Programme Plus – Vol
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PROGRAMME PLUS – VOL. 3, NUMBER 1, MARCH 13 th , 2018 Hello everyone, and welcome to the first edition of ‘Programme Plus’ for 2018, and the 18th in total. Normally I look after most of the content myself, but this time around I have more than enough to share with you from a variety of contributors. That’s probably not a bad thing either, because there’s only so much I can write without exhausting every avenue. I am indebted, as always, to regular contributor James Lundon who has penned a couple of interesting pieces. There’s also articles from Liam Rabbitte in Galway and Jim Whelan in Kilkenny, as well as an interesting piece on G.A.A. stamps from a reader who wants to preserve his anonymity. The last edition was issued shortly before the annual programme fair in Thurles in November. This was a big success, with a healthy number of tables and visitors, and a lot of relatively rare material on offer. Hundreds if not thousands of Euros changed hands and, more importantly, several collectors left the Sarsfields clubhouse with beaming smiles after ticking off some of the troublesome boxes on their wants lists. The only disappointment was the fact that the then President, Aogán O Fearghail, couldn’t attend, so the plans to have a chat with him about how to progress our hobby didn’t materialise. It had been suggested to me, at any rate, that perhaps a President entering the final months of his term wasn’t the best person to engage with one way or the other. It’s very difficult to find the time to maintain and improve a collection, as well as trying to highlight the issues that need addressing, along with holding down a job and going to as many matches as possible. For the moment, therefore, my plans to advance the cause of collecting must be put on hold, unless anyone else out there is in a position to campaign on our behalf. When ‘Programme Plus’ started in early 2016, it was essentially a review of recently-issued match programmes, but the content has evolved and moved in different directions. That’s a reflection of what appears to be a general apathy among readers regarding modern-day programmes; I sought feedback and opinions in the last edition on their make-up and how they might be improved, but nobody was willing to share their thoughts. However, Tipperary collector Seamus O’Doherty did make the following observations, and I found them most interesting and relevant, and well worth sharing: ‘I think it is time to take stock and agree that readers need to contribute, if the ‘club’ is to remain live. Perhaps ‘the unusual’ might be submitted by readers, who have a story or event to relate, which arose around the pursuit of programmes. I think you should praise five or six programmes per issue and detail why they are highlighted. The ‘wow bits’ that make the difference. Perhaps others might be inspired. Is there any point criticising perennial offenders? Obviously they have a different view of the subject. No doubt many programme editors are ‘pushed into the job’ and haven’t a feel for the task. It is unrealistic to expect such people to know what to do. Maybe a guidance book should be produced by some branch of the G.A.A. (Communications), outlining what should be included, depending on the size of publication and the occasion. Some items will be obligatory, others optional, and a few articles need to be diverse. Anyone involved in programme production will know that a stock of articles can be gathered in advance, to ensure a big chase is not necessary as the game comes closer. Profiles of former and current players and the rivalry between the counties can be done two months before the game. If Wexford will be playing Kilkenny in March (Editor’s Note: This submission was received last November), items may be compiled in January, leaving mainly editing (tidy up/proof reading) closer to the match date. Generally errors arise when the job is rushed in the last week. It might also boost programme collection - swaps/purchases - if there was a club contact person based in each province to increase membership and awareness in all counties. It would also be great if an annual fair could be hosted in all four provinces - one per quarter. The Leinster fair could be based around Portlaoise for easy access.’ Many thanks for those thoughts, Seamus, and also for your contribution to the ongoing production of interesting programmes in Thurles. Your byline was on practically every page for the recent Tipperary v. Wexford Allianz Hurling League game and, as outlined above, I’m sure most of that material was compiled over the preceding months. THE HARD PROGRAMMES (BY JAMES A. LUNDON, LIMERICK VIA GALWAY) ‘The editor of ‘Programme Plus’ has asked me on a few different occasions which programmes are abnormally hard to source, all other things being equal, and why they might be. I have come up with some programmes that I believe are harder to obtain - within their programme type - than the average. Some are quite recent, while others go back into the mists of time. You may have one or all of them - lucky you if you do! This survey is not meant to be a definitive guide, just my own thoughts on what I believe is rarer than normal, as well as some reasons why they might be. I would be delighted to hear from other collectors with similar lists, even more so some opinions whether I’m right about my reasons outlined here. ’04 UHF replay: This programme is scarce and sought after by most collectors, mostly due to it being a Senior provincial final. A replay is usually harder to come by than its equivalent draw, especially in earlier times. There were usually less copies printed but also less people bought such programmes, referring instead to their copy of the drawn programme - in the old days, teams did not change much over a season and dummy teams were almost never indulged with. As to why this particular programme is ‘hard’ is a question our northern brethren may be better able to answer? '02 AIFQF replay: This was probably Sligo’s best team ever, as well as Armagh’s breakthrough year. But what most people do not realise is that the programme from this game is enormously scarce in relative collecting terms. It was played in Navan and I’ve never personally come across it. It is a programme I would add to my collection, if only as an example of probably the rarest collectible programme of the twenty noughties. I have no idea why it’s so scarce, even though the attendance from the game is quoted as having been 22,000. ’98/’99 AIU21FFs: Both these games were played in Limerick and I’m pretty sure that they were shown live on RTE too. Kerry beat the great Laois Minor team of the mid-’90s, while Westmeath had some local revenge, beating the reigning holders the year after. Though both games had crowds of around 10K, the programmes are quite difficult to source. Many medium collectors are missing them. When they come up on eBay, they make €30 or more. Why are these two finals much rarer than other equivalent finals of that era? No idea! '93 MHC WD/KY: A wonderful day for Kerry, their only Munster hurling championship win in the modern era. The programme is very scarce and is especially sought after by MHC completists, or should be. It’s a one sheet effort but pretty nice. It was given away free - there is no price printed. It is easily copied though, so beware. The ’98 Kerry/Waterford MHC game is equally rare but not nearly as noteworthy for obvious reasons. ‘92 Oir F: This programme is very scarce, probably for one reason: it was played in Dingle, Co. Kerry. Galway beat Waterford in December down in west Kerry. The programme is a pretty basic two- sheeter, printed in black and white. I wonder what the crowd was like that afternoon? Has Dingle seen the like of it since, with the 25th anniversary of the game arriving late last year? ’89 AIU21FF: Local legend says that this game between Cork and Galway - again played in Limerick - had no programme available until nearly half-time. It did not arrive at the venue until then and many people did not bother to purchase it as the game was already half over, or didn’t realise that it had become available. Again, this is a programme that most medium collectors are missing and very rarely comes up on eBay or otherwise. '83/’84/'85 AICFFs: As we go further back, some programme types get much harder to collect than others. This is a classic clump of programmes that most collectors find very hard to crack, with few exceptions. The first final was played in Tullamore, the second in Athlone and the last in Tipperary town, just before the club finals were permanently moved into Croke Park. All three are ~€100 programmes. There are many other rare AICFFs before that, some which may or may not exist. That is a story for another day. ‘84 AIMHF replay: What is strange about this replayed Minor final is the fact that there was no programme produced, on match day. The legend goes that Croke Park thought Thurles were doing something and Thurles thought that Croke Park were doing the programme.