by Chris1963 on Aug 28, 2019, 4:17 PM)


DaveH
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Aug 28, 2019, 4:31 PM

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Re: [Chris1963] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
That actually isn't a bad idea at all. I don't mean to sound pessimistic, However to be honest the whole situation has totally deflated me and I really can't be bothered with it right now.

Also those adverts would probably require a lot more ink than what i currently use and would be a lot more expensive to print off.

Thank you for the suggestion though. If I get my appetite back for it, I will definitely work off the idea.


Chris1963
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Aug 28, 2019, 4:40 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
In Reply To
That actually isn't a bad idea at all. I don't mean to sound pessimistic, However to be honest the whole situation has totally deflated me and I really can't be bothered with it right now.

Also those adverts would probably require a lot more ink than what i currently use and would be a lot more expensive to print off.

Thank you for the suggestion though. If I get my appetite back for it, I will definitely work off the idea.
Yes, I agree the extra ink would be a problem. Perhaps you could find another local advertiser willing to pay for an advert in the wraparound?


BDA_85
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Aug 29, 2019, 1:15 PM

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Re: [DaveH] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
Reading this thread with interest. Last season the programme costs at Ampthill were ridiculous so they asked me to start producing an online programme that conforms to the leagues requirements. Fortunately the SSML don't have an excessive list of demands (a couple of adverts and the usual match information on the front page). I've had to pay for MS Publisher which isn't too expensive and I spend a couple of hours each evening putting it together. For our last home match it was 32 pages and I tried to include things that other clubs don't include. There is now a 6 week gap to our next home league match so the programme that day is going to huge if I keep adding pages as the days pass - the date of that match is non-league day, which is also the day of the Bedfordshire Hop. Unsure what the crowd will be at Ampthill that day but I'm going to pay to get 20 programmes printed, just to see what they look like printed (if last season is anything to by, 3 of them will be sold and the other 17 will sit in the store room).


DaveH
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Aug 30, 2019, 7:00 AM

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Re: [Chris1963] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
That’s another good idea, however I don’t personally know any locally and to be honest it’s not something I’d be comfortable in doing. No one else at the club would do it because no one else cares about a printed prog. None of our home fans are bothered, hence why we went down the online route to begin with.

I think you have to know when to quit and I’ve taken it as far as I can, and spent as much money as I’m willing to.

As per an earlier post, if anyone is planning to come to one of our games drop me a pm beforehand and I’ll do a printed copy for you.


(This post was edited by DaveH on Aug 30, 2019, 7:00 AM)


DaveH
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Sep 12, 2019, 5:52 PM

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Re: [northstandexile] St Ives (Cambs) producing physical progs again... sort of.... 2019/20 or Reply Privately
In Reply To
Don’t call it a programme. Sell it as something else, a magazine?

I can’t see what they can do if you continue with printing your ‘magazine’ and publishing your programme on line.
My chairman has just informed me that it was brought up at the Southern League meeting today as it fell in to something of a grey area. I've been informed that I can start selling them again as long as I don't call it a programme (so like the above suggestion I'll call it a magazine) and I put on the league sponsor logo and title. Basically I'll just put some sticky labels on the front cover with the new stipulations and to cover up the word 'programme'.

Fair play to the Southern League for doing that. I'm a happy bunny once again.


(This post was edited by DaveH on Sep 12, 2019, 5:57 PM)