Our latest Premier League programme review looks at the issue produced by West Ham United, who last season claimed our Gold Award for the best programme in the league. Read our full review of this season’s issue below and click here to see all of the 2021/22 Premier League programmes.
Last season’s Gold Award winners return for 2021/22 with another very strong programme. Each issue runs to 116 pages, in addition to a separate junior pull-out section.
The pick of the content comes in the ‘Hammers Heritage’ section, which runs to ten pages and includes three highly readable historical features. ‘My West Ham Scrapbook’ kicks off the section. Over five pages it tells the story of a former Hammer, who reminisces on their time with the club. The feature is packed with retro images and press cuttings to complement the stories included. ‘Hammerabilia’ is penned by historian and Hammers fan Steve Marsh, highlighting interesting item of club memorabilia. For example, the Tottenham issue included a focus on cigarette cards produced in the years after the First World War, with notes on some of the rarest items. ‘Programmed’ meanwhile looks at issues for games against the day’s opponents, with information about the programmes (including pictures of their covers) and details of the matches for which they were issued. In addition to these historical articles, each issue includes an extended player interview over nine pages, and a column from Evening Standard Correspondent Ken Dyer, as well as the junior section at the back of the programme.
The visitor’s section covers eight pages, opening with a nicely designed double-page spread showing an image of the club’s stadium or supporters. The other pages also feature some high-class design work, which helps to give this section something of a different feel to the rest of the programme. There is a short article looking at the club’s recent history, together with club records and honours, as well as first-team depth chart that shows the team’s strength in each position on the field. There is a page of tactical analysis, which leads into a look at the visiting team’s players. This is done on more of a narrative basis than the traditional pen-pic approach, going through each area of the team and assessing the players available in those positions. One or two additional features on the opposition would further strengthen this section.
Each issue contains extensive information about all aspects of the club, including several pages of supporter information to enhance the matchday experience. These include ‘Over Land and Sea’, which provides a guide for travelling supporters on upcoming away fixtures, including the club’s European trips this season. There are two pages of news and stats for each of the under-23s, under-18s, and women’s teams, together with ‘Where Are They Now?’ – which traces the fortunes of a former Academy player who didn’t quite make the grade with West Ham – looking at the career they have had after leaving the club. There are a couple of pages on the work of the club’s foundation, and a first-team stats section that includes a detailed two-page season spread with some useful colour coding for the various competitions the club are participating in. ‘The Month Ahead’ looks at West Ham’s upcoming calendar, with information for each of the club’s teams, and there is in-depth coverage of previous matches – spread over two pages each with a detailed report, line-ups, stats, and pictures from the game.
Another high-quality issue from West Ham then, featuring some excellent articles and with comprehensive club information. This year’s programme perhaps doesn’t quite hit the heights reached in last season’s, with a little less in the way of original content and a slightly slimmed down visitor’s section, although it still remains one of the league’s stronger issues.