Welcome to 10 Footballs – Football Programmes and Sports History Memorabilia
10 Footballs is a home for anyone who loves the game’s past and the printed relics that bring it to life. Built around a carefully curated personal collection, the site celebrates Football Programmes as windows into Football History: tangible records of matchdays, eras and emotions. From early twentieth-century fixtures to post-war revivals and modern milestones, each item tells a story—of players and pitches, of towns and terraces, of the wider world shaping the sport we cherish.
A Personal Collection with a Public Purpose
At its heart, 10 Footballs began as one supporter’s lifelong habit of saving the programme on the way through the turnstile. Over time, that habit became a collection, and that collection became a resource worth sharing. Rather than a sterile catalogue, you’ll find a living archive: notes, memories and context set alongside the printed artefacts themselves. The aim is simple—use Football Programmes to illuminate Football History in an accessible, enjoyable way for every visitor, whether you’re a seasoned collector or a curious newcomer.
This is a website for anyone interested in the history of football, largely as reflected in football programmes of the day. The selection is personal taken from my own collection. I hope it proves interesting to you. Please check back for updates as we add more articles covering a century or so of football history – D.T. – 10 Footballs
The Programmes
Why Football Programmes Matter
Matchday programmes are much more than souvenir sheets. They capture a precise moment: the manager’s outlook, the expected line-ups, the mood around the ground. Advertisements reveal the businesses that supported local clubs; typography and design echo the fashions of their time. Across decades, these modest booklets trace tactical shifts, rising stars, stadium changes and social history. Hold one from a famous cup run and you’re instantly back in that season’s excitement; open another from a hard winter and you’ll read the game’s resilience between the lines.
Explore the Programmes
The site’s programme selections are chosen to show the breadth and richness of the medium. Expect variety: league fixtures and cup ties, domestic powerhouses and international visitors, glamour occasions and gritty replays. You’ll encounter classic covers, limited-print curiosities and issues tied to turning points in club and national stories. For collectors, the gallery offers inspiration and reference; for fans, it offers nostalgia and discovery. Either way, it’s an invitation to look closely—at the artwork, the editorial tone, the tiny details that make each piece unique.
Articles that Bring the Past to Life
Alongside the programmes, you’ll find articles that dig into defining themes and moments. These features revisit eras such as the inter-war years, journeys through post-war touring sides, and profiles of players whose careers left a mark far beyond a scoreline. By pairing programmes with narrative, the articles turn paper evidence into fuller stories: why a final mattered, how a club changed, or what a particular season felt like from the stands. The goal is to make Football History vivid—rooted in evidence, told with enthusiasm, and open to readers at all levels of knowledge.
For Collectors, Fans and the Simply Curious
Whether you’re charting a team’s home fixtures season by season, hunting a specific cup tie, or just love the romance of old print, 10 Footballs aims to be a welcoming stop on your journey. If you collect, you’ll recognise the thrill of spotting a rare variant or a pristine spine. If you don’t, you might find yourself tempted to start—perhaps with your first match or a favourite player as a theme. And if your main interest is Football History itself, the site’s blend of images and context offers a rich way to learn.
Articles
Classic Liverpool Football Programmes Every Collector Should Know
Few clubs in world football have a story as rich – or as collectible – as Liverpool. From early league titles to European dominance and modern Champions League miracles, the club’s biggest nights have been captured in print on the front of humble matchday programmes....
Spurs in Print: The Tottenham Hotspur Programmes Collectors Hunt For
Tottenham Hotspur’s history is packed with moments that changed English football – the first modern Double, pioneering European trophies and dramatic North London derbies. For collectors, the story of the club lives not just in goals and trophies, but in the spurs...
England at the World Cup 1954: Summer Tour or Reality Check?
The 1954 World Cup in Switzerland arrived in June, straight on the heels of a full English season, and England travelled with a curious mix of confidence, complacency and concern. In the background sat an attitude that still feels astonishing: the tournament was often...
Manchester United Go for the Treble, 1956/57 – League, European Cup and FA Cup
Manchester United went into 1956/57 as reigning First Division champions, having finished 11 points clear of Blackpool the previous spring, back when a win earned two points. In Matt Busby’s view, no club in the country could live with his pre-Munich side. What makes...
Northern Ireland’s Road to the 1958 World Cup – Knocking Out the Giants
As Northern Ireland once again battle through a demanding qualification campaign, it is worth looking back to the nation’s most remarkable World Cup journey of all. Qualification for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden remains one of the greatest achievements in Northern...
Starting Your Football Programme Collection at Markets and Car Boot Sales
There’s something magic about finding football history in an unexpected place. One minute you’re walking past boxes of old records and random kitchenware, the next you’ve spotted a stack of old football programmes tucked under a trestle table. For collectors, markets...
England 1950: When Everything Went Wrong in Brazil – and at Lord’s
There are bad days in sport, and then there is 29 June 1950 – the afternoon when England contrived to lose to a team of American semi-pros at the World Cup in Brazil, while the West Indies spun them to a historic defeat at Lord’s. For collectors, the programmes and...
The Most Collectable Liverpool Football Programmes
Liverpool’s history is packed with big nights, bigger trophies and some of the most passionate support in the game. It is no surprise, then, that Liverpool programmes are among the most collected and talked-about items in the hobby. From fragile pre-war issues to...
Why So Many People Are Passionate About Collecting Old Football Programmes
Walk into any collector’s home and you’ll often find the same thing: boxes carefully labelled by club, season or competition, stacks protected in sleeves, and a few prized issues displayed like artwork. To some, it might look like paper. To collectors, old football...
How to Use the Site
Start with the visual galleries to get a feel for eras and styles. Then dip into the articles to add depth and context. Follow threads that interest you—cup finals, legendary forwards, international tours—and see how different programmes narrate the same footballing moment from multiple angles. New additions and features are added over time, so it’s worth checking back to see what’s been uncovered or restored.
A Living, Growing Archive
10 Footballs isn’t finished—and that’s the point. Football History keeps revealing itself through fresh finds, newly examined issues and the shared knowledge of supporters. As more programmes are scanned, described and discussed, the picture grows clearer and richer. You’re invited to be part of that process by exploring, returning and spreading the word to others who share a passion for the printed heartbeat of the game.