A guide to collectable Manchester United programmes

Football programmes are cheap and expendable, so many years must pass before one becomes collectable. Today, programmes for events like the 1966 World Cup final or the first FA Cup final to be played at Wembley are sold at respectable auction houses like Sotheby’s or Bonhams for anything up to £1,000. Read this article which guides you to collectable Manchester United programmes.

Rare and collectable

One of the most famous collectable programmes was produced for the Manchester United vs Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup match in February 1958. As it was the first game after the Munich Air Disaster, the United team sheet was left blank. However, programmes don't have to have been published differently in order to be collectible. There are many reasons why programmes are sought-after which makes this a large marketplace to navigate. One of the best places to begin a search is online.

Memorabilia and programme websites

There are a wide range of unofficial Manchester United programme websites with some abbreviation of the club’s name in the address and an even bigger collection of websites devoted to programmes for all of England’s major clubs. Ebay There is a football programmes category under sports memorabilia which is normally full of programmes for all the major clubs and all major matches like the FA Cup final, the Champions League final as well as Premier League fixtures. You can filter by club and then by season or competition to find the ones that you are interested in. Bulk collectables and one off programmes are sold by individuals and some online stores which set up on Ebay to increase traffic to their site. These Ebay sellers often sell using Buy It Now, so the price is fixed and there’s no waiting for an auction to end.

United Review

The current season programmes are published by Haymarket under the name, United Review. Subscribers can expect their edition on matchday mornings. United Review.co.uk The supporting website sells a selection of programmes from yesteryear as well as yearbooks, merchandise and signed football memorabilia. League and cup programmes are sold along side programmes for testimonials and friendlies. They even stocks programmes for some of United’s away matches.

Newsstands

Some lucky collectors may still find them at car boot sales and local fairs, but most sellers are aware that they can get more money by selling through auction websites like Ebay. Although the current magazine is available in shops like WH Smiths and direct from the club, if you want a collectable programme, the best sources are online.