Villa fans love a special edition programme - and every single issue of the Villa News & Record will be exceptional this season.To mark the club's 140 years in existence, every front cover will be a different design - each one based on iconic Villa programmes from the past.It will build into an impressive volume which no Villa collector will want to be without, and inside each issue we will be taking a look at the original programme and its contents.The programme against Parma begins the set with the cover design from 1969 while our first top-flight edition against Newcastle refers back to 2001.Our award-winning Villa Vault section will also include two new features.'140 Years of Villa' will take a look, issue by issue, at significant moments and events throughout the course of our illustrious history.And 'The Saunders Diaries' traces Ron Saunders' amazing first campaign as manager, when we marked our 1974-75 centenary season by winning the League Cup and promotion back to the top flight.Those are just a couple of the changes to your matchday publication, which will be brighter and more informative than ever.Other innovations include 'The Unseen Villa Park' - a look behind the scenes at areas of the stadium which are never seen by the public - and an offbeat feature called 'Can we sing a song for you'?This will give an entertaining slant to our comprehensive coverage of the visiting club.There will also be a regular in-depth feature with a player, plus regular columns with manager Paul Lambert, skipper Ron Vlaar and former Villa striker Stan Collymore.Younger fans, meanwhile, will love the KidZone section, which will include a centrefold player poster, so there's something for Villans of all ages.And to top it all, the price has been pegged at £3 for the sixth consecutive season. Our Parma edition will be just £2.That's great value for a special programme.Subscribe now to be entered into a competition to win a pair of Fabian Delph's boots, signed by the star midfielder himself.Our subscription costs £66, with free delivery to the UK, £34 delivery to Europe and a £54 delivery charge to the rest of the world.
Fabian Delph has really captured the imagination of supporters with his driving midfield performances - and that appreciation is certainly showing up big time in shirt sales in Villa Stores.'Delph 16' is the most popular name and number combination after analysis of figures in the first week of trading in Villa Stores at Villa Village and New Street as well as the Online Store.The likes of Christian Benteke, Ron Vlaar, Gabby Agbonlahor, Andi Weimann and Joe Cole are also showing strong numbers - with Jack Grealish faring best of the young lions.Stan Collymore holds the all-time record for shirt name and number sales.Other popular combinations in the Villa Stores are 'Villa 4 Ever', 'McGrath 5' and 'Petrov 19' as fans show off their loyalty to the club and their former heroes.Merchandising boss John Greenfield said: "It's no real surprise to see Fabian at the top of the sales figures."Fabian, as everyone knows, has really progressed greatly in his time with the club - and he won player of the year with both fans and players last season."Who will forget that winning goal he scored against Chelsea or the blockbusters against Southampton and West Brom - these are the moments that really hit a chord with supporters."It's good to see Jack up there too. We are a club closely associated with bringing through youngsters all the way from the academy to the first team."Villa fans appreciate this and shirt sales follow suit."Villa have also announced that Aly Cissokho will wear No.23.
Does anyone buy this total guff anymore. I cant think of anything worse than the official programme bigging up our most recent defeat and saying what a great team we have. Give me a bit of h&v any day
The progs in the late 70s early 80s were massive.