THE series of football memorabilia returns to match programmes and a glimpse into a specific category that has always been popular with collectors.

The majority of those who collect programmes tend to limit themselves to the club they support. They could be aiming to gather as many as possible, or from the time of their birth or first game they watched.

Collectors without particular allegiance to a club may go for at least one programme from each club, or international matches while some even collect from different countries of the world.

Special occasions can make certain programmes more desirable to obtain. The debut or final game of a renowned player or the final or first match played at a particular stadium also make for highly sought after mementos.

There is another category which has proved to be very popular – the first, or last, league meeting against specific opponents. And many readers may have a recent example without realising they are in possession of a gem of the future.

As fine examples, last Saturday's match against Burton Albion and this afternoon's fixture with Crawley Town see those clubs play their first ever competitive match at Home Park.

Pick up either of these programmes at the cover price of £3 and it could prove to be a very good investment if, and I do not mean to appear unkind in suggesting this, if Burton or Crawley have a relatively short life in the Football League.

Clubs with a short history of League football will always have a price on their names as far as any form of memorabilia is concerned.

If you want to start at the very beginning as far as Argyle are concerned, the first season of League football was 1920-21 and match programmes will be the hardest to find.

So, for the first league games against all the opponents of that season, be prepared to pay in the region of £200 – maybe more – if you are fortunate enough to stumble upon any originals.

From 1921 onwards, new clubs that joined the Football League would come into the category of playing against Argyle in the same way that clubs playing against the Pilgrims for the final time before dropping out of the League would thereby qualify as the 'last' in the category of a collectable football programme.

Clubs falling out of the Football League was not as commonplace as it is now, with automatic relegation to, and promotion from, the Conference.

A management committee would sit at the end of each season if the bottom club in the league sought re-election. They would then be at the mercy of votes against the highest ranked non-League team to see which would be given League status for the next campaign.

With that ultimate relegation more of a rarity in the past, the first and last categories of programmes are reflected in the price of those match programmes today.

For a nice example, a glance through the programme collection of the 1973-74 season recollects the first visit to Home Park of Cambridge United in their fourth season of League football.

But for supporters of the away team that late April day, they already knew that they were to suffer relegation to Division Four.

The classically designed programme's briefing of the history of the men from the Abbey Stadium provided details of how the rise from the Southern League saw United gain their place in the Football League at the expense of Bradford Park Avenue.

With monetary values as they currently stand, it may be surprising to learn that just 7p would have secured a copy of the programme on that day.

Contradicting my previous reference to programmes increasing in their value due to their notoriety, a peek into some of the latest dealers' catalogues reveals examples are available at £1.50 – the price you could expect to pay for any programme of that age.

Perhaps the dealers concerned are unaware of its special status.

If that price has tempted a younger supporter to take up programme collecting, may I suggest another gem that should not be too hard to find, but with a nice link to the current Argyle side.

The recent visit to Aldershot Town revived memories of the days of the original Aldershot FC. The last league games against that club were during the 1974-75 campaign. Again, for either the home or away programme, expect to pay between £1.50 and £3.

The more recent relegation of Luton Town three seasons ago, just two years after the last meeting against the Pilgrims, means programmes from the two meetings would again be good examples that should be relatively easy to track down.

And do not be taken aback if you are able to purchase a copy for no more than the original cover price.

It is a strange quirk in football that certain clubs meet each other very regularly. The top examples in Argyle's case are Swansea City and, at the conclusion of this season, Bristol Rovers, with 80 league meetings. That's a lot of programmes to trace if, as a collector, you're aiming for a mini series.

At the other end of the scale, despite their long histories, Argyle did not play Middlesbrough in a league encounter until the 1954-55 season. If you are fortunate, it may be possible to buy a copy of that programme for around £5 to £6.

For a real name from the past, and also to provide more of a challenge, it would take a fair bit of detective work to find both home and away copies of the first and last editions of match programmes from Argyle's encounters with Barrow.

Entering the Football League in 1921, their existence lasted until 1972 when they failed to seek re-election with their place going to Hereford United. There were just four league matches against Argyle and they were played during the 1968-69 and 1969-70 seasons.

Given the age of the programmes, added to the collectable value, you should be able to acquire all four with change from £20.

To follow that, the first league matches against Hereford United took place not long after, during 1973-74.

As a general rule of thumb, when considering buying programmes, have a look at the general price of items of the season that takes your interest. If it is a 'first or last' you are after, add a pound or two if matches against certain clubs were great in number.

For the likes of Barrow, or other rarities such as Merthyr Tydfil, Rushden and Diamonds or even the original Wimbledon, be prepared to part with a little more cash.

IF YOU would like to have a piece of memorabilia included in Green Barmy, attach a photo and details and email to sports@theplymouthherald.co.uk or by post to The Herald, 17 Brest Road, Plymouth PL6 5AA.