Our latest programme review from the 2025/26 Premier League issues features Aston Villa’s edition.
Read our review below and check out all of the season’s issues here.
Last season’s Bronze Award winners return with another impressive programme. For the 2025/26 season, Villa have moved to a larger page format while once again offering 84 pages with minimal advertising content.
The design work is particularly noteworthy. Each issue features an illustrated front cover, typically depicting players and supporters in and around Villa Park. Inside, the pages are cleanly presented, with clear, unfussy layouts, effective use of the club’s colours, and highly readable text.
One of the programme’s strengths in recent years has been its historical content, and this season’s edition once again includes a ten-page section titled Vintage Villa. The opening feature, Glory Days, looks back to the 1995/96 season, when the club won the League Cup and finished fourth in the league under the management of Brian Little. Another article examines Villa’s best goalkeepers over the years, while B6 Bookshelf highlights publications about the club and Memorabilia Memories showcases items from different eras of its history. Player by Numbers revisits the career of a former Villa player, while Cover Story reproduces a programme cover from a past meeting with the day’s opponents.
Additional content includes My Villa Dream Team, a two-page feature presenting the selections of a former Villa player, and AVFC – The Obsession, in which supporters reflect on their favourite players and matches. Former striker and radio commentator Garry Thompson contributes View From the Press Box, while club ambassador Ian Taylor offers his thoughts in Tayls Talking. Each issue also includes a dedicated six-page section aimed at younger supporters.
The visitors’ section runs to eight pages and includes brief notes on the club’s recent form, alongside a list of honours and Major Moments from their history. There are profiles of the manager and three key players, as well as sticker-style images of the wider squad. The standout feature here is a two-page Tactical Breakdown, which offers insight into the team’s setup, key battles, and potential areas to exploit.
The programme is also strong on club content, with news pages, detailed reviews of recent matches, updates on the club’s Foundation, and coverage of the academy and women’s teams. A well-presented two-page results and fixtures spread is also included.
All in all, this is another strong offering from Villa, with the depth and range of features standing out as a particular highlight.