The digital age is undermining an important match-day ritual and what was once the primary way for supporters to engage with the club as well as a welcome half-time distraction

The revelation that producing a match-day programme may no longer be an absolute requirement for clubs in the Football League from next season was, for some, another nail in the coffin for the traditional ways of the sport in this country.

The matter will be discussed at the league’s annual general meeting next month, when a vote could see a move to a more modern approach, with the “proliferation of digital and social media” being one of the main factors the EFL outlined as to why this point has been reached.

As a lifelong Swindon Town supporter, I sincerely hope programmes survive the vote. For me, they are as much part of the match-day routine as purchasing an overpriced pie before kick-off. For fans they are also a collectible source of club history, which is especially important for teams who ply their trade below the Premier League as, by and large, their collective history takes more digging into than a quick Google search, as is the case for Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

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I became a Swindon season-ticket holder during the summer of 2011, when I turned 16, and instantly went from someone who went to the odd game at the County Ground to a regular attendee. Being a matchgoer was now a ritual and that meant taking part in rituals, like buying a programme from the programme seller who always stood – and still does – by the Magic Roundabout.

The programme became the mental distraction I needed at half-time during freezing Tuesday night games against Gillingham, Burton Albion, and from there a source of fascination, particularly for someone keen on becoming a sports journalist.

The “Face 2 Face” feature that allowed supporters to ask players questions, serious or otherwise, became a route into the industry and I look back on asking the Namibia midfielder Oliver Risser about the nation’s chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup as an important first step in my reporting career.

Following Monday’s news, I decided to flick through the programmes from that season, 2011-12. Doing so proved to be a heartwarming trip down memory lane. I was reminded of the free trading cards of Swindon legends, as well as those dedicated to the then-current crop, which somewhat embarrassingly, I stuck on my bedroom wall.

These days I cover Swindon in a professional capacity, meaning I get given a programme for free on entering the ground. This has changed my relationship with them but never have I forgotten the key part they play in how fans engage with, and consume, the club they support. Whether that be as a memento from their first game, an outlet to find out more about the players and staff, or simply something to pass the time, before kick-off and at half-time.

Whether or not the 72 Football League clubs vote in favour of scrapping programmes next month, there is little doubt their future is under threat in this age of free online content and the subsequent, slow death of print. One solution could be a digital, downloadable programme – something free to obtain and easy to access via a laptop, tablet or smart phone.

For many fans, though, there is, and never will be, anything quite like a programme in its most traditional form – on paper and on sale outside of the ground. Part of a lifelong ritual.