Type Sunday newspaper Owner(s) David Sullivan Founded 1986 | Format Tabloid Editor Nick Appleyard | |
Publisher Sunday Sport (2011) Ltd
(original publisher Sport Newspapers) | ||
Sunday Sport is a British tabloid newspaper, published by Sport Newspapers, which was established in 1986. It prints plainly ludicrous stories, such as "London Bus Found Frozen In Antarctic Ice", or "World War II Bomber Found On The Moon". Defenders of the paper pointed out that it was not intended to be taken seriously. Its controversial content also includes a high quotient of softcore female nudity and extensive advertising for sexual services.
Contents
History
Sunday Sport was started in 1986. 1st issue on sale was dated September 14th 1986. Its original publisher was David Sullivan. Advertising in the Sunday Sport was once the responsibility of Sullivan's protegee Karren Brady, who went on to become managing director of Birmingham City Football Club and vice-chairman of West Ham United. Sullivan sold the paper to Sport Newspapers but had to give them a £1.68m bailout in 2009. The last editor was Nick Appleyard, appointed in September 2007. His predecessors included Dominic Mohan, Michael Gabbert and Paul Carter.
It had a sister daily title, Daily Sport. It ceased publication and entered administration on 1 April 2011. However, it shortly returned to publication on 8 May, after it was reacquired by its original publisher David Sullivan for £50,000. Sullivan now publishes the paper three times a week as Midweek Sport (Wednesdays), Weekend Sport (Fridays) and Sunday Sport, through his company Sunday Sport (2011) Limited.
It always has a salacious edge, mirroring The Sun's Page 3 girl, except spread across more of the pages. Following the departure of editor-in-chief Tony Livesey in August 2006, the paper moved towards more showbiz content spiced with sex, glamour and unique humour. Most issues came with a free gift, which could be free pints of lager, free downloads, free sex DVDs or even free tomato ketchup squeezy holders.
The Daily Sport and Sunday Sport helped launch the careers of many Page 3 models, including Linsey Dawn Mckenzie, Solange Hop, Cherry Dee, Zoe Parker, Josie Shaw and Dani Thompson.
Ed Miliband story
In October 2013, shortly after the Daily Mail had run a controversial story about the Marxist academic Ralph Miliband (father of then-Labour leader Ed Miliband) allegedly hating Britain, the Sunday Sport ran a story about Ralph Miliband allegedly killing a kitten in 1944. Eunice Clark said,
Winston was my only friend. One night he was late coming home so I went out to look for him. It was a freezing, foggy night but I saw him walking down the road, bold as brass. I shouted 'Come here Winston!' But at that moment, a young naval officer came pedalling down the road on his bike, singing in a language I now know to be Belgian. He was obviously steaming drunk. He barrelled into Winston squashing him flat, then carried on as if nothing had happened. I am convinced that man was Ralph Miliband. Only a Belgian – a Belgian Communist – could have killed a kitten in cold blood.
Ed Miliband later read from the article and "recorded a tongue-in-cheek video message" for a Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year award in November that year, pledging to "battle" the "scurrilous story". Barely stifling his laughter, Ed Miliband said "Now my friends, that is the kind of stuff I have to deal with, sorry I can't be with you".