Member Article

Printers give football club professional edge

A North East print and design company has helped a non-league football club to give its matchday programme a professional edge.

Aztec Colour Print, based in Washington, has given Northern League club Spennymoor Town’s official publication a new lease of life.

The firm, which employs more than 20 people at its premises in Washington, completely re-designed the programme and is printing them at cost to help the club, which is run entirely by volunteers.

Aztec director Lee Redford, 31, is a former semi-professional player who himself previously played in the Northern League.

The Sunderland fan is also a keen programme collector, and says getting involved in Spennymoor’s programme was a labour of love.

“I’ve been around football programmes since I was six or seven-years-old,” said Lee, whose granddad, George Forster, is chairman of the SAFC Supporters Association.

“I know a few of the lads at Spennymoor, and one of them, Gavin Cogdan, roped me into sponsoring his kit for the season!

“I then looked into it a bit more and I got talking to the club about other opportunities, and we eventually agreed to print the programmes for them.

“The club is on the crest of a wave after their FA Vase win last season and we wanted to make sure their official programme matched the fantastic set-up at Brewery Field and the club’s ambitions.

“We hope they’re happy with the quality of programme we’re doing for them now and we hope their fans are enjoying reading a quality production.”

Spennymoor Town commercial director Mike Rowcroft, who edits the club’s match programme, said: “Aztec have brought a touch of class to the programme and having a real professional look about it improves it from a commercial point of view as well as editorially.

“The early feedback we’re getting is that our fans love the new look and it’s also providing our sponsors with a top drawer platform to promote themselves.”

Lee has been with Aztec since 2005 and has worked in the print industry for 15 years.

Aztec has a team of creative and multi-disciplined designers offering a comprehensive range of skills and knowledge, helping many new and well-established firms in their growth and development through fresh, innovative, and competent approach to graphic design.

The firm also has a range of large format, digital and litho printing options as well as a direct mail division with E-Marketing and website design.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .