Programmes

Red Passion flicks through the best and worst of this season's away match programmes

Chesterfield (26 Sep)

Cost: £1.60

Pages: 36

Good things: No boasting about March 1997 (thankfully); lots of short snappy bits on different themes and a decent effort to make the Wrexham squad sound interesting ("One to watch: Gareth Owen")

Bad things: A lot of boring ads and a boring reliance on the colour blue; anyone would think Chesterfield are a boring club with a boring team...

Bizarre things: "The Post Office supports Chesterfield FC" proclaims a very strange advert; the club mascot, Chester, announces that he is "available for public appearances"

Great one-liner: "The game at Maine Road was an epic in its own right" (City 1 Chesterfield 1)

Verdict: OK but not very inspiring

Caernarfon (7 Oct)

Cost: £1

Pages: 44

Good things: Lots of LOW stats, a few interesting general pieces, a nice colour cover and a page devoted to football website reviews (very enlightened)

Bad things: A bit too obviously photocopied for my liking, and in that sense, arguably, a typical LOW programme; that said, it's fairly hearty and a fairly decent effort

Bizarre things: Ruud Gullit is spelt "rud Gullit" - or is that the Welsh spelling of Ruud?

Great one-liner: "As I mentioned about the new season, we have had some very encouraging results and performances of late, with our result at Aber (sorry I can't spell Aberystwyth) just showing the kind of team spirit and courage we have within the squad." (Caernarfon manager Paul Rowlands)

Verdict: Goodish effort for a smallish club

Bristol Rovers (17 Oct)

Cost: £2.00

Pages: 48

Good things: Very thorough, very colourful and lots of whacky stats and graphics

Bad things: There's far too much talk of 'pirates' (Rovers' nickname): Pirate Tap, Pirate Noticeboard, A Pirate Welcome to Wrexham. What's it all about?

Bizarre things: Those outrageous graphics (eg.p.11 & 46) - and a Rovers keeper called Lee Jones

Great one-liner: "I feel my players are reactionary and would liken our recent problems to those experienced by any parent. When children don't know the rules, they try to see what they can get away with and they are punished for breaking rules. Unfortunately, our boys are doing that with refereeing decisions and it's very childish and immature." (Rovers manager Ian Holloway on his team's disciplinary 'problems')

Verdict: Extremely good

Wycombe (20 Oct)

Cost: £2.00

Pages: 44

Good things: Lots of colour, a special piece on the WW Ladies side, and a quiz all about Wrexham

Bad things: A few too many adverts perhaps

Bizarre things: Guest column from Alan Parry (Sky Sports), who's one of six Wanderers directors; there's also a short piece on Jason Soloman - ex-Wycombe and also, briefly, on Wrexham's books

Great one-liner: "Can I say thank you to all of you for being so patient in seeing us through to our first win of the season." (Neil Smillie, Wycombe manager)

Verdict: Very spirited and upbeat for a club that is bottom of the league.

Wales v England - Under-15 International (2 Oct)

Cost: £1

Pages: 36

Good things: Lots of info and trivia in some nice bright red print; a bilingual foreword; and a frankly amazing roll of honour which says that 16 footballers have graduated from the Flintshire Primary Schools' Football Association to professional soccer, including Wrexham players Rush, Horne, Morgan (S), Owen (G), Jones (K), Knight, Laughton and Rishworth

Bad things: Lots of photos of important Under-15 officials that look as if they've been taken in a town-centre photo-booth

Bizarre things: Wrexham had two players in the Welsh squad, Cardiff four, and Swansea...none. Afan Nedd supplied three.

Great one-liner: "Thank You...Mr Price Griffiths, Chairman of Wrexham FC, for providing the half-time refreshments"

Verdict: Very good for such a minor match

Wales v Italy - Full & Under-21 International (4/5 Sep)

Cost: £3

Pages: 48 (A4)

Good things: Glossy, colourful, modern

Bad things: Gould's constant pessimism about Wales' chances

Bizarre things: Bobby Gould's Welsh language foreword (he's obviously a natural linguist)

Great one-liner: "David Walsh (Wrexham)...Thought by many good judges to be the brightest goalkeeping prospect for Wales for some time"

Verdict: Impressive - unlike Chris Coleman's defending