Today’s programme review looks at the issue produced for the 2021/22 season by Brighton & Hove Albion. The full review is shown below, whilst you can see all the top-flight issues for the season by clicking here.
Albion’s programme is one of the bulkier issues in the Premier League, being made up of 84 pages as well as a separate junior pull-out in the centre of each issue. The programme benefits from some of the best design work and layouts in the division, with every issue being a real pleasure to read and browse through.
The Albion issue contains a few key recurring features. The pick of these is ‘Albion Internationals’, which looks at some of the players to have won caps for their country whilst at the club. This is a well-written six-page feature with various retro images, that turns the spotlight on some lesser-known names. The second regular feature is a focus on a past meeting with the day’s opponents. This has plenty of information about the match itself but what elevates it above many such articles is a sidebar that examines the programme from the featured match. Some of the games featured during the season go back to pre-war matches, so it’s great to see pages from older programmes reproduced as part of the article. Finally, there is a four-page interview with a former player who represented both Albion and their matchday opponents. Each issue also contains various interviews with members of Brighton’s current team, and a few ad hoc articles related to events on and off the field.
The opposition section has six dedicated pages, in addition to the related features mentioned above. The opening page of the section includes basic information about the club and lists their honours, whilst the next page is a short article considering the team’s recent form. There are basic pen-pics for each member of the squad, followed by a two-page interview with a key player. The section would be enhanced with some additional information, such as tactical notes or club history.
In respect of club information, Chairman Paul Barber contributes his usual column, offering his insights into goings on behind the scenes is what probably remains the best such article in the league. There is a column from the manager, several pages of news, and information on previous matches. The work of Albion in the Community is covered and there is a first-team stats section that include a well-presented results and fixtures chart, as well as news on the women’s and academy teams.
Above all, the programme benefits from some top-class design work. The issue is well laid out, with good use of colour throughout and lots of light backgrounds to make reading easy. Where creative touches are used, they enhance the readability, rather than complicating it, something which is often easier said than done, with credit due to the design team for their efforts.