Matchday Magazine

[Albert Finney]

Over the years that I have supported the Hearts I've only ever been an irregular program purchaser. I know that there are those who collect them for posterity and as a social history document but what about everyone else? Do you buy the program? Why? What is in there that you enjoy reading? What would make it better? For me if there was something more than football inside that would make it a more necessary purchase (a what's on guide, interviews with "celebrity" fans, arts/culture even!) but I'm genuinely interested in what others feel.

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

Over the years that I have supported the Hearts I've only ever been an irregular program purchaser. I know that there are those who collect them for posterity and as a social history document but what about everyone else? Do you buy the program? Why? What is in there that you enjoy reading? What would make it better? For me if there was something more than football inside that would make it a more necessary purchase (a what's on guide, interviews with "celebrity" fans, arts/culture even!) but I'm genuinely interested in what others feel.

 

 

I used to prefer the Fanzines to a programme (or "matchday magazine" as they now appear to be called.) I don't know what would make me buy a programme now, more fan input maybe?

[Albert Finney]

I used to prefer the Fanzines to a programme (or "matchday magazine" as they now appear to be called.) I don't know what would make me buy a programme now, more fan input maybe?

 

I think forums like this killed the fanzine in all probability. Why buy a fanzine when you can access all of "this" for free? I suppose the same argument holds for the program, I see a lot of people reading the program before kick off and at half time so there must be something in it. Has anyone bought one lately who can give us an insight?

[future is maroon]

I used to buy the programme every single game and did do for years - stopped a few years ago though because as has been mentioned above a lot of the info is readily available online for "free" or constant sky sports news keeps you fully updated on just about everything these days albeit not so much about Hearts - they still generally do a build up on all the games though which obviously wasn't the case years ago when you had maybe one episode of Scotsport and Sportscene a week as your weekly fix for football info.

 

Not bought the programme in a while although have had a glance at the odd one recently so I maybe aint the ideal person to comment but from a programme I would look for.

 

Review of the oppo - breakdown of their players, stats etc.

 

Feature on a Hearts great from the past

 

Feature on a great and classic game from the past against that days oppo

 

Feature on a great and classic game from different years that a lot of todays younger fans maybe don't remember eg Bayern, Slavia Prague, Bordeaux.

 

For one season maybe they could do a 22 game in row fetaure with a differnt game of that run being profiled each week

 

Profile on a current first team player

 

Profile on a current youth player

 

A "where are they now" feature on an ex player - not the obvious ones like Robbo, Mackay and Locke as I'm more thinking a bit leftfield in terms of say guys that kinda disappeared from the public eye and are never seen as pundits/no longer work in football in Scotland/England

 

Captains column

 

Manager column

 

Maybe a column from a different hearts employee maybe in the style in a "day in the life of" - eg one game from kit man, one game from ticket staff, one game junior jambos staff.

 

Profile on old piece of memorabillia eg strips, tickets, programmes.

 

Kids page

 

A lot of these we have at the moment so I do think Hearts have a good programme - price is an issue though as Hearts have a good quality glossy programme but generally ?3 is a bit steep so could they not reduce the picture and paper quality and make a cheaper version?

[Albert Finney]

I used to buy the programme every single game and did do for years - stopped a few years ago though because as has been mentioned above a lot of the info is readily available online for "free" or constant sky sports news keeps you fully updated on just about everything these days albeit not so much about Hearts - they still generally do a build up on all the games though which obviously wasn't the case years ago when you had maybe one episode of Scotsport and Sportscene a week as your weekly fix for football info.

 

Not bought the programme in a while although have had a glance at the odd one recently so I maybe aint the ideal person to comment but from a programme I would look for.

 

Review of the oppo - breakdown of their players, stats etc.

 

Feature on a Hearts great from the past

 

Feature on a great and classic game from the past against that days oppo

 

Feature on a great and classic game from different years that a lot of todays younger fans maybe don't remember eg Bayern, Slavia Prague, Bordeaux.

 

For one season maybe they could do a 22 game in row fetaure with a differnt game of that run being profiled each week

 

Profile on a current first team player

 

Profile on a current youth player

 

A "where are they now" feature on an ex player - not the obvious ones like Robbo, Mackay and Locke as I'm more thinking a bit leftfield in terms of say guys that kinda disappeared from the public eye and are never seen as pundits/no longer work in football in Scotland/England

 

Captains column

 

Manager column

 

Maybe a column from a different hearts employee maybe in the style in a "day in the life of" - eg one game from kit man, one game from ticket staff, one game junior jambos staff.

 

Profile on old piece of memorabillia eg strips, tickets, programmes.

 

Kids page

 

A lot of these we have at the moment so I do think Hearts have a good programme - price is an issue though as Hearts have a good quality glossy programme but generally ?3 is a bit steep so could they not reduce the picture and paper quality and make a cheaper version?

 

Another friend has just emailed me to say that there is also a bit of "entertainment" in the shape of some sports related film reviews. If there is, or was, some of the material you mention (I especially like the 22 in a row idea) then I may be tempted to part with some money for the program.