With the winners of the 2025/26 Premier League Programme Awards now confirmed, it is worth taking a closer look at the scoring behind the final rankings.

Every programme was assessed across four key areas: Design & Layout, Original Content, Opposition Coverage, and Club Coverage. Together, these categories aim to capture the different elements that make a matchday programme worthwhile – from the quality of the writing and visual presentation to the information provided about both the home club and their visitors.

The final scores reveal some fascinating patterns about the modern football programme.

Original Content Remains the Greatest Differentiator

Perhaps the strongest trend to emerge from this season’s reviews was the importance of original editorial content.

The programmes that finished towards the top of the rankings all shared a commitment to producing substantial features that offered supporters something they could not find elsewhere. Historical articles, interviews with former players, supporter memories, and carefully researched archive pieces remained some of the most valuable parts of a programme.

Fulham and Newcastle United were among the outstanding performers in this category, with programmes built around a remarkable breadth of original features. West Ham United also excelled, with articles such as The Boys of ’86 demonstrating the sort of detailed historical writing that can elevate a programme beyond a simple matchday souvenir.

By contrast, some programmes with impressive production values struggled to reach the same heights because they lacked the editorial ambition of the leading issues. A beautifully designed publication can attract the eye, but it is the quality of the reading that ultimately determines whether a programme is remembered.

The Lost Art of Opposition Coverage

One of the most striking findings from this season’s reviews was the widening gap between clubs in the quality of their coverage of the opposition.

At its best, opposition coverage can be one of the most distinctive aspects of a matchday programme. It provides supporters with context about the visiting team, their history, their supporters, and their current fortunes.

Sunderland’s outstanding visitors’ section was among the best examples in the Premier League, offering detailed historical and cultural features alongside analysis of the current team. Wolves, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, and Fulham were also among the clubs that recognised the value of treating their visitors as more than simply a list of names and statistics.

At the other end of the scale, several programmes relied heavily on brief player pen-pictures and basic factual information. While useful, these features rarely provide the insight or sense of occasion that makes a programme enjoyable to revisit years later.

A Modern Programme Represents the Whole Club

The strongest programmes were also those that recognised that a football club is much more than its first team.

Detailed coverage of women’s football, academy teams, community initiatives, supporter groups, and statistical records proved to be another major factor separating the leading programmes from the rest.

West Ham United set the benchmark in this area, with a remarkable breadth of coverage across the club. Leeds United, Arsenal, and Aston Villa were also particularly impressive, providing supporters with a genuine sense of everything happening beyond the first-team picture.

Good Design Supports Great Content

Strong visual presentation remains essential, but this season’s reviews showed that design alone is not enough to create an outstanding programme.

Manchester United, for example, produced one of the most visually impressive publications in the league, with excellent photography and a premium feel throughout. However, its final position was affected by a more limited range of original content.

By comparison, clubs such as Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and West Ham demonstrated how effective design can work hand-in-hand with strong editorial content to produce a more complete package.

The best programmes achieved a balance: clear layouts, thoughtful use of club colours, and an identity that remained consistent while allowing individual features their own character.

More Than Just a League Table

Although the final rankings provide a useful way of comparing programmes, the scores tell a broader story about the changing role of the matchday publication.

The strongest issues remain those that offer something supporters cannot easily access online: detailed historical research, unique interviews, personal memories, and a genuine record of the football club at a particular moment in time.

The 2025/26 season showed that the traditional matchday programme remains a thriving and valuable part of football culture. The clubs that continue to invest in high-quality writing and comprehensive coverage are ensuring that supporters still have something worth taking home long after the final whistle.