Football Yearbook shelved as Sky Sports end support for 48-year old revered almanac

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Football's bible — known in its heyday as the Rothmans — is set to cease publication after 48 years following the loss of its key backer.

Sky Sports are pulling out of their Football Yearbook title sponsorship, which started in 2003, and publishers Headline are unable to keep the book going without new money, which they have been unable to attract so far. 

The revered almanac was called the Rothmans Football Yearbook for 33 years and a generation of fans have copies on their bookshelves.

The most prestigious football reference book of all is set to cease publication after 48 years

Sky made their decision last August due to the cost — thought to be more than £10,000 a year — and because of the Yearbook's declining relevance in the digital age, when so much information is available online.

An extra sadness would be the Yearbook, first published for the 1970-71 season, going under just two years shy of its half-century.

Rothmans backed the publication — a statistical record of the previous season in British football, including all results, appearances, goalscorers and transfers, and running to more than 1,000 pages — from its launch until legislation restricting tobacco sponsorship forced them out.

For many years the book was edited by Jack Rollin, whose daughter Glenda joined him as co-editor in 1995. The pair's involvement ended after the 2012-13 edition.

Ex-IAAF chief  Nick Davies is back in sport working for a strategic communications company

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Pagefield are competing with bid campaign giants Vero to represent the European Olympic Committees. 

The EOC's current PR advisers JTA are not being retained because of their closeness to disgraced former EOC president Pat Hickey, who was the driving force behind the irrelevant European Games, first held in Baku in 2015 and heading for Minsk next year.

Tottenham's unpopular way of allocating season-tickets for their new stadium is being blamed on the club using 2006-07 — when their latest ticketing system was installed — as the start date for working out priority. 

This puts season-ticket holders of 50 years' standing on a par with fans of 12 years, because the club insist they do not have reliable data pre-2006, although it is hard to believe there are no records at White Hart Lane of their 20th century regulars. 

A Spurs spokesman said their old data are 'very sketchy'. 

He added: 'There is plenty of space available (in the stadium) no matter which phase you are in.'

Tottenham have been criticised by a supporters group for the new ticket prices

The RFU, who have major problems on the playing front after England's Six Nations fiasco, now face disgruntlement from the Twickenham ground maintenance crew. 

They are upset at the short deadline they have been given to agree to leave RFU employment after more than 70 years of combined service and join outside services provider CBRE, who are RFU sponsors. 

One said: 'You wouldn't believe one of the RFU core values is respect, considering the disgusting ways we've been treated after so many years' loyal service.' 

An RFU spokeswoman said: 'We have followed legal regulations in the transfer of staff.'

The RFU are facing fresh disgruntlement from the Twickenham ground maintenance crew

Clubs snub digital deal

The Premier League have temporarily seen off the challenge of their big six clubs wanting an increased share of overseas TV rights cash.

But while discussions continue over a formula that will satisfy all 20 clubs, the next attack on the collective culture of the top flight will concern digital rights.

The leading clubs are unlikely to work together on this one — instead wanting to maximise their own revenue from digital opportunities, which were not part of the shareholders' statues when the PL was formed in 1992.

Manchester United will be at the forefront of Premier League discussions around social media. They have followings of 73.7million on Facebook, 21m on Instagram and 20m on Twitter. 

And they recruited Phil Lynch from Yahoo to be chief executive of media to grow their digital business.

Manchester United will be at the forefront of Premier League discussions around social media

The 17 elite referees who officiate in the Premier League have just had a crash course in the Video Assistant Referee system at its unglamorous Stockley Park headquarters near Heathrow. 

But the odds are that the 20 Premier League clubs will vote to defer bringing in VAR for another year when they discuss the issue on April 13.

The Premier League's 17 elite referees have just had a crash course in the VAR system