Norwich City's matchday programmes have showcased an array of design layouts over the years, ranging from bold and colourful graphics to clean and simple photography. When you look back over the archive, one thing that immediately jumps out from a design perspective is the use of distinctive typography to create the mastheads on each of the different covers. These retro typefaces are the inspiration behind the cover image on our latest OTBC matchday programme for the game against Reading.

The cover artwork is by graphic designer Aaron Hocking, a recent graduate from the Norwich University of the Arts who also spent time working in catering at Carrow Road while studying for his degree. Recreating his favourite Norwich City programme fonts, Aaron has digitally redrawn each letter and cleverly set in position to read out lyrics from the Canaries' favourite song and oldest chant in world football, 'On The Ball, City'.

"I find myself inspired by all forms of typography and I couldn’t find another club with such rich visuals so it’s great to be able to look back over a hundred or so years of history and delve into the programme archives that the club possess. Some outstandingly lavish, loud and playful mastheads supported by colour combinations that no other club in the world could truly lay a claim too.
 

Each typeface displayed has been crafted to what it is now, having to redesign some of the type from pure guesswork! What better way to re-trace history than provide the song sheet for the oldest chant still sung in world football. On The Ball, City!"
 

Words by Cover Artist, Aaron Hocking

To celebrate the artwork further we have released a limited edition run of prints, hand signed by the artist and available to buy now from our online shop.