In the eternal spirit of ‘things were so much better in my day-ness’, Pies have traipsed back to the time when football programmes were lovingly crafted, bought for pennies and teams could show their players on the cover without negotiating with image rights lawyers.

Before we proceed, we’d just like to mention that this post would not be possible were it not for the admirable work of retronaut supreme Miles McLagan (follow him on Twitter, @TheSkyStrikers), who has dedicated his precious time to collecting and archiving these wonderful nuggets of footballing folk art.

So without further ado, let’s get going – starting with a personal favourite…

You just know he still dresses like this…

Ayr United employ the town’s leading/only graphic artist to full effect…

One hell of a barnet…

Birmingham revel in all the glamour of Co-op milk…

The ‘keeper seems remarkably pleased about conceding here…

‘Cherries’ obviously being local Dorset slang for LSD tabs…

Old-school sash action from the Bantams…

Followed by some real Roy of the Rovers stuff…

Wishing you an extremely terrifying Christmas from all at Brighton & Hove Albion…

Like a young Rod Stewart…

Powerful imagery from the future European city of culture…

Milky skills…

Tucked inside the back of Coventry City’s new-look programme for the game against Stoke City at Highfield Road, 1971…

Steady as you Mo…

Jim McGregor certainly has the look of a man who hasn’t breathed for a week…

Skol beer, the breakfast of champions…

Why, there must upwards of £50 in that attache case…

No smoking at the back please…

What better way to hype Watford’s visit than by having Graham Taylor shot backwards out of a cannon…

Hank Marvin obviously heard there was £195 to be won…

Norwich City bag themselves one hell of a cover girl…

Sensational work from Palace…

Harry Bassett meets his namesake…

The kind of fixture that doesn’t come around very often…

Spot of late 1960s brutalism from 21st Century brutalists Stoke City…

Bobby Kerr limbers up for his Sunderland testimonial…

Gary Robson and the strategically placed football…

And what might just be the greatest, most intriguing football programme cover of all time…

A version of this post originally appeared on Flashbak.

(All images via Miles McClagan/Flickr)